Live International Development Questions House of Commons


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CHEERING

Order. Questions to the Secretary of

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State for International Development,

Mr Peter Heaton-Jones.

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International element secretary,

Penny Mordaunt.

The UK Government

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directly challenges other

governments who criminalised

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homosexuality. We support LGBT

people through tackling exclusion

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and violence against them, and

increasing their access to services.

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LGBT inclusion has been included as

one of the eight priority areas

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through DFID's UK connect programme.

I am grateful to the Secretary of

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State for that answer. Does she

agree with me that having been part

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of the Government that has led on

LGBT rights in the UK, but our

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international aid programme now has

a significant part to play in taking

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that leadership on the international

stage?

Absolutely, I agree with my

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honourable friend. I believe having

the freedom to be three wire and

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reach full potential is vital if

nations are to reach their full

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potential.

36 out of 53 Commonwealth countries

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continue to criminalise

homosexuality. What conversation has

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the Secretary of State had with her

Cabinet colleagues to use the UK's

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role as host of job to champion LGBT

rights.

We will take that

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opportunity and other opportunities

with sessions with civil society and

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the bilateral conversations that

will take place in that week and the

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run up to it to raise all of these

issues. We have set a standard and

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we can encourage people to follow

and through DFID's work and the

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incentives we can provide as well,

we can provide other reasons for

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countries to do the right thing.

Michael Fabricant.

My right

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honourable friend is right to

identify those countries who

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criminalised people who are gay, but

what about those countries who

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tolerate prejudice against gay

people. What can we do in those

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cases?

I think there are several

things that we can do to address

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those issues. One of which is to

strengthen the voice of those

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organisations which are highlighting

the abuse and the discrimination

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that is going on. The new UK aid

connect programme will do that. It

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will provide funding to civil

society groups to help us understand

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what is happening in particular

locations, and what is needed to

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address it.

During the debris recess

I spent time in Uganda which has an

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appalling record of treatment to

LGBT people. What is the department

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doing to address that issue in

Uganda?

My right honourable friend

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the Minister for Africa is looking

at these issues. We have funding

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agreements to work in particular

locations and where we see abuses

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taking place we will not hesitate to

raise them with the Government.

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Today is the final day of UK LGBT

history months and one of our last

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thing legacies is exporting anti-gay

laws around the world with 36 out of

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50 countries still criminalising

homosexuality. The upcoming summit

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in April is a golden opportunity to

champion LGBT rights. Reports in the

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Canadian press last night suggest

the heads of government communique

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will likely not mention LGBT rights.

Will the Secretary of State discuss

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what extra funding and assistant she

can provide to assure that we do not

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give up on change in the

Commonwealth?

Don't be disheartened.

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It will still be an issue we will

raise. It is a strand of work going

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on. In addition to the UK aid

connect programme, at the start of

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the history week I did relaunch the

DFID LGBT network and I think

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strengthening the support our staff

have two raise these issues and also

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staff who LGBT themselves and we

required to work in country is

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important for this agenda.

If memory

serves correctly there are 28 heads

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of Commonwealth in Westminster today

and tomorrow for a conference, so

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colleagues might seek to lobby those

members and that would be a heaven

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sent opportunity to do so. Rushanara

Ali.

Question of the two, Mr

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Speaker.

The UK is committed to meeting the

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needs of displaced populations

including internally displaced

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people. We are providing funding to

support countries through

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humanitarian and longer-term

programmes.

I thank the Minister for

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her answer. The number of internally

displaced people have risen to 40

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million worldwide. What

representations has the Secretary of

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State made to ensure that the UN

negotiations do not sideline the

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needs of internally displaced

people?

I thank the honourable lady

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for raising this. IDPs due to

conflict and violence outnumber

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refugees 2-to-1 but they have not

received the focus and profile they

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need. There are moves to set up a

new panel looking at their

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particular unique needs and DFID

will support them in that.

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Internally displaced people are some

of the most vulnerable people in the

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world and we have heard a lot

recently about charities who are

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abusing the most vulnerable people

in the world. Has my right

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honourable friend seen the Telegraph

today which talks about the BBC

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World Service and their charitable

arm, headed by the director of news

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who is overseeing sexual harassment

and inappropriate behaviour, which

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is totally wrong in this field.

Very

wrong but the answer must now focus

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on internally displaced people.

Secretary of State.

The honourable

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lady is right to point out that one

reason why we must be very good on

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safeguarding and not dismiss these

issues is to protect those

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individuals. The BBC did not report

those incidents to us at the time.

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My letter to them of two weeks ago

has got them to come forward with

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that information. I think that is a

good thing and we need to grip this

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problem and deliver for vulnerable

people around the world.

Many

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thousands of people are displaced

from their homes in Syria. What is

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the Secretary of State doing to

demonstrate to those people and

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every other civilian in Syria that

the British government has not given

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up on them?

We have not given up on

them, and we are working in

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particular with the governments of

Jordan and Lebanon to provide those

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people would support, not just over

the short-term but the long-term as

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well. DFID has moved its priority to

looking at long-term support for

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these individuals and we remain the

third largest donor support them.

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Hundreds of thousands of Ranger have

been internally displaced and fled

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across the border as well --

Rohingya. What dialogue is the

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Government having with the Burmese

government about the fact that the

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Rohingya are being constantly

persecuted in Burma and driven out

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by genocide?

With your indulgence,

Mr Speaker, I would like to raise my

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concern that the select committee

have not been given access to Burma.

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I think that is disgraceful. But I

can assure the honourable lady that

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I am having regular discussions with

all parts of government and

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Bangladesh and Burma about support

to these individuals. It is vital

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that we get the Bangladesh

government to look at the

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medium-term in breaking down this

and making sure the priority for us

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are those people who have been

displaced. Psion macro I concur that

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it is disgraceful and this matter

will be raised by the honourable

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gentleman later in our proceedings.

The UN estimates that 6.1 million

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civilians are internally displaced

and with fighting in Ghouta, this

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number will rise. What is the

department doing to support

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displaced Syrian families whose

needs and challenges are increasing

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with every passing day?

We have a

huge number of programmes which are

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supporting those people in

particular, not just for short-term

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needs, shelter, food and so forth,

but also education and jobs and

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livelihoods. I would also say that

these individuals have some unique

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needs that have not been addressed

to date with as much focus from the

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international community and setting

up a panel to look at those needs

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and what more we can do to help in

similar situations would be a big

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step forward.

Minister of State,

Alistair Burt.

We are concerned on

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activities whenever an expected

reductions or delays in donor

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disbursements occur. I raised this

with an official last week and our

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officials are collaborating with US

and other donors to maintain vital

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across the region.

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Half a million Palestinian children

and schools funded by the relief

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agency, has that been explained to

the US administration as well as the

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impact of the $6 million funding.

Yes. It has been clearly explained

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to US officials what the impact of

the funding may be, particularly in

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Jordan, Lebanon and places where

Palestinian refugees are supported.

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We have supplied millions of pounds

to assist in the provision of

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education and will continue to do

so.

Does my right honourable friend

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agree that while the agreement

between Palestinian authorities and

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how mass Hamas, to improve the lives

of all people in Gaza we should this

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arm Hamas. Their failure to resolve

issues in relation to Israel.

The

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people of Gaza have suffered from a

number of different things. We will

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continue to work towards that.

The

International tournament committee

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saw the brilliant work in Jordan.

Will the government worked with

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other countries to make up the

funding shortfall after this

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outrageous cut from the Trump

administration?

We're working with

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other donors on this. I saw the

director-general just last week. We

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know how much they do in the area.

The education projects that you

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mention are particularly valuable.

Other donors must step up as well

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and we will continue to be generous

in our support.

What representations

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has he made to make sure that the

funding can be restored?

I have

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spoken to US officials recently. It

is important that the work

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continues. It needs to be done. It

delivers good quality services and

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will continue to provide.

United

Kingdom aids to the Palestinian

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Authority goes only to the salaries

of health and education workers in

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the West Bank, a memorandum of

understanding with the PA, I

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recently urged Augustinian ministers

to remain focused on this. President

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Abbas recently affirmed his

assurance to peace.

Last year the

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Palestinian Authority reportedly

paid over 250 million in monthly

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salaries to terrorists in Israeli

prisons were 7% of its budget and an

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astonishing 50% of its foreign aid

receipts. These salaries directly

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reward terrorism. Does the Minister

agree with me that these payments

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are apparent and must cease?

We have

made constant representations to

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Palestinian authorities about the

impacts of any incitement to terror

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and payments to terror. Palestinian

authorities are well aware of our

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views and opinions on this. That is

why no UK aid money goes to support

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terrorism.

Is the Minister aware of

the 2014 initiative where a

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tripartite committee was recommended

involving the Palestinians, the

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Israelis and chaired by the United

States to identify and to tackle it.

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It was accepted by the Palestinians

and United States but rejected by

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Israel. Does the Minister agree with

me that that rejection was not in

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the interest of peace?

Yes, I am

aware of the proposal and the

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possible initiative. It seems to me

in the region there is much need to

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do whatever is possible to bring

people together to examine these

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areas. States have their own reasons

why they may or may not agree to do

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so but making sure there is more

work on coexistence will help in

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relation to this. We will continue

our work to make sure all parties

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know how important it is to resolve

their issues that many of the things

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that occupy this House over a

lengthy period of time can be

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brought to inclusion in the of peace

and justice.

It's vital that aid

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spending the liver is rigorous value

for money and is well spent. My

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right honourable friend has said

that we must ensure it cannot be

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better spent. All projects are

measured against a robust framework

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to make sure they are

cost-effective.

I'd like to thank

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the Minister for her answer. I'm

sure she will agree with me that she

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constantly has to justify to the

electorate the amount of money that

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is spent overseas. With this in

mind, what steps are being taken to

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ensure that the more the equipment

is being utilised is British and

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more the NGOs being used to carry

out the work are British and the

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Armed Forces are also involved in

helping these projects.

You are

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absolutely right to highlight the

important role that the Armed Forces

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have played, not only in tackling

the Ebola disease in Sierra Leone

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but also in tackling the hurricane

in the Caribbean. As he will know,

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both my self and the Secretary of

State were both former ministers in

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the area of defence.

I was concerned

to read that £160,000 of the 5.8

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million pounds in UK aid spent in

Venezuela was being used to training

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their repressive security services.

I understand this was under review

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last summer. Can the Minister of

data is on the latest?

My

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understanding in terms of the very

small amount of spending that

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happens in Venezuela is that it is

to support human rights

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organisations and to support the

British Council's work with

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education. I will make sure that

that is not the case.

I thank the

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Minister for her answer. Can I ask

how the Minister believes that we

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can win back public support for what

it does if she believes that the

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best way of spending aid money is

through the Armed Forces? More

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outsourcing to the private sector

and less an actual poverty

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reduction? Does the Minister not see

that this will add a misperception

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on the growing doubt on who is best

placed to deliver aid?

Well, Mr

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Speaker, I'm sorry that she did not

welcome the amazing work that we are

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doing through the delivery of

international aid through so many

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different organisations, whether it

is in partnership, as she seems to

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resent, with our colleagues in the

conflict in stability and security

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funds but also, Mr Speaker, in

working with colleagues in the

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health service for example, in terms

of their amazing response to the

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outbreak of disease in camps in the

Rohingya Muslim...

With permission

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Mr Speaker, I will answer questions

six and 14 together. I regularly

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discuss refugee issues with Cabinet

colleagues and the Home Office. We

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have committed to resettle 20,000

refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict

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and 3000 vulnerable children and

their families from the Middle East

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and North Africa. Providing

life-saving aid, jobs and stability

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to refugees globally.

Will the

Secretary of State urged the

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government to back next month's

Private members Bill and but the

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humanity of migrants and the

importance of family life at the

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heart of the government's

immigration policy?

Obviously the

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mandate resettlement scheme allows

for that to happen and there is no

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quota or cap on that. I am keen to

see we can improve things, I'm all

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is open to that on any issues, but I

hope we can do these things without

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primary legislation.

Mr Speaker, I

suspect most people will agree with

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the home affairs committee when they

say and I quote, it is perverse that

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children who are being granted

refugee status are not allowed to

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bring their close family to join.

Does the Secretary State agree?

It

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is loud in the chamber but I think

the honourable gentleman is talking

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about why can't children allow their

parents to join them. There are some

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very technical reasons why that we

think would be a bad idea but I am

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looking at ways that we can actually

get good things to happen, for

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example, with the Rohingya crisis

that is there at the moment, where

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there is some barriers to good

things happening there, identifying

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people and so forth, we're working

with the Home Office to address

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these issues. If the honourable

gentleman has suggestions would like

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to hear them.

Will my right

honourable friends join me in

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welcoming refugee action's new

campaign stand up for asylum

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launched today which reminds us of

the importance of providing a safe

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haven for those in genuine need?

I

thank the honourable lady for

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drawing attention to that report. I

do welcome it. I look forward to

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reading it. We should be very proud

of the asylum system that we have

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protecting individuals around the

world.

The UK simply cannot speak

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with any authority on tackling the

refugee crisis in till we get our

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own house in order. Time and again

this government's International the

0:20:500:20:53

relevant policy is held back by what

other government departments are

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doing. Tax deals that hurt

developing countries, arms deals in

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Yemen... Will the Secretary of State

and the Leave urge her government to

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put an end to this contradiction and

gets refugee children reunited with

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their families?

