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allocation for the NHS. There will be a round-up of today's activities | :00:00. | :00:00. | |
in Parliament to night, but first, Priti Patel and her team. Order, | :00:07. | :00:15. | |
order. Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development. | :00:16. | :00:26. | |
Secretary Priti Patel. UK development assistance has helped to | :00:27. | :00:37. | |
reduce property in tragic Stan. DfID work has delivered important | :00:38. | :00:41. | |
investments and managed public reforms. I'm grateful for that | :00:42. | :00:55. | |
information. On a recent visit there, I saw what was being done, | :00:56. | :01:00. | |
but could she update us as to when projects will get signed off? I | :01:01. | :01:06. | |
thank my honourable friend for his question. The Minister of State is | :01:07. | :01:13. | |
overseeing new programming focused on economic development and details | :01:14. | :01:17. | |
of that will be published in due course. Importantly as well, central | :01:18. | :01:28. | |
Asia and the surrounding area has an important strategic place in | :01:29. | :01:41. | |
delivering alp commitments. It's a country that is at risk from climate | :01:42. | :01:45. | |
change which could risk threatening all the good work that has been done | :01:46. | :01:52. | |
with this part of ten one crime -- DfID's gum. | :01:53. | :02:01. | |
-- programme. DfID approach will produce greater economic stability | :02:02. | :02:17. | |
in the long run. With your permission I will take questions | :02:18. | :02:21. | |
numbered two and number four together. The assessment of the | :02:22. | :02:25. | |
department in line with long-standing British government | :02:26. | :02:29. | |
policy is that demolitions are illegal under international | :02:30. | :02:33. | |
humanitarian law and undermine the credibility and the viability of a | :02:34. | :02:44. | |
two state solution. The Bedouin village lies under threat from | :02:45. | :02:48. | |
demolition. Demolitions in the occupied territories in the first | :02:49. | :02:52. | |
two weeks of January or almost four times higher than at this time last | :02:53. | :02:56. | |
year. What support is being given to those people driven out of their | :02:57. | :02:59. | |
homes and what message is further being sent to the Israeli government | :03:00. | :03:07. | |
that such demolitions are unviable? The honourable member raises two | :03:08. | :03:13. | |
important points. The first is long-standing and we continue to | :03:14. | :03:18. | |
lobby the Israeli government to stop undertaking these demolitions. They | :03:19. | :03:23. | |
are illegal and undermine the two state initiative. The Foreign | :03:24. | :03:28. | |
Minister had a meeting just before Christmas and raised the issue | :03:29. | :03:40. | |
demolitions directly with him. Will the Minister confirm that NGOs | :03:41. | :03:49. | |
operating will continue to receive support? They will and we want to | :03:50. | :03:56. | |
invest in health and obligation. It's having opportunity and hope for | :03:57. | :04:01. | |
Palestinians that will hopefully lead to a resolution in this | :04:02. | :04:09. | |
conflict. Many demolitions occur because it's virtually impossible | :04:10. | :04:12. | |
for Palestinians to get a building permit. What legal support can be | :04:13. | :04:20. | |
government -- can the Department provide? The Foreign Office has done | :04:21. | :04:34. | |
projects supplying support. It is difficult to receive planning | :04:35. | :04:36. | |
permission which is one of the reasons why these settlements are up | :04:37. | :04:43. | |
and demolition then takes place. Among the demolitions that the | :04:44. | :04:46. | |
Israeli authorities undertake there are some community facilities some | :04:47. | :04:50. | |
of which are funded and developed by money from his own department. So I | :04:51. | :04:55. | |
would welcome the Minister's statement, but we need action rather | :04:56. | :05:00. | |
than words and has the time come to actually send Benjamin Netanyahu the | :05:01. | :05:17. | |
bill for structures funded by the British taxpayer? At the moment the | :05:18. | :05:24. | |
European Union has not decided to seek compensation. Will the Minister | :05:25. | :05:34. | |
confirm that DfID notwithstanding the efforts of eight senior Israeli | :05:35. | :05:39. | |
diplomat to take down the Minister will continue to fight against | :05:40. | :05:44. | |
collective punishment, demolitions and the expansion of the illegal | :05:45. | :05:49. | |
settlements? I think we are conflating two different issues | :05:50. | :05:53. | |
here. As the Foreign Secretary said yesterday the Israeli ambassador has | :05:54. | :05:56. | |
already apologised for that incident. That diplomat has been | :05:57. | :06:01. | |
removed from his post as an home. In terms of the overall questions of | :06:02. | :06:05. | |
settlements and demolitions I think I have dealt with that in my answers | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
to the other questions. I would like to ban the Minister for his | :06:10. | :06:13. | |
responses, but I would like to minister to be a bit more clever and | :06:14. | :06:18. | |
tell us how DfID has supported those people who are now homeless due to | :06:19. | :06:23. | |
the systematic policy of settlement expansion? The central story on what | :06:24. | :06:30. | |
DfID is doing is that we are doing three types of things for | :06:31. | :06:35. | |
Palestinian people. We are supporting state structures, in | :06:36. | :06:38. | |
particular health and education, doctors, teachers and nurses. We're | :06:39. | :06:43. | |
working to get a viable economy and employment created to support two | :06:44. | :06:47. | |
particularly small businesses and thirdly we invest in human capital, | :06:48. | :06:53. | |
making sure Palestinian people are educated, healthy and have the | :06:54. | :06:56. | |
opportunities for security and stability in the region in the | :06:57. | :07:01. | |
long-term -- short-term, but in the long term there cannot be a two | :07:02. | :07:05. | |
state solution unless we address the issues regarding the Palestinian | :07:06. | :07:11. | |
people. What has happened developer is a tragedy and underlines the | :07:12. | :07:21. | |
raging's Kallis tactics. -- Kallis tactics. We do all can to support | :07:22. | :07:28. | |
civilians and to ensure they can receive the desperate aid that they | :07:29. | :07:38. | |
need. The UK are committed to ?510 million support at the London Syria | :07:39. | :07:43. | |
conference last year. And I ask the Secretary of State if she is on | :07:44. | :07:52. | |
course to hit that target? Importantly, this gives me the | :07:53. | :07:58. | |
chance to restate the house the British government's commitment to | :07:59. | :08:03. | |
Syria. We have supported the Pledge of 510 million from the conference | :08:04. | :08:08. | |
last year. The United Kingdom can be proud of its support, but we have | :08:09. | :08:13. | |
ensured that humanitarian supplies a focus for the region has been the | :08:14. | :08:17. | |
right support and we have used our international convening powers to | :08:18. | :08:21. | |
work with others globally to ensure we can do everything we can to | :08:22. | :08:27. | |
support Syria and the region. At the world humanitarian summit in | :08:28. | :08:32. | |
Istanbul last year the United Kingdom permitted to the centrality | :08:33. | :08:36. | |
of protection as a fundamental principle. Camber secretary of State | :08:37. | :08:42. | |
tell us how that has guided DfID approach to Aleppo on what we can | :08:43. | :08:50. | |
learn from the tragedy of Aleppo for future civilian protection. My | :08:51. | :08:52. | |
honourable friend makes an important point in terms of the summit last | :08:53. | :09:02. | |
year. It's about how humanitarian communities can come together and | :09:03. | :09:06. | |
work together. There are a number of lessons, both in terms of agencies | :09:07. | :09:12. | |
working together. The pooling of resources, making sure governments | :09:13. | :09:15. | |
across the world are working together strategically as well in | :09:16. | :09:18. | |
terms of resource allocation, but also in terms of convening power and | :09:19. | :09:27. | |
how we can challenge governments where they are inflicting harm and | :09:28. | :09:31. | |
causing the grief that they are and the devastation that they have been | :09:32. | :09:38. | |
as well and making sure we stand shoulder to shoulder in how we | :09:39. | :09:44. | |
tackle the situation. People give to singing for Syrians because they | :09:45. | :09:47. | |
know the money they donate will be spent on prosthetic limbs in Aleppo. | :09:48. | :09:55. | |
What more can the Secretary of State do to make sure that the money is | :09:56. | :09:59. | |
spent in the region and not wasted on advocacy? Can I commend my | :10:00. | :10:07. | |
