:00:00. > :00:00.a round-up of the day in both houses from 11:30pm this evening. First,
:00:00. > :00:11.questions for the international development minister Justine
:00:12. > :00:14.Greening and her team of ministers. Questions for the Secretary of State
:00:15. > :00:25.for International Development. Mr John Howard. I would like to thank
:00:26. > :00:32.the right Honourable member for Hatfield for his work in the
:00:33. > :00:49.department. I would also like to thank the member for North Wood,
:00:50. > :00:55.Ruislip and enough. -- Pinner. Our plan for Palestinian territories
:00:56. > :01:07.contains a results framework which is updated quarterly. I draw the
:01:08. > :01:18.house was my attention to my register of interest. Will the
:01:19. > :01:25.Minister will assure me that no aid will go to support the glorification
:01:26. > :01:31.of terrorism. The Prime Minister and I have been very clear that we
:01:32. > :01:36.deplore incitement on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We
:01:37. > :01:45.investigate any allegations very closely and raise them with both the
:01:46. > :01:56.Palestinian and Israeli authorities. It only goes to approved individuals
:01:57. > :02:01.through a World Bank audit. Palestinian refugees from Syria are
:02:02. > :02:05.suffering enormously in that country. What more can we do to
:02:06. > :02:10.ensure that the vital work of the UN relief and Works agency has secured
:02:11. > :02:16.funding for the long term? I had the chance to meet with the head of the
:02:17. > :02:20.UN relief and Works agency only last week and we discussed the need to
:02:21. > :02:25.make sure that their funding is sustained. They do absolutely
:02:26. > :02:28.critical work and in the context of needing to improve the international
:02:29. > :02:35.response to more protracted crises we can look at the work that they
:02:36. > :02:44.are doing in relation to Palestinian refugees. Wouldn't it be better that
:02:45. > :02:46.money was put into direct projects rather than through third-party
:02:47. > :02:52.organisations where we cannot really be sure of the outcome? I can
:02:53. > :02:56.hopefully reassure him that the agencies we work with and the
:02:57. > :03:02.organisations are ones that we know are ones we can achieve value for
:03:03. > :03:09.money results on the ground with. I have been an aide disciplinarian,
:03:10. > :03:12.making sure we get value for money. We have to get value from the
:03:13. > :03:18.agencies that are there and we have a multilaterally agreed relief fund
:03:19. > :03:25.making sure that this is done progressively. The secretary of
:03:26. > :03:31.state will be aware of the guidance on the Foreign Office website that
:03:32. > :03:43.warns against investing in the region, and other economic
:03:44. > :03:48.activities in Israeli settlements because of the legal nature of those
:03:49. > :03:52.settlements. Does she agree with me that it is perfectly reasonable for
:03:53. > :03:57.the public and private institutions to pay due regard to this advice
:03:58. > :04:03.when they make their own investment and procurement decisions? That is
:04:04. > :04:09.good Foreign Office advice. We have been very clear that we deplore
:04:10. > :04:13.illegal settlements. They are taking as further away from a two state
:04:14. > :04:18.solution and peace in that part of the world when we need to be taken
:04:19. > :04:30.what could be final chances to reach a two state solution. We'd like to
:04:31. > :04:41.welcome the member for Riesling North and Pinner. How does the
:04:42. > :04:45.Secretary of State justify the decrease in funding to organisations
:04:46. > :04:52.like the United nations relief and Works agency? I don't recognise the
:04:53. > :04:57.statement she has just made. The United Kingdom has made sure that we
:04:58. > :05:04.got support to vulnerable Palestinians, not only in Gaza but
:05:05. > :05:09.also in the West Bank. We help fund, for example, the materials monetary
:05:10. > :05:18.unit in Gaza. I'm sure she is aware of that and it would be helpful to
:05:19. > :05:25.have her support on it. Gaza has the highest unemployment in the world.
:05:26. > :05:31.The World Bank estimates that by the end of 2014, youth unemployment had
:05:32. > :05:46.reached 60%. Extensive restrictions inhibit employment.
