Contributions
1,991 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGlobal Anti-Corruption SanctionsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We have prioritised, amid a difficult settlement this year, the open societies agenda, and there is £419 million going into it. I cannot tell…26 Apr 2021HANSARDGlobal Anti-Corruption SanctionsMy hon. Friend is demonstrating yet again what a tenacious campaigner he is. He is lavish in praising others, but actually he has been one of the most thoughtful, ardent and…26 Apr 2021HANSARDGlobal Anti-Corruption SanctionsThe hon. Gentleman makes an important point. As I set out in my opening statement, we have taken a range of measures, including to address the kinds of concerns that he has…26 Apr 2021HANSARDGlobal Anti-Corruption SanctionsMy hon. Friend is another ardent, tenacious and eloquent campaigner on this issue. She makes a really important point. We obviously want to be able to apply all the tools we have…26 Apr 2021HANSARDGlobal Anti-Corruption SanctionsI think I have already addressed the second part of the hon. Gentleman’s question. On the first part, in relation to Transparency International, the United Kingdom is of course an…26 Apr 2021HANSARDGlobal Anti-Corruption SanctionsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We give an increasing proportion of our aid to operate in countries via third parties, whether they are NGOs or other partners, rather than…26 Apr 2021HANSARDOfficial Development Assistance Budget 2021-22The FCDO has responsibility for delivering £8,115 million of official development assistance (ODA) spend this year, approximately 80% of total UK ODA. I have recently concluded…21 Apr 2021HANSARDFragile and Conflict-affected Countries: EducationMy hon. Friend is right to point to this specific problem within the wider challenge of covid and the compound impacts in conflict situations. The support to fragile and…20 Apr 2021HANSARDFragile and Conflict-affected Countries: EducationI thank the Chair of the Select Committee on International Development for what she has set out. I know that she has a passionate interest in this. Of course, we have taken a very…20 Apr 2021HANSARDFragile and Conflict-affected Countries: EducationNo, I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman’s rather skewed caricature. We remain one of the biggest global donors of aid. In relation to the Global Partnership for Education, I…20 Apr 2021HANSARDEthiopia: Human RightsThe UK has been at the forefront of the international effort to de-escalate the very grave humanitarian situation in Tigray. There can be no military solution; conflict can only…20 Apr 2021HANSARDEthiopia: Human RightsI share the hon. Lady’s concerns about this, and I can reassure her that not only do we regularly raise this, but that is why I visited Ethiopia in January. I went up to Gondar to…20 Apr 2021HANSARDEthiopia: Human RightsI totally share my hon. Friend’s passion and outrage at the human rights violations we have seen—indeed, not just there, but in many other parts of the world—and I can reassure…20 Apr 2021HANSARDEthiopia: Human RightsThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Normally, in this kind of situation we would expect the African Union or other regional partners to be engaged in trying to find a…20 Apr 2021HANSARDUkraine Border: Russian ForcesWe have significant concerns about the recent Russian military build-up of forces on Ukraine’s border. We are working with our allies—I was at a NATO meeting of Foreign and…20 Apr 2021HANSARDUkraine Border: Russian ForcesI thank the hon. Gentleman, who has long-standing experience of this issue; I agree with his level of concern. There are three things that we are doing right now that matter. The…20 Apr 2021HANSARDUkraine Border: Russian ForcesI thank the Chair of the Select Committee, but I am afraid that he is wrong. It is vital that, as well as increasing the defence and security budget in the ground-breaking way…20 Apr 2021HANSARDUkraine Border: Russian ForcesI thank the hon. Lady, but I have to say that that is a pretty weak attempt to weave in partisan political considerations in what is a very serious international issue. On the…20 Apr 2021HANSARDUkraine Border: Russian ForcesIn relation to the registration of agents, all the hon. Lady has done is pick up on the action that the Home Secretary has already announced and proposed, and called for it; it is…20 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsMay I first pay tribute to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, whose life’s work was to serve our country, often on the world stage? Since the last oral questions, I have…20 Apr 2021