Wednesday Volume 644 4 July 2018 No. 165 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 4 July 2018 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2018 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 295 4 JULY 2018 296 Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) (Con): Key to House of Commons boosting east African trade is continuing to break down non-tariff barriers between East African countries, reduce Wednesday 4 July 2018 transportation costs and reduce import-export clearance times.Does my right hon. Friend agree that the TradeMark East Africa programme has an important continuing The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock role in helping to boost trade even further? PRAYERS Penny Mordaunt: I absolutely agree with my right hon. Friend. Frictionless trade is a good thing, and the corridor that TradeMark East Africa has provided has [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] cut border times dramatically,as well as cutting corruption. We are funding the second leg of that trade corridor, Oral Answers to Questions and it has done amazing work for the region’s prosperity. Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP): If we are to promote trade, we need to be able to promote travel. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT However, the Scotland Malawi Partnership and others have received a litany of complaints from people who want to come to the United Kingdom and sell their The Secretary of State was asked— goods from east Africa, but have been denied visas by East Africa: Trading Opportunities the Home Office. Will the Secretary of State meet representatives of the Home Office as a matter of urgency to ensure that they sort out the mess of the east 1. Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) African visa system? (Con): What steps her Department is taking to promote trading opportunities to encourage development in east Africa. [906239] Penny Mordaunt: I have frequent dialogues with colleagues throughout the Government. As the hon. The Secretary of State for International Development Gentleman will know, 70 of my staff are embedded in (Penny Mordaunt): The UK supports regional trade the Department for International Trade to deal with and development by improving infrastructure and cutting these issues, particularly in respect of developing nations, red tape through our flagship programme TradeMark but if he knows of any specific cases and will pass them East Africa, which has helped to reduce import times at on to me, I shall be happy to look at them. the Mombasa port by 50%. We will also support the region by ensuring that there is continuity in market Kate Osamor (Edmonton) (Lab/Co-op): In Lisbon access arrangements post-EU exit. 11 years ago, the historic joint Africa-EU strategy was launched. That strategy,which was based on the principles Andrew Jones: In the past decade more than 1 billion of ownership, partnership and solidarity, has already people have been lifted out of poverty, largely thanks to had to withstand the economic impact of the global free trade. Owing to my commercial experience, I have financial crisis and the eurozone crisis. What assessment seen for myself the quality of the produce from the has the Secretary of State made of the social and agricultural sector in east Africa, and I am not surprised economic impact that Brexit will have on it? that it has found a strong export market. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the best and most sustainable Penny Mordaunt: The fact that we will be able to way out of poverty is through trade? make our own trade arrangements with developing countries will be of massive advantage to those countries, Penny Mordaunt: I agree wholeheartedly. The greatest and the nations with which we work are incredibly progress that has been made towards the first global excited about the possibilities that will result from our goal has resulted from the liberalisation of world trade. leaving the EU. I think that we should be optimistic We want to move more nations from aid to trade, about Africa’s future, and its leaders are optimistic, but because that is where their future lies. as well as promoting trade we must help them to combat Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): The illicit money flows. If we add up everything that goes Secretary of State may know that the countries of east into those nations, we see that it is tiny by comparison Africa are some of the worst performers in terms of with what leaves them as a result of corruption and road deaths and serious road accidents. Could part of illicit flows. We will deal with both. the trading relationship involve trade in both services and technology to help to bring down those dreadful Kate Osamor: I am grateful for the Secretary of casualty figures? State’s answer, but I have to say that I do not share her optimism. Along with many others, I believe that the Penny Mordaunt: Absolutely. I congratulate the hon. joint Africa-EU strategy marked a new phase in Africa-EU Gentleman and thank him for the work he does on a relations, opening a gateway to future trade deals based critical issue that results in an enormous number of on benefits for African communities, not just European deaths every year. I think there will be a greater onus on corporations. How will the Secretary of State ensure us to provide technical support for developing countries, that any future deals negotiated by her Government and cutting the number of road deaths is clearly an area benefit rather than damage the livelihoods of the world’s in which that technical support will be needed. poorest people? 297 Oral Answers 4 JULY 2018 Oral Answers 298 Penny Mordaunt: Because at the heart of our trade of technology in places that suffer the most catastrophic strategy as we leave the EU are developing nations—we effects of climate change that ultimately affect the UK, want to give them preferential treatment and support too? them in their ambitions. I would point to the evidence that since we announced that we are leaving the EU, we Harriett Baldwin: The hon. Lady is right to highlight have made huge progress on initiatives like the Sahel this issue. She will be aware of the announcements we alliance and a greater focus with bilateral partners made alongside so many of the small island states at the including France on our work together in Africa. I urge Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April the hon. Lady to be optimistic about the future. to help them with technology to adapt to the changing climate, and also the additional £61 million announced Technology by the Prime Minister to tackle the scourge of plastics in our oceans. 2. Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) (Con): What steps she is taking to promote the development of technology in Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP): developing countries. [906240] Some small charities are working exceptionally hard in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly using technology to 6. Alan Mak (Havant) (Con): What steps she is taking deliver much needed clean drinking water to those to promote the development of technology in developing areas. What help can the Government offer to those charities to deliver for those people in that exceptionally countries. [906244] dry part of the continent of Africa? The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Harriett Baldwin): Investments from our Harriett Baldwin: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely aid budget in technologies are saving and changing lives right to draw attention to the challenges posed by all over the world. Half our research budget this year is climate change, particularly to the countries nearest the for new technologies in developing countries in health, Sahara. UK Aid is working very closely with them, and agriculture, climate, clean energy, water and education investments in technology are helping to address that and for humanitarian response in emergencies. and provide drinking water for manyhundreds of thousands of people in sub-Saharan Africa. Vicky Ford: The Phoenix rotary club in Chelmsford supports the One Last Push campaign to eradicate Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con): The polio, and new technology means that polio workers on development of the M-Pesa payment system in Kenya the ground can target efforts where they are most needed. with the help of DFID has absolutely transformed the Will my hon. Friend confirm that this Government will economy, particularly for small traders. What other continue to support the One Last Push campaign and steps and similar developments can my hon. Friend end polio for good? outline that would improve the Kenyan economy? Harriett Baldwin: This question gives me an opportunity Harriett Baldwin: This is another great example of to pay tribute not only to the rotary club my hon. how UK Aid can work to unlock a payment system that Friend mentions but to Rotarians across the world who in many ways leapfrogs what we have here in the UK: have been working hard on this push to eradicate polio. people can pay from their mobile phone for a range of UK Aid has been at their side throughout this journey; technologies and goods. Recently we had a solar fridge we have eradicated something like 99% of the world’s in DFID, and M-KOPA Solar is helping poor people in polio cases, but we must continue to push for that Kenya and other countries to pay for those fridges by final 1%. using that technology. Alan Mak: In April, Commonwealth Heads of Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP): After continued Government committed to achieving quality eye care pressure from these Scottish National party Benches, it for all.