Wednesday Volume 698 30 June 2021 No. 26

HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD)

Wednesday 30 June 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 243 30 JUNE 2021 244

impact it will have on their areas? When does he think House of Commons that this “Union of equals” will start working equally— or,like this Government’s post-Brexit promises to farmers, Wednesday 30 June 2021 is this another empty set of words that will turn out to be all bull and no beef?

The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock : It will not surprise the hon. Gentleman that I do not agree with his comments. We have engaged devolved Administrations and numerous other stakeholders PRAYERS during the whole course of the various free trade agreements that have been reached, in particular the Australia trade [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] deal. It would be nice if we could reach some kind of Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, consensus between us about the opportunities that these 4 June and 30 December 2020). trade deals offer, not only for businesses in but for businesses in Scotland. [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] Nia Griffith (Llanelli) (Lab): We all support new Speaker’s Statement export opportunities for Welsh businesses, but free trade deals must also be fair. There really is widespread Mr Speaker: Before we come to today’s business, concern that this proposed deal with Australia will I would like to remind the House that today is International disadvantage Welsh farmers, because they will be forced Day of Parliamentarism. The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s to compete against producers with lower animal welfare Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, and environmental standards. So I ask the Secretary of which protects MPs under threat, says it has found many State again: if he is unable or unwilling to protect our examples of politicians being persecuted simply for farmers, why will he not let Ministers doing their job. In recent experience, Members of this take part fully in trade talks, so they can stand up for House, peers and others have faced sanctions from them instead? China for speaking out against the human rights violations of the Uyghur people. That is completely unacceptable— Simon Hart: The hon. Lady makes an interesting point. I stress, completely unacceptable. The ability to speak Of course, we have involved numerous stakeholders in out on things that matter to us, however controversial, the preparation of these deals. That includes the Welsh is a basic human right of every British citizen. Members Government and some very positive responses from of this House must be able to speak out fiercely on farmers in Wales, who, by a majority, voted in favour of behalf of their constituents, and on important national leaving the European Union in 2016. They accept, as I and international issues. That is why, with colleagues do, that there are numerous opportunities. We have built from the British group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, into this process some protections—a 15-year transition I was delighted to attend the flag raising in New Palace period—as well as taking note of the fact that the Yard this morning to mark this special day, the principles Australians themselves say they cannot even fulfil their of which, I am sure, all Members will support. existing markets, let alone start flooding ours.

Nia Griffith: It is not just selling out our farmers. Oral Answers to Questions Today, the Government are choosing to bury their head in the sand and pass up the last opportunity to renew vital steel safeguards. With our industry now dangerously exposed to cheap imports and the news that a deal is WALES imminent that will grant exemption to EU exports going to the US, our steel exports are going to be The Secretary of State was asked— desperately trying to compete. What will the Secretary of State now do to ensure that his Government negotiate International Trade Policy a similar deal that will protect our steel exports and enable them to enter the US without tariffs? How soon Richard Thomson (Gordon) (SNP): What recent can we have news on that? discussions he has had with (a) the Welsh Government and (b) other devolved Administrations on the UK Simon Hart: The hon. Lady and colleagues across the Government’s international trade policy. [901785] House have been resolute champions of the steel industry in Wales. I hope the UK Government’s support of The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): May I Celsa Steel in Cardiff during the pandemic is an indication align myself very much with your comments, Mr Speaker? that we, too, are prepared to put our money where our I know the whole House will share the sentiments you mouths are as far as supporting the industry, for all the expressed. reasons she has rightly highlighted. It would be rash of I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government me to predict what the statement or announcement and the First Minister on a wide range of subjects,including might be on this, other than to say that I expect it later the UK Government’s international trade policy. today, so she, and colleagues across the House, should get clarity on this matter before close of play today. Richard Thomson: Does the Minister share my concern that the devolved Governments have had no democratic Ben Lake (Ceredigion) (PC): Diolch yn fawr,Mr Speaker. involvement or oversight in the negotiation and approval There have been several instances in recent weeks where of the Australian trade deal, despite the disproportionate UK Government Ministers, including the Secretary of 245 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 246

State for International Trade, have dismissed concerns [V]: I thank my right hon Friend for from the agricultural community regarding food standards his answer. Clearly, cases of infection in Wales have in this trade deal, especially Australