Contributions
1,991 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI think the current Prime Minister— and certainly this Foreign Secretary—gets a little fed up with hearing Britain being done down. I have to say to the hon. Lady that, despite…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI think that’s Twitter lined up for later on in the afternoon. The hon. Gentleman asks what the public expect. I think they ask us in a sober way to look at all the choices. We…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceThe hon. Lady has advocated cutting ODA in the past. She now shakes her head. [ Interruption. ] She wants to fudge it as repurposing. We are not going to fudge it in the way that…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI do not think it is right to say that just because there is a percentage based on GNI, that means we can deal with a situation of the severity that we face now, with the worst…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI have set out before the House how we will safeguard what we are doing on girls’ education and how we will maintain our leadership role with the global targets that we set. We…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceThe hon. Lady is absolutely right. I do not see a siloed distinction between our moral interest in what we do abroad and the national interest—they are often combined. In respect…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceUltimately, the Secretary of State and Ministers are responsible to Parliament for financial spending. We look carefully at both the underspend and the overspend. We are…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceAmid all the hyperbole, I understand the point that the hon. Gentleman is making, but the truth is that the full scale of the economic situation was not clear— [ Interruption. ]…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to point to South Sudan. I could give a list of countries that risk the compound effect of conflict, covid and famine. We could add Yemen,…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceWith Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement permission on official development assistance. The House will know that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor updated the House…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI have to say to the hon. Lady, whom I respect and admire greatly, that we have not closed DFID, but merged the Foreign Office and DFID, precisely to give deliver greater impact…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI join my right hon. Friend in paying tribute to Baroness Sugg, a terrific Minister who will be greatly missed. I also congratulate my right hon. Friend on her appointment as the…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceMay I thank the right hon. Gentleman? I know that he cares about this subject passionately and served as International Development Secretary himself. Frankly, he used rather…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI pay tribute to my right hon. Friend, who was a fantastic Development Secretary. We have talked at length about these issues since our time in opposition, and will continue to do…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We have demonstrated that through our leadership of the Gavi summit and our leadership role in the funding and galvanising of international…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI will take that encouragement, Madam Deputy Speaker. The hon. Gentleman asked about two things. I accept the premise that our security is strengthened by the action we take…26 Nov 2020HANSARD Official Development AssistanceI share the hon. Lady’s passion and her commitment to the role that ODA plays in our soft power abroad. I gently remind her that, at 0.5%, we will still be on the 2019 figures and…26 Nov 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsI totally share my hon. Friend’s objective. With the Magnitsky sanctions, the key thing is to target those directly responsible. That requires evidence, and we work very closely…24 Nov 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for raising this case. He is right to say that the High Court has found that the Foreign Office behaved lawfully, properly and in good faith throughout.…24 Nov 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank the right hon. Gentleman, who I know always raises this case and these issues very assiduously and conscientiously. Of course, I will make sure that he can have a meeting…24 Nov 2020