:05:47. > :05:57.Gaza is still faces restrictions on its agricultural land and fishable
:05:58. > :06:07.waters. Until such restrictions are taken away, we will continue to work
:06:08. > :06:10.with one arm tied behind our back. Restrictions inhibit employment. We
:06:11. > :06:17.will not give up. We have a programme for economic improvement
:06:18. > :06:23.that is making slow and frustrating improvement but nevertheless
:06:24. > :06:26.improvement. Can we make it clear that supporting Palestinian people
:06:27. > :06:31.has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. I wanted to clarify
:06:32. > :06:35.that. Would the Minister not agree that the appalling situation in Gaza
:06:36. > :06:43.which he has given the figures for, shows the need for developed
:06:44. > :06:47.democracies to do far more. What hope can there be for Palestinian
:06:48. > :06:53.people when they are faced with so little hope of getting jobs and
:06:54. > :06:57.having a decent life. Shouldn't we be far more concerned with the
:06:58. > :07:02.Palestinian tragedy than we are. I agree with the honourable gentleman
:07:03. > :07:05.and we do everything we can diplomatically to raise the sites of
:07:06. > :07:10.the world community and will continue to do so. Would my
:07:11. > :07:21.honourable friend not agree that the bill cited campaign for boycotts and
:07:22. > :07:25.this investment is also leading to greater unemployment amongst
:07:26. > :07:32.Palestinian people? The problem faced by Gaza is restrictions and
:07:33. > :07:45.the extension of restrictions is a block to peace. May I place on
:07:46. > :07:49.record my personal respect for the honourable member for Welwyn garden
:07:50. > :07:56.and Hatfield in kick-starting the image Africa campaign. SMEs will
:07:57. > :08:02.play a critical role in sustaining and creating jobs in poor countries
:08:03. > :08:12.and we have a programme focused on raising finance for SMEs and social
:08:13. > :08:19.enterprises. He has a reputation for being an innovator. Will he look
:08:20. > :08:27.carefully at the ways in which he can help? The UK is the leading
:08:28. > :08:32.centre of crowdfunding in the world. This can do so much especially for
:08:33. > :08:40.winning in the developing world. Will he talked to people like the
:08:41. > :08:45.Chancellor of the Exchequer to get some movement behind this? I
:08:46. > :08:50.completely agree with you. He has been a long-term supporter of the
:08:51. > :08:54.power of the crowd. If we get the regulation and technology right,
:08:55. > :09:02.this is very stable. We have a manifesto commitment to developed
:09:03. > :09:08.this. It is exactly what we're doing with the energy partnership which is
:09:09. > :09:23.looking crowdfunding partnerships in Africa. Would he agree that
:09:24. > :09:34.institutions that promote the conservation of Endangered Species
:09:35. > :09:38.Act should be promoted? Yes. Well making sure that small local
:09:39. > :09:45.enterprises can be promoted, what funds can he give that those funds
:09:46. > :09:48.don't find their way into the hands of larger international condom Ritz?
:09:49. > :10:14.--, Blom rates. - conglomerates. We know that most
:10:15. > :10:26.sustainable jobs come from small and medium-sized organisations. That is
:10:27. > :10:37.what we will concentrate on. My honourable friend will know that
:10:38. > :10:43.this is enormously important. Inclusive growth is a central pillar
:10:44. > :10:48.of our framework going forward. We expect that our support over the
:10:49. > :10:51.next seven years would mobilise finance to over 200 SMEs, many of
:10:52. > :11:04.which will be headed by women. Small businesses are now facing an
:11:05. > :11:09.upsurge in ethnic violence with foreign fighters coming in from the
:11:10. > :11:14.web dev. Can I urge the Minister, as he undertakes the bilateral aid
:11:15. > :11:19.review, to look again at our decision to leave the room date in
:11:20. > :11:22.2011 and to look very carefully at the potential need to go back in
:11:23. > :11:27.there and have a presence on the ground?
:11:28. > :11:30.I share the honourable Lady's concern about the situation and we
:11:31. > :11:32.should be aware that we don't have a bilateral programme there but we do
:11:33. > :11:38.a lot in terms of humanitarian support. I take onboard fully about
:11:39. > :11:42.her remark on the cost of capital to smaller organisations. I refer back
:11:43. > :11:50.to Mike's pretty offensive or technology can help us reduce that.
:11:51. > :11:52.Question four. I congratulate the people on their historic elections
:11:53. > :11:58.which were actually supported by a British funded trained observers.
:11:59. > :12:05.That is an important step towards greater democracy and the UK will
:12:06. > :12:08.support inclusive support in Burma, support improvements to the business
:12:09. > :12:11.climate, the financial sector, agricultural productivity and
:12:12. > :12:16.diversified livelihoods and encourage more private sector
:12:17. > :12:23.investment in infrastructure. In the wake of the amazing victory,
:12:24. > :12:29.to my right honourable friend expend her what her department is doing to
:12:30. > :12:33.increase the women representation in Burma, which has been dominated for
:12:34. > :12:42.far too long by men and the military? Is absolutely right. In
:12:43. > :12:45.fact, women face specific in Burma, did predominantly world economy,
:12:46. > :12:47.largely access to finance, land, skills and credit. We are targeting
:12:48. > :12:54.these issues and programmes that have helped for example to provide
:12:55. > :12:58.affordable credit access for over 140,000 women, but we are also
:12:59. > :13:05.looking at how we can help women move into other sectors such as
:13:06. > :13:12.garments might affect her were often conditions and pay are better.
:13:13. > :13:14.In assisting the Burmese nation and new regime with international
:13:15. > :13:17.development, will the Minister assure that that's regime is aware
:13:18. > :13:21.of the ongoing persecution of minorities in Burma, which needs to
:13:22. > :13:25.be dealt with as the new nation state take shape?
:13:26. > :13:29.We will of course be raising those issues. I think we know from so many
:13:30. > :13:33.other parts of the world that governments that are successful are
:13:34. > :13:36.inclusive in governments, with respect to minorities. I should also
:13:37. > :13:41.tell the House that one of the pieces of work that will be underway
:13:42. > :13:44.will be doubling our support for a governance project that is taking
:13:45. > :13:50.place within the Burmese parliament, which has seen our clerk there in
:13:51. > :13:52.recent years and we will be doubling up the number of clerks there to
:13:53. > :14:01.help them and make sure their democracy can flourish as ours has.
:14:02. > :14:06.Number five. It's completely inadequate, Mr Speaker, the demand
:14:07. > :14:11.exceeds the supply by a factor of four times. 96% of the extracted
:14:12. > :14:18.water fails World Health Organisation's safety standards.
:14:19. > :14:24.A terrible situation, 26% of all diseases in Gaza are directly
:14:25. > :14:28.associated with poor water supply. Clean water is limited to 70 L per
:14:29. > :14:33.person per day and this will fall drastically over the coming years.
:14:34. > :14:36.And according to the UN, the underground coastal Apple fire will
:14:37. > :14:42.be unusable by 2016. What can be done about this? Is a just a case of
:14:43. > :14:47.lifting that Israeli blockade and getting on with life?
:14:48. > :14:51.We are currently spending some 600,000 euros on a project to assist
:14:52. > :14:55.with the desalination and there are funds available through our climate
:14:56. > :14:59.change funds for long-term solution to this problem. But Mr Speaker, the
:15:00. > :15:04.level of investment and the marshalling of the factors of
:15:05. > :15:10.production will require a long-term peace process to be viable.
:15:11. > :15:15.Full. The honourable member speaks about the blockade, but surely if
:15:16. > :15:19.they did not embrace Hamas, if they did not continue a file rockets into
:15:20. > :15:25.Israel, they wouldn't need to be a blockade in the first place?
:15:26. > :15:30.Mr Speaker, we were continually with both sides to ease the economic
:15:31. > :15:40.edition sent to bring about a settlement.
:15:41. > :15:51.Natalie McGarry. Not here. Stephen Phillips. Number seven.
:15:52. > :15:58.Mr Speaker, it is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, 80% of
:15:59. > :16:02.the lemons 21 million people are in need of assistance and the United
:16:03. > :16:07.Kingdom is playing its part, we have committed some ?75 million and we
:16:08. > :16:11.are the fourth largest owner. Thank you very much, I am grateful
:16:12. > :16:14.to my honourable friend for the answer. I wonder if you could update
:16:15. > :16:17.the House as to what role the United Kingdom Government is playing to
:16:18. > :16:22.help bring about a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Yemen.
:16:23. > :16:29.I think my honourable friend for that. Peace talks began today and
:16:30. > :16:35.yesterday a cease-fire commenced. I would urge all parties to observe
:16:36. > :16:39.the cease-fire. Her Majesty's ambassador are in the margins of the
:16:40. > :16:44.conference, peace conference, affording what assistance they can.
:16:45. > :16:48.I welcome all the efforts that have been made by the Government,
:16:49. > :16:51.including the cease-fire. But the real problem is getting aid into
:16:52. > :16:58.Yemen. What can we do to raise the blockade?
:16:59. > :17:03.We have invested ?1.7 million in the UN vessel investigation mechanism. I
:17:04. > :17:08.hope that that will have a quantum effect on the number of vessels that
:17:09. > :17:13.are able to dock in the ports, 60 last month, 55 the month before. It
:17:14. > :17:18.is getting better, but we are far short of what is necessary.
:17:19. > :17:22.My right honourable friend will no doubt be aware of the recent reports
:17:23. > :17:28.by Save the Children which highlighted the devastating impact
:17:29. > :17:31.of the conference does not conflict on the medical facilities in Yemen,
:17:32. > :17:36.some 69 hospitals destroyed or damaged by the end of October. What
:17:37. > :17:43.can the Government do in the interim to assure they are dissuaded from
:17:44. > :17:47.targeting medical facilities? My right honourable friend is
:17:48. > :17:53.absolutely right, that report is being scrutinised and investigated.
:17:54. > :17:56.We are calling on all confidence to observe international law. My right
:17:57. > :18:00.honourable friend the Secretary of State made this very forcefully in
:18:01. > :18:04.his recent visit. Following that reply, does the
:18:05. > :18:09.Minister agree that there is an overwhelming case for United Nations
:18:10. > :18:15.human rights Council which has referenced humanitarian laws and 17
:18:16. > :18:18.times to call for an investigation into breaches of international
:18:19. > :18:25.humanitarian law in Yemen? Mr Speaker, we supported the
:18:26. > :18:33.resolution. Mr Speaker, the conflict in Yemen
:18:34. > :18:35.has seen 6000 dead and 30,000 injured. The World Health
:18:36. > :18:40.Organisation is saying that health services are on the bridge of
:18:41. > :18:43.collapse. As it was world universal Health Service coverage day
:18:44. > :18:46.yesterday will he today commit to help rebuilding their crippled
:18:47. > :18:50.system? We have already committed ?75
:18:51. > :18:53.million to this, the worst crisis in the world. I do give that
:18:54. > :19:04.commitment. We are already planning for the Beacon search in of Yemen.
:19:05. > :19:08.-- helping build up Yemen. What about the concern reports from
:19:09. > :19:12.Amnesty International and others that British made weapons sold to
:19:13. > :19:15.Saudi Arabia are being used in the conflict in breach of human rights
:19:16. > :19:21.laws? The United Kingdom has the toughest
:19:22. > :19:25.standards for the export of weapons. The honourable leader should be
:19:26. > :19:30.aware that the Coalition is acting in support of the legitimate
:19:31. > :19:43.Government of Yemen after an illegal coup by an armed... Force.
:19:44. > :19:46.For a moment about the honourable gentleman was going to be inaudible,
:19:47. > :19:53.which is pretty rare. Topical questions.