honourable friend is on the worksheet is doing. -- work she is | :10:08. | :10:15. | |
doing. In terms of specifically making sure the money is not wasted | :10:16. | :10:23. | |
and it goes to the region, it's through our trusted partners who | :10:24. | :10:35. | |
help us to measure the outcomes. The Secretary of State is already | :10:36. | :10:39. | |
talking about Aleppo in the past tense. Besiege med is still | :10:40. | :10:44. | |
happening right now. The British government can do more, so can I ask | :10:45. | :10:48. | |
what representation she has made to the Foreign Secretary about | :10:49. | :10:53. | |
The honourable lady is right. The situation, not just in Aleppo but | :10:54. | :10:59. | |
Syria over all, is beyond com pretension. In terms of | :11:00. | :11:03. | |
representations which each specific name refers to, the Warren Secretary | :11:04. | :11:06. | |
and I work hand-in-hand in terms of international working together, the | :11:07. | :11:11. | |
work we do and Syria, when it comes to calling for greater collaboration | :11:12. | :11:18. | |
and access to humanitarian groups, that is what the governorate is | :11:19. | :11:29. | |
doing. It is the work of government to provide those representations | :11:30. | :11:34. | |
behind-the-scenes. Before the war, Aleppo had Syria's largest | :11:35. | :11:38. | |
populations of Christians. 90% of them have now fled. A bulge what -- | :11:39. | :11:46. | |
a world watch list will be released that we show the key drivers of | :11:47. | :11:52. | |
migration. What will be done to help the persecuted Christians of Aleppo? | :11:53. | :11:56. | |
She is right to raise the plight of persecuted Christians, especially in | :11:57. | :12:02. | |
the context of Syria and Aleppo. In terms of what we can do, it is not | :12:03. | :12:11. | |
just our Department but the Government as a whole making sure | :12:12. | :12:15. | |
that it is known that the persecution of religious minorities | :12:16. | :12:21. | |
is not acceptable. We need to ensure that we work collaboratively across | :12:22. | :12:24. | |
the world with other donor countries and other countries as well to make | :12:25. | :12:31. | |
that case. Following the announcement that the Department | :12:32. | :12:38. | |
would be using drones to drop supplies, how can go technology be | :12:39. | :12:45. | |
used to deliver humanitarian aid in Aleppo and other parts of Syria? I | :12:46. | :12:49. | |
thank him for his question. He is right to highlight that we have been | :12:50. | :12:54. | |
innovating and looking at new technology in terms of aid provision | :12:55. | :12:59. | |
via drones. There is a lot of work taking place in this space and I am | :13:00. | :13:03. | |
conscious that this House has had a number of debates about other ways | :13:04. | :13:06. | |
of delivering humanitarian assistance, particularly in besieged | :13:07. | :13:11. | |
areas. Specifically and within the context of Syria, there is work | :13:12. | :13:16. | |
taking place, there had been discussions and I can assure the | :13:17. | :13:20. | |
House that this is an issue that we are pursuing actively, not just in | :13:21. | :13:24. | |
the Department but across the Government. The Secretary of State's | :13:25. | :13:30. | |
heart is in the right place, as we know, but the fact is that at this | :13:31. | :13:36. | |
moment in Aleppo and other cities, the greatest humanitarian | :13:37. | :13:38. | |
catastrophe of modern times is taking place today. Is it not right | :13:39. | :13:45. | |
that we now admit there is precious little that we in the liberal West | :13:46. | :13:49. | |
can do to help the appalling circumstances in Aleppo unless we | :13:50. | :13:53. | |
have the support of the knighted nations and Russia? -- the United | :13:54. | :13:59. | |
Nations. He makes an important point about in terms of what the | :14:00. | :14:03. | |
Government can do, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are | :14:04. | :14:07. | |
leading in humanitarian assistance and support. There are people in | :14:08. | :14:11. | |
desperate need and it is the right focus that we have interns are | :14:12. | :14:14. | |
giving them all of the necessary support. The other point is | :14:15. | :14:20. | |
diplomacy. We need to carry on putting on pressure but we make sure | :14:21. | :14:24. | |
we use diplomacy as well to put pressure on where it is needed. I | :14:25. | :14:31. | |
would like to focus on north-western Syria, the main target of government | :14:32. | :14:36. | |
strikes or on civilians who have fled Aleppo. Can the Secretary of | :14:37. | :14:41. | |
State how they are supporting the wounded and displaced civilians? The | :14:42. | :14:47. | |
honourable lady, I thank her for her focus once again be humanitarian | :14:48. | :14:51. | |
plight that is taking place inside Syria. In terms of the work that is | :14:52. | :14:58. | |
taking place, there are extensive the monetarily and efforts in terms | :14:59. | :15:09. | |
of relief, and shelter. I have had a lot of time working with all about | :15:10. | :15:16. | |
agencies, we are supporting and funding them directly, to ensure | :15:17. | :15:20. | |
that supplies are getting through. I also caveat the fact that the | :15:21. | :15:25. | |
reality is that this is a challenging environment and climate | :15:26. | :15:28. | |
and we're getting supplies through, but it is increasingly difficult to | :15:29. | :15:37. | |
do so. Access to energy is a key prerequisite driver of economic | :15:38. | :15:42. | |
bread and development. Over 620 million people in sub-Saharan Africa | :15:43. | :15:47. | |
have no access to energy. The boat's poorest people -- the world's | :15:48. | :15:52. | |
poorest people campaign much more than we do for our energy. That is | :15:53. | :15:59. | |
why we are trying to provide on grid and of great energy supplies to over | :16:00. | :16:03. | |
4.5 million of the world's most in need. I thank him for his answer. I | :16:04. | :16:11. | |
know from my own business to Africa that providing access is absolutely | :16:12. | :16:16. | |
crucial to economic growth and prosperity in Africa. Does he agree | :16:17. | :16:19. | |
that the role of the CDC and their investment in Africa is one of the | :16:20. | :16:22. | |
best opportunities are providing that? I absolutely agree, Mr | :16:23. | :16:29. | |
Speaker. This CDC can play a key role. I'm glad the House is showing | :16:30. | :16:37. | |
support for the work that they do. A good example is a company in which | :16:38. | :16:43. | |
the CDC has a majority stake which will drive forward energy provision | :16:44. | :16:48. | |
of 5000 megawatts in Africa. 1000 megawatts can support 800,000 jobs. | :16:49. | :16:55. | |
That is a different it can make, and that is why we're doing it. The | :16:56. | :17:00. | |
German government has called on the world back to focus all of its work | :17:01. | :17:03. | |
on climate and sustainability targets and to put an end to | :17:04. | :17:07. | |
investment in obsolete and climate damaging technologies. Given the | :17:08. | :17:13. | |
World Bank is the largest recipient of UK aid for energy, will the | :17:14. | :17:19. | |
Government follow Germany's example and use its influence to call and | :17:20. | :17:25. | |
the World Bank to stop investing in fossil fuels? I have set out some of | :17:26. | :17:30. | |
the reasons for which energy supplies are so important to drive | :17:31. | :17:33. | |
development, it is also important that that energy supply is | :17:34. | :17:36. | |
sustainable and environmentally friendly. In all of the project | :17:37. | :17:40. | |
sweep issue, we seek for that to be the case, that includes with the | :17:41. | :17:43. | |
discussions at the world Bank where we recognise the contribution that | :17:44. | :17:49. | |
we make. It is a board and they work towards that agenda. Another six, | :17:50. | :17:56. | |
sir. I thank him for this question. The sustainability of programmes is | :17:57. | :18:04. | |
crucial and all about programmes are designed with sustainability in | :18:05. | :18:13. | |
mind. When and where it does happen, we want to ensure that a positive | :18:14. | :18:16. | |
legacy is left and they leave no one behind. So some of the most poor and | :18:17. | :18:21. | |
vulnerable received the protections that they order be able to expect. | :18:22. | :18:29. | |
The American government operate the global equality fund to make sure | :18:30. | :18:32. | |
that marginalised groups are not left behind. Will my friend consider | :18:33. | :18:37. | |
the UK in initiating a similar fund? My honourable friend is right. | :18:38. | :18:43. | |
Marginalised groups are sometimes the most honourable. Rightly, we | :18:44. | :18:46. | |
focus our efforts and attention on the poorest countries in the world | :18:47. | :18:50. | |
with the largest known as people in the greatest need of support. But | :18:51. | :18:53. | |
there are other that need support elsewhere. We need to be aware of | :18:54. | :18:57. | |
that and make sure that we have a sustainable impact. I would like to | :18:58. | :19:02. | |
have further discussions about the idea he's putting forward. In a | :19:03. | :19:09. | |
recent review, the independent commission on aid impact said that | :19:10. | :19:25. | |
no policy... The Department will always look at what we need to do to | :19:26. | :19:30. | |
ensure sustainable and long-lasting transition and support programmes | :19:31. | :19:34. | |
that need to be designed in that way. That runs through all of the | :19:35. | :19:39. | |
decisions we make. We will continue to work in this area and we're happy | :19:40. | :19:42. | |
to consider and look at further proposals for what might improve the | :19:43. | :19:46. | |
of work that is done. Topical questions. | :19:47. | :19:58. | |
UK aid health meet our obligations of the world's poorest, whether | :19:59. | :20:05. | |
giving to Syrian refugees, access to water or creating jobs across | :20:06. | :20:08. | |
Africa. This investment is also firmly in our interests since it | :20:09. | :20:14. | |
tackles the route causes of global problems and focuses on delivering | :20:15. | :20:18. | |
world-class programmes which deliver value for money for taxpayers. The | :20:19. | :20:23. | |
Secretary of State has previously said she is looking at allocating | :20:24. | :20:29. | |
funding to peaceful coexistence programmes, including one that | :20:30. | :20:32. | |
brings Palestinians and Israelis together. Am I honourable friend | :20:33. | :20:37. | |
update the House on this worthy project? I thank him for his | :20:38. | :20:41. | |
question. I am pleased to confirm we are working on a range of | :20:42. | :20:48. | |
programmes. They will support tangible improvements, as my | :20:49. | :20:53. | |
honourable friend has already stepped. This programme is now in | :20:54. | :20:56. | |
its final design phase and will be launched at the beginning of the | :20:57. | :21:02. | |
financial year. Order. I understand the air of anticipation just before | :21:03. | :21:05. | |
Prime Minister's Questions. Can I remind the House that we are | :21:06. | :21:08. | |
discussing matters that affect the poorest people on the face of the | :21:09. | :21:10. | |
planet and they should be treated with respect? The protection of | :21:11. | :21:19. | |
civilians must remain our absolute priority in Aleppo. If we are to | :21:20. | :21:26. | |
provide food, water, shelter and humanitarian relief to civilians who | :21:27. | :21:28. | |
for four years have faced the horrors of an in humane war, we need | :21:29. | :21:32. | |
to make sure that the ceasefire, although currently holding, remains | :21:33. | :21:37. | |
more than a brief pause. Can the minister explain what efforts are | :21:38. | :21:40. | |
being made to ensure that conflict does not reignite in Aleppo and what | :21:41. | :21:44. | |
contingency plan the Department has in place to continue to provide aid | :21:45. | :21:52. | |
for civilians? The honourable gentleman is right that the UK will | :21:53. | :21:57. | |
do everything it can to support the current ceasefire and, importantly, | :21:58. | :22:04. | |
safeguard humanitarian support in the region as well. That is down to | :22:05. | :22:11. | |
our diplomatic tools and efforts. We need ensure that all agencies work | :22:12. | :22:14. | |
together to provide the support that is required. No self respecting | :22:15. | :22:20. | |
conservative believes that you should be judged on how much you | :22:21. | :22:23. | |
spend on something. Spending a guaranteed amount of money each year | :22:24. | :22:29. | |
on overseas aid leads to waste and excess, including the amount spent | :22:30. | :22:34. | |
on consultants. When can we get back to some common sense and stops | :22:35. | :22:37. | |
pending more on overseas aid every year when the money could be better | :22:38. | :22:44. | |
spent at home? I thank my honourable friend for his question. Like all | :22:45. | :22:49. | |
Conservatives, I too want to focus on making sure that every penny of | :22:50. | :22:52. | |
taxpayers money goes to helping the poorest, and that is the commission | :22:53. | :22:57. | |
about Department. At the same time, he will note that overseas | :22:58. | :23:00. | |
development assistance saves lives and transforms lives. He | :23:01. | :23:05. | |
specifically refers to spending on consultants. That is something that | :23:06. | :23:10. | |
my Department is looking at right now and we are currently reviewing. | :23:11. | :23:16. | |
The replies must be heard with courtesy. It is rather alarming when | :23:17. | :23:20. | |
some of her own backbenchers are not according to the proper respect. She | :23:21. | :23:28. | |
must be accorded that respect. Thank you very much. We receive much | :23:29. | :23:33. | |
lobbying over the Israeli and Palestinian need for delivery on the | :23:34. | :23:39. | |
ground, but what is the minister's assessment of the effect of | :23:40. | :23:42. | |
terrorism and how difficult it makes to deliver on the ground to those | :23:43. | :23:46. | |
who really need it, whether it is education or humanitarian aid? The | :23:47. | :23:54. | |
honourable member makes a good point. We have talk about | :23:55. | :23:58. | |
demolitions and settlements. The only long-term stability in that | :23:59. | :24:01. | |
region requires protecting the security of Israel as an absolutely | :24:02. | :24:09. | |
essential plank along with guaranteeing an independent, | :24:10. | :24:12. | |
autonomous Palestinian state. The most sustainable aid is paid through | :24:13. | :24:18. | |
trade. Will my right honourable friend therefore ensure that when we | :24:19. | :24:22. | |
leave the European Union and the customs union, that we give top | :24:23. | :24:27. | |
priority and free access to our markets to exports from the poorest | :24:28. | :24:33. | |
countries? My honourable friend will note that our priority is of course | :24:34. | :24:37. | |
economic development and making sure that, through our aid, we are | :24:38. | :24:41. | |
delivering long-term sustainable economic development and prosperity | :24:42. | :24:43. | |
in everything we do. He is also right to note that we are working | :24:44. | :24:48. | |
across government as we leave the European Union to look at unilateral | :24:49. | :24:52. | |
trade preferences and the work we can do to grow our trade footprint | :24:53. | :24:59. | |
across the world. Unlike the honourable member opposite, we're | :25:00. | :25:03. | |
the SNP except that data shows that last year the UK was one of the only | :25:04. | :25:09. | |
six countries to meet the 0.7% aid target. This includes the Scottish | :25:10. | :25:13. | |
Cup men's international aid fund. What assurances can be given that | :25:14. | :25:16. | |
the Government's commitment to that target is unwavering and will | :25:17. | :25:19. | |
continue to be fulfilled beyond the next election? We have been | :25:20. | :25:25. | |
unequivocal in our commitment to 0.7%. On top of that, it is a | :25:26. | :25:31. | |
manifesto commitment. The focus of my Department is to focus on poverty | :25:32. | :25:35. | |
reduction and ensured that that money is spent to drive taxpayer | :25:36. | :25:40. | |
value and deliver programmes to the poorest in the world. The honourable | :25:41. | :25:48. | |
lady wanted to ask a question earlier, issue no longer inclined to | :25:49. | :26:00. | |
do so? Thank you. This election amid the -- the select committee saw the | :26:01. | :26:08. | |
amazing work done by CDC. Not only is it reducing energy for millions | :26:09. | :26:11. | |
of people, it is creating a lot of jobs. Can we encourage them to do | :26:12. | :26:17. | |
even more schemes like that? I thank the honourable lady for paying too | :26:18. | :26:22. | |
good to the important role the CDC by bringing the rigour of the | :26:23. | :26:25. | |
private sector with the genuine values of the public sector and we | :26:26. | :26:33. | |
have shown the ability to provide hydro power that provides energy for | :26:34. | :26:43. | |
millions of people. Will she be consider her Department's decision | :26:44. | :26:54. | |
to cut everything up -- every single penny... I thank the honourable | :26:55. | :27:00. | |
gentleman for his question. People have heard in the previous responses | :27:01. | :27:04. | |
our commitment to coexistence programmes and how they will not | :27:05. | :27:08. | |
just ride the right values but actually help to bring the two | :27:09. | :27:12. | |
communities together in a constructive way. In addition to our | :27:13. | :27:17. | |
focus in targeted spending on public schemes such as health and education | :27:18. | :27:21. | |
programmes within the region. Order. Questions to the Prime Minister. | :27:22. | :27:32. | |
The Prime Minister. This morning I had meetings with ministerial | :27:33. | :27:38. | |
colleagues and others in addition to my | :27:39. | :27:39. |