In addition to the

answer that I gave her honourable

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colleague a moment ago, the speech I

made at the conference on Monday

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highlighted that we cannot do

International double and well unless

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we are also doing it in accordance

with British values. I think we do

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have a good track record as a nation

on this and we have a good track

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nation as a government on this. I'm

always keen to see how we can make

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improvements.

On the 20th of

February, I informed this House that

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I had asked all charities receiving

UK aid to give me safeguards... I

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receive 161 responses, my officials

are now analysing those with

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independent oversight and we have

shed returns with the Charity

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commission. A number of

organisations, unbelievably, Mr

0:22:110:22:15

Speaker, have not replied. We are

following up but without compelling

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justification they will have lost

our confidence. And we will consider

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whether it is right to continue

their funding. I will continue to

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share my findings on the 5th of

March and I will keep this has

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informed.

Single sentence, please.

Is the Minister confident that

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Britain will remain a world leader

in humanitarian aid following the

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departure of the European Union?

I

am. And I think when we have further

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control over the money we are

spending then we will undoubtedly

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work still with European partners

and we will echo that that will be a

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very good thing indeed.

Thank you,

Mr Speaker. We have been sitting

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outside Westminster tube station to

raise awareness, what is the

0:23:010:23:07

department doing for those who

suffer from rare diseases in

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developing countries to make sure

they are not left behind?

We spent

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about £1 billion with our own health

service, with Public Health England,

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into the Fleming funds and other

research funds, pioneering research

0:23:200:23:26

that UK research is funding. It is

saving lives overseas and combating

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rare diseases but also the results

of that are helping British citizens

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as well.

90% of the plastic entering

our oceans is carried by just ten

0:23:340:23:41

rivers in Africa and Asia. What is

the government doing to help some of

0:23:410:23:45

the poorest countries in the world

tackle this global problem?

My

0:23:450:23:51

department is assisting developing

countries to improve waste

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management which includes avoiding

plastic ending up in the ocean

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through multilateral funds. We are

also working with deaf on some new

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projects to see what we can do in

line with the 25 year develop

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relevant plan.

I don't usually get

that reception. The South Sudanese

0:24:110:24:23

government is preventing some NGOs

such as Christian Aid providing aid

0:24:230:24:28

to those desperately need it. What

more can be done to pressure these

0:24:280:24:37

governments to allow the charities

access?

The honourable lady is

0:24:370:24:41

absolutely right. It is a scandal

that the South Sudanese government

0:24:410:24:45

are charging NGOs to deliver aid.

The aid is getting through. I think

0:24:450:24:50

she paid tribute to the people who

are delivering it. But we are

0:24:500:24:53

putting pressure on the government

to allow easy access for

0:24:530:24:56

humanitarian aid.

Following on from

my recent Prime Minister's question,

0:24:560:25:03

will the Minister consider whether

there will be a fixed percentage on

0:25:030:25:11

international aids to tackling

persecution?

My honourable friend

0:25:110:25:15

deserves tribute on the way she

raises this issue. Since the United

0:25:150:25:22

Nations declaration of human rights,

it is a scandal that almost three

0:25:220:25:24

quarters of the world's population

live in countries that restrict

0:25:240:25:30

freedoms. We do not restrict the

percentage but...

Many of the

0:25:300:25:37

Rohingya refugees and unaccompanied

children are at risk from

0:25:370:25:41

traffickers. Can the Minister update

the House on the support that the UK

0:25:410:25:45

is providing to these children?

We

are doing many things to provide

0:25:450:25:52

support to those children, not just

in the immediate aftermath in a

0:25:520:25:55

situation they are facing but also

ensure and protects they don't fall

0:25:550:25:59

victim to organised crime later on

down the line. There are many things

0:25:590:26:06

that we are doing under the compact

but also in the new panel that I

0:26:060:26:14

have alluded to today.

Will my right

honourable friend agree that

0:26:140:26:19

providing jobs and livelihoods for

alternatively displaced people

0:26:190:26:23

wherever they may be are equally

important as providing relief aid.

I

0:26:230:26:28

do agree of my honourable friend and

that is why the department has

0:26:280:26:31

shifted its funding focus. Stability

is clearly key to delivering aid in

0:26:310:26:43

Yemen. The council pays to be

providing some stability.

0:26:430:26:59

We have no direct contact with that

council. We do work the partners in

0:27:010:27:05

the south of Yemen but importantly

we hope that the appointment of the

0:27:050:27:09

new UN special envoy Martin

Griffiths with contacts through

0:27:090:27:12

Yemen

0:27:120:27:12

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