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Wednesday Volume 659 1 May 2019 No. 294 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 1 May 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 185 1 MAY 2019 186 Mike Gapes (Ilford South) (Change UK): Is it not House of Commons now clear that there needs to be maximum solidarity internationally—from European Union countries, the United States and Latin American countries—with Juan Wednesday 1 May 2019 Guaidó and the people of Venezuela, as the final days of the Maduro regime approach? The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Penny Mordaunt: I absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman, who has been consistent in his condemnation PRAYERS of the regime. We are working through the Lima group; it is absolutely right that we should give support to the region as well as Venezuela in particular. I call on all [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Members to support and call for swift presidential elections so that we can let the country move on. Kirstene Hair (Angus) (Con): The emergency £6.5 million Oral Answers to Questions UK emergency aid package to Venezuela was announced in February. Will the Secretary of State outline the priorities for that, especially given reports that up to 80% of Venezuelan households are without a reliable INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT food source and the World Health Organisation’ssuggestion that there has been a stark increase in maternal and infant mortality, and in malaria, tuberculosis and many The Secretary of State was asked— other infectious diseases? Venezuela Penny Mordaunt: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are prioritising healthcare and nutrition needs. We will keep monitoring the situation, as those needs will 1. Mr Philip Dunne (Ludlow) (Con): What steps she is change over time. This is an emergency, and people are taking to ensure that UK aid reaches its intended in life-threatening situations. recipients in Venezuela. [910640] The Secretary of State for International Development Development Co-operation: EU (Penny Mordaunt): With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to pay a brief tribute to Dr Richard Valery 2. Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD): Mouzoko Kiboung, who was working for the World What progress the Government have made in determining Health Organisation to fight Ebola in the Democratic the future relationship of the UK and the EU on Republic of the Congo when he was killed in an attack development co-operation. [910641] on 19 April. Richard was working in the frontline of the response to save lives, and I am sure that the whole The Secretary of State for International Development House will want to send our condolences to his family, (Penny Mordaunt): The political declaration recognises friends and colleagues at this difficult time and to our shared commitment to tackling global challenges reiterate that health workers are not a target. and achieving the sustainable development goals. We The UK’s humanitarian assistance is underpinned by have proposed a future development partnership that strict principles of neutrality and impartiality, and it is allows the UK and the EU to work together to maximise targeted to meet the needs of those affected by the development impact, where it makes sense for us to crisis. do so. Mr Dunne: I associate myself with my right hon. Tom Brake: I thank the Secretary of State for her Friend’s remarks in supporting all those who are fighting response. Bearing in mind that our leaving the European the battle against Ebola in Africa. Union could result in fundamental changes to development, After last night’s disturbing scenes on the streets of is she aware of the concerns of organisations such as Caracas, what does my right hon. Friend say to those Bond, which say that they are not involved enough in who retreat to their ideological comfort zone, blaming what the future arrangements might look like? What US imperialism rather than calling out the socialist more could the Government do to ensure that such Venezuelan regime for the humanitarian disaster that it organisations are indeed involved? has inflicted on its own people? Penny Mordaunt: The EU’s development programmes Penny Mordaunt: I wholeheartedly agree with my right will be the poorer for not being shaped by the UK and hon. Friend. Let me be clear that this is a man-made not making use of British and UK non-governmental crisis, caused by years of reckless mismanagement by organisations. I have provided a guarantee to all British the regime. Yesterday evening, while my right hon. Friend suppliers, whether in the private or charitable sectors, and others in this House were watching those terrible so that they can continue humanitarian work on EU scenes of armoured military vehicles slamming into programming that has already been put in. I encourage civilian protestors, I understand that the hon. Member the Commission to lift its eyes and enable us to co-operate for Liverpool, Walton (Dan Carden) was defending on development. That is what we want to do; it is the Maduro and his regime. block to that. 187 Oral Answers 1 MAY 2019 Oral Answers 188 Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con): Does The Minister for Africa (Harriett Baldwin): Tackling my right hon. Friend agree that, when we leave the climate change is a priority for the Government. We have EU, it will be easier for us to strike trade deals with committed £5.8 billion to help developing countries to developing nations around the world—creating jobs for reduce emissions and to manage the impacts of climate those nations, thus enabling their economies to grow, as change. Todate, our support has helped 47 million people well as ours? cope with the effects of climate change and supported 17 million people to gain access to clean energy. Penny Mordaunt: I do agree. We should remember that we must ensure that we deliver on the referendum Craig Tracey: The latest round of funding for the result. It is not just going to offer new opportunities for Darwin Initiative has committed £10 million of funding us and our trading relationships; it could also be a catalyst for 52 international projects. Can the Minister confirm for changing the way the world trades and helping that those projects will support and enhance biodiversity developing nations trade themselves out of poverty. and the natural environment right across the globe? Stephen Twigg (Liverpool, West Derby) (Lab/Co-op): Harriett Baldwin: I welcome the way in which the The UK has long played a leadership role within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs European Union in shaping its development and has allocated that money. Of course, it is overseas humanitarian response. Can the Secretary of State reassure development assistance money that helps to support the House that even outside the European Union we and enhance biodiversity in countries that are eligible will maintain close co-operation, so that the world’s for overseas development assistance. poorest do not suffer as a result of Brexit? Huw Merriman: It is very welcome that the Government Penny Mordaunt: I can give the hon. Gentleman are doing more to help developing countries with climate those assurances. We want to continue to co-operate change, but the reality, as I have seen for myself, is that with our European partners. We would like to have a the Chinese are leaving a very large carbon footprint in sensible development partnership with the EU going African countries. What more can the Government do forward. Currently, the EU is not as keen on that as us to persuade the Chinese to do better in Africa? and other nations outside the EU. I hope its programming in the future will be open. Harriett Baldwin: I know that my hon. Friend is an aide to the Chancellor and I know that the Chancellor Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con): was in China this week emphasising in his remarks the Does my right hon. Friend agree that across the world importance of taking into account the sustainable the UK is seen as a development superpower? Does she development goals in development projects. I am very agree that our leaving the EU will have no effect on pleased to see that 78 countries, including China, have that? issued green bonds here in the City of London, with eight different currencies raising $24.5 billion towards Penny Mordaunt: That is quite right; it will have no sustainable development. The UK has really shown effect on our ability to be able to do things and to work leadership on this initiative. with partners. I hope that the European Commission, and in particular its legal department, will see sense and Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP): recognise that 20% of the non-governmental organisations Further to that question by the hon. Member for Bexhill it currently uses are British because we are world-class. and Battle (Huw Merriman), does the Minister concede Its programming will be poorer if it does not continue that we must all do what we can to reduce the impact of to use world-class organisations. climate change, but that very significant pressure must be applied to those at the very top in that regard, such Alex Norris (Nottingham North) (Lab/Co-op): With as China and some African countries? time running out, the Government need to arrange a large volume of trade deals in a short period of time—deals Harriett Baldwin: It is really important that we all they said would be easy but are not.