Wednesday Volume 605 3 February 2016 No. 110 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 3 February 2016 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2016 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 903 3 FEBRUARY 2016 904 Justine Greening: The hon. Gentleman asks a very House of Commons pertinent question. The Syria conference in London tomorrow will look at this very issue of respecting the Wednesday 3 February 2016 fact that refugees are, on average, a refugee for 17 years. We need to go beyond providing traditional lifesaving support to meet such broader needs—not just jobs, as The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock he says, but getting children into schools. The Syria conference tomorrow is a key moment not just to PRAYERS respond to that crisis, but, more broadly, to show a new model of responding to protracted humanitarian crises [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] around the world. I hope we can then take that forward at the world humanitarian summit. Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon) (Con): Given Oral Answers to Questions that many humanitarian crises are caused by conflict, will my right hon. Friend make sure that the UK delegation presses the United Nations at the humanitarian INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT summit to be more effective in conflict resolution and prevention, thus solving a lot of the problems that many women and children in our world are facing? The Secretary of State was asked— UN World Humanitarian Summit Justine Greening: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. In fact, when I had the privilege of chairing the UN 1. Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Security Council last October, the issue we talked about Strathspey) (SNP): What preparations her Department was the need for the international community and the is making for the UN world humanitarian summit. Security Council itself to look at fragile countries before [903404] conflict hits and perhaps to have better early warning systems, whether on human rights or any other area, to 2. John Nicolson (East Dunbartonshire) (SNP): What highlight where we need to do work in advance to keep preparations her Department is making for the UN peace and stability, rather than having the costly after-effects world humanitarian summit. [903405] of responding to war. The Secretary of State for International Development Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con): What work is my (Justine Greening): Our country has bold ambitions right hon. Friend doing to ensure that humanitarian aid for the world humanitarian summit, which comes is joined up with longer-term development aid? at a critical time given that there are currently more displaced people globally than at any time since the Justine Greening: The world humanitarian summit is second world war. We are working with a range of a key opportunity for us to knit these agendas together partners, including UN agencies, Governments, non- clearly. At the moment, I would describe the humanitarian governmental organisations and the private sector, to system as a hospital that only has an accident and ensure that the summit delivers transformative change emergency department. From the start of such crises, to crisis response. we need not only to think ahead about how we can deal Drew Hendry: Child protection has been desperately with the day-to-day challenges that refugees and people underfunded in global humanitarian efforts. One in 10 affected face, but to begin to build in long-term solutions children now live in conflict-affected areas, and UNICEF so that they can get their lives back on track. That is warns that at least 3 million children are caught up in why the issues of jobs in particular, getting children into emergencies and need psychosocial help. Will the Prime schools and helping host communities—the communities Minister be part of the UK delegation, and will he that host the refugees—to cope are so important. commit to making child protection one of the UK’s key priorities at the summit? Mr Speaker: Where is Mr Hendry? The fella has just asked a question and has beetled out of the Chamber. Justine Greening: We have not finalised the UK delegation We are still having exchanges on that question. I know yet, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the issue the hon. Gentleman is a new Member, but he must learn of child protection has been very much at the core of all that a Member must not ask a question and then leave. our humanitarian responses, not least, most recently, in There are continuing exchanges on the matter, and I am Syria. The UK worked with UNICEF to put in place sure the hon. Gentleman is at least as interested in the so-called safe zones in many of the refugee camps to opinions of others as he is in his own. It is quite enable children to be reunited with their families if they extraordinary behaviour. had got lost. Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD): May I John Nicolson: What discussions does the Secretary press the Secretary of State to advocate a presumption of State expect to take place at the summit on support of denial of arms exports to countries of concern as a for those fleeing violence and persecution? Will she UK innovation that could help to save lives around the support efforts at the summit to ensure that lower and world? middle-income countries hosting refugees and displaced people have long-term, predictable financing, and that Justine Greening: As the right hon. Gentleman knows, refugees themselves have the right to work and contribute we have one of the strictest arms control regimes in the to the society and economy to which they move? world. We should make sure that those processes are 905 Oral Answers3 FEBRUARY 2016 Oral Answers 906 working effectively. My Department provides leadership initiative, which is worth about £100 million, will create in ensuring that when crises hit, the UK plays a leading opportunities for many British companies to be involved role in making sure that the affected people have the in that important research. adequate, long-term support they need. That is important because, as the humanitarian high-level panel said, Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP): 125 million people in the world now live through Will the Minister confirm whether discussions are taking humanitarian support. That is the equivalent of a country, place with African nation states to ensure that solar but they do not have a Head of State at the UN energy becomes a high priority in those states, so that speaking up for them. That is why the rest of us need to we can assist them in providing the much-needed energy work as hard as we can to make sure not only that they supplies to their residents? are listened to but that their needs are met. Mr Hurd: I certainly can confirm that. I have had a Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington) number of bilateral meetings with African Ministers (Lab): The Secretary of State will be aware that the and have signed up seven countries to the Energy Africa biggest humanitarian crisis we face is the refugee crisis. campaign, which is all about accelerating their citizens’ The House respects the work that the Government have access to household solar systems. In my experience—I done on the Syria conference and investing in the camps, have seen this in Ethiopia—such systems can transform but what about the refugees, particularly child refugees, the prospects of a family. It is a high priority for those who are not in the camps? We heard this week that for countries and for us. the first time since the crisis began women and children make up the majority of the refugees who are travelling to Greece. How many child refugees who are not in the Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Will camps do the Government propose to take? the Minister broaden his horizons? This country has so much expertise in our universities and our big energy Justine Greening: On the broader issue, the hon. Lady and waste companies. There are also a lot of social will know that the UK and UNICEF set up the “No enterprises that know about this stuff. Will he bring Lost Generation” initiative, which has enabled half the them together and give us the opportunity to help children affected by the Syrian crisis to be in school. people in Africa to set up these things for themselves? More broadly, on the relocation scheme we have put in place, this is the right way to help vulnerable refugees to Mr Hurd: I am absolutely with the hon. Gentleman relocate out of the region if they need to. We are on this, as on so many things. There is a huge amount of working with UN agencies to identify the most vulnerable expertise in this country that we can, should and want people and are talking to them about how that can be to connect to leaders in African countries. Those leaders extended to unaccompanied children. The good news is know that making it easier for their citizens and businesses that because of the hard work of agencies such as to access energy is fundamental to development. It is a UNICEF,which are funded by the UK, the overwhelming top priority for us. number of children—more than 85%—who arrive in countries such as Jordan and Lebanon unaccompanied Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP): DFID’s inclusive are reunited with their families.