:19:54. > :19:58.Thank you Mr Speaker. Since the last session, at welcome the news that
:19:59. > :20:05.Sierra Leone's a beloved -- of outbreak is officially over. My
:20:06. > :20:08.thanks go to all across the Government, the Armed Forces and
:20:09. > :20:14.NGOs who helped save an estimated 56,000 lives. For my written
:20:15. > :20:18.minister in 2012, we are on track to enter traditional age programme to
:20:19. > :20:23.India by the end of this year, shifting to a relationship based on
:20:24. > :20:27.technical relationships and investment. I became the first
:20:28. > :20:30.development minister last month to chair a meeting of the UN Security
:20:31. > :20:33.Council in New York discussing the crisis in Syria and the importance
:20:34. > :20:43.of development, delivering peace and security.
:20:44. > :20:45.Britain has a lot to be proud of in its international developments
:20:46. > :20:51.pending, but does the Minister agree with me that some rural states
:20:52. > :20:57.continue to undermine the UK's good efforts in the third World. Does she
:20:58. > :21:03.agree that Qatar should be stripped of the World Cup because there will
:21:04. > :21:06.be more migrant third World workers slaughtered there in the run-up to
:21:07. > :21:10.the World Cup and there will actually be professional footballers
:21:11. > :21:14.playing their? Well, I am sure those people running
:21:15. > :21:18.the show will have been hurt his points very clearly. He will be
:21:19. > :21:28.aware that some of the work that we do is in terms of improving workers'
:21:29. > :21:36.conditions. Mr Foster, your moment has arrived.
:21:37. > :21:40.Given the vital... You given the vital importance of rebuilding
:21:41. > :21:42.reprocess -- rebuilding process in Syria, what discussions is the
:21:43. > :21:45.department having with our international partners in what
:21:46. > :21:47.financial commitments have been made to develop a long-term plan for
:21:48. > :21:51.this? He will be aware as my right
:21:52. > :21:55.honourable friend the prime Mr signalled that the UK has pledged at
:21:56. > :21:59.least ?1 million to Syria's reconstruction and we are already
:22:00. > :22:05.updating our of the sting planning for reconstruction programmes with
:22:06. > :22:07.donors with the expertise of the UN and international financial
:22:08. > :22:11.institutions in the private sector will be essential.
:22:12. > :22:14.There is a lot of noise. Probably animated discussion about Christmas
:22:15. > :22:22.shopping or the like, but we must hear the questions and answers.
:22:23. > :22:28.On the question of Syria, how many Syrian refugees will the Government
:22:29. > :22:32.help resettle in this country by Christmas?
:22:33. > :22:35.The Prime Minister will be giving an update shortly on that, I think we
:22:36. > :22:40.can be proud of the role that the United Kingdom has played, leading
:22:41. > :22:43.the humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis and all the support we
:22:44. > :22:50.have provided right from day one to refugees affected by this crisis.
:22:51. > :22:53.Michael Tomlinson. What steps can the Secretary of State take to help
:22:54. > :22:56.assess the Syrians displaced and neighbouring countries such as
:22:57. > :23:02.Jordan, especially over the coming winter months?
:23:03. > :23:05.This financial year we have provided nearly ?13 million to 11 partners
:23:06. > :23:08.who are helping to prepare and respond to the onset of winter
:23:09. > :23:12.across Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. That will help provide warm
:23:13. > :23:19.clothing, blankets, fuel and cash to vulnerable families.
:23:20. > :23:23.Karen Smith. 2 million series children live in areas that are
:23:24. > :23:28.beyond the area of humanitarian assistance. In the late of recent
:23:29. > :23:35.strikes, what action is she taking to reach these desperate children?
:23:36. > :23:38.We are constantly working with UN agencies and NGOs to improve our
:23:39. > :23:42.axis within Syria. We estimate there is probably around half a million
:23:43. > :23:47.people, including children, that we cannot reach, but we will try our
:23:48. > :23:50.level best to make sure that we maintain our existing network, reach
:23:51. > :23:56.into those areas as fighting stops. James Morris.
:23:57. > :24:00.With the Secretary of State agree with me that she, her department has
:24:01. > :24:05.got a vital role to play in the livery on the UK's Government
:24:06. > :24:11.commitments in the climate change conference agreements last week?
