Contributions
908 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBelarus: Presidential ElectionsI thank my noble friend for highlighting the importance of that support, both moral and financial, and reassure him that we will absolutely continue, both on the ground in Belarus…25 Sept 2020HANSARDBelarus: Presidential ElectionsIt is really good to hear the noble Baroness’s reflections from her meeting last night and her praise for our ambassador over there, who, as I said, is working incredibly hard to…25 Sept 2020HANSARDBelarus: Presidential ElectionsI completely agree with the noble Lord, and I would argue that we are leading the way with practical and political support. We led the way at the OSCE, bringing together countries…25 Sept 2020HANSARDBelarus: Presidential ElectionsI very much welcome my noble friend’s appointment as the Council of Europe’s rapporteur, and thank him for his previous work observing parliamentary elections. My noble friend and…25 Sept 2020HANSARDBelarus: Presidential ElectionsMy Lords, we do not yet know whether the OSCE investigation will be able to access Belarus. We very much hope that it will, in order to be able to fulfil its independent…25 Sept 2020HANSARDBelarus: Presidential ElectionsMy Lords, the UK has been consistent in its statements condemning the fraudulent elections and the violence by Belarusian authorities, and we called for a full investigation into…25 Sept 2020HANSARDBelarus: Presidential ElectionsMy Lords, the noble Baroness rightly highlights many of the reasons why the people of Belarus continue to protest for a better future. She mentioned the European Convention on…25 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy Lords, the Government highly value the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s scrutiny of UK aid and have assessed its quality in two reviews since its establishment in 2011.…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy Lords, we are committed to more effective and accountable aid spending under the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and of course that includes transparency and…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy Lords, we are committed to increasing and improving our work on climate. We are doubling our funding to the International Climate Fund and, as the noble Baroness says, we are…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy Lords, that is certainly one of the issues that the review will look at. The terms of reference will be published on GOV.UK in due course. We are keeping ICAI because we…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy Lords, we will reflect carefully on the recommendations of the IDC and the Liaison Committee before bringing forward Motions to change existing the committee structures for the…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy Lords, the review will consider how ICAI can improve the impact of aid spending across government and challenge the big decisions around aid spending so that it can provide…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy noble friend is right that my noble friend Lord Ahmad will be repeating a Statement later today. The advantages that my noble friend highlights are exactly the reason why the…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy Lords, I am of course aware of the report that the noble Baroness refers to, and we are looking at it very carefully. We all want to ensure that our aid is spent effectively…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactMy Lords, ICAI’s reports have led to much substantive action in key areas, including the use of data and the preparation of results, as well as helping us to mainstream our…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid ImpactI am grateful to the noble Lord for welcoming the commitment to keep ICAI. On the Select Committee point, the Government agree that Parliament has an important role in…03 Sept 2020HANSARDAid SpendingMy Lords, the commitment to spending 0.7% of our national income on aid is a manifesto commitment and is enshrined in law. As the PM has made clear, the new Foreign, Commonwealth…02 Sept 2020HANSARDAid SpendingMy Lords, rather than focusing on unattributable media reports, I point the noble Baroness to No. 10’s confirmation yesterday that there is no change to the Government’s…02 Sept 2020HANSARDAid SpendingI completely agree with the noble Baroness that our work in international development is firmly in the national interest and absolutely enhances our global reputation abroad. We…02 Sept 2020