:24:12. > :24:15.Absolutely. We have been scaling up or renewable energy work in Africa,
:24:16. > :24:19.expanding the provision of climate risk in vulnerable countries, but we
:24:20. > :24:20.are also supporting increased investment in low carbon
:24:21. > :24:26.technologies and clean energy research.
:24:27. > :24:31.Does she agree that noting the continual loss in life in Syria,
:24:32. > :24:34.Iraq these central African Republican the escalated situation
:24:35. > :24:39.that the Government would benefit from applying a mass atrocity
:24:40. > :24:44.prevention lands in order to do policy?
:24:45. > :24:49.She may be aware that in our recent published a strategy, we committed
:24:50. > :24:53.to invest around 50% of our investment in so-called fragile
:24:54. > :24:56.areas, precisely because we need you recognise that it is not just about
:24:57. > :25:00.dealing with conflict after this happened, witty to do work to help
:25:01. > :25:06.prevent conflict to deal with fragility prior to issues taking
:25:07. > :25:14.place that cause huge distress. Could be right honourable lady tell
:25:15. > :25:17.the House, Church apartment has spent on humanitarian existence in
:25:18. > :25:20.Syria in neighbouring countries receiving Syrian refugees in the
:25:21. > :25:26.last two years? Over the course of the entire
:25:27. > :25:28.department, we have provided now around ?1.1 billion, our biggest
:25:29. > :25:34.ever response to any humanitarian crisis. Half of that has been inside
:25:35. > :25:38.Syria, around half of its of 40 people in the region, clearly there
:25:39. > :25:47.are now 4.4 million refugees outside of Syria. It is vital that this work
:25:48. > :25:50.continues and will continue to lead. Following the report for the
:25:51. > :25:52.Department for International Development by the University of
:25:53. > :25:58.Sussex, what does the Minister consider to the be main risks close
:25:59. > :26:01.to the most-favored-nation low-income countries from the
:26:02. > :26:08.transatlantic trade and investment partnership?
:26:09. > :26:11.Our aid policy is not only helping to improve the prospects and the
:26:12. > :26:15.lives of millions of people in poverty around the world, it is also
:26:16. > :26:19.in our national interest as well. I have just talked about what we are
:26:20. > :26:23.doing and how it is important in terms of UK security and
:26:24. > :26:25.international security, it is also important in terms of prosperity and
:26:26. > :26:29.those international rules that he talks about can be a key way in
:26:30. > :26:33.which we see prosperity enabled through allowing freer trade that
:26:34. > :26:40.can help developing countries trade their way out of a dependents.
:26:41. > :26:45.What my right honourable friend tell the House what different are doing
:26:46. > :26:49.to stop the problem with malaria in the north of Uganda and which I'm
:26:50. > :26:54.going to visit in the new year and a note if it is working hard there,
:26:55. > :26:57.but that she tell the House what it is?
:26:58. > :27:03.We have got a range of programmes, including in Uganda, that it helps
:27:04. > :27:05.to do the very important intervention of provision and we
:27:06. > :27:09.have seen over the last 15 years that the deaths from malaria has
:27:10. > :27:13.fallen by two thirds, important to cause in some countries 40% of their
:27:14. > :27:19.health Budget goes purely on responding to malaria.
:27:20. > :27:24.Is the Secretary of State aware of the recent arrest in the lowering of
:27:25. > :27:28.two men for having consensual sex? Will the Government make urgent
:27:29. > :27:32.representations to them allowing the Government actually the cause of the
:27:33. > :27:35.UN ambassador calling for them to live up in their international human
:27:36. > :27:40.rights obligations and make sure these charges are dropped? We will
:27:41. > :27:43.be making representation. She is absolutely right to flag that up as
:27:44. > :27:47.a key area of human rights that needs to be addressed, wherever it
:27:48. > :28:05.takes place. Questions to the Prime Minister.
:28:06. > :28:10.We all watched his exciting take-off yesterday and is the first Briton to
:28:11. > :28:13.visit the International Space Station it signals a landmark in
:28:14. > :28:17.this country's involvement in space exploration. I'm proud the
:28:18. > :28:22.government took the decision to fund it and we wish him the best of luck.
:28:23. > :28:23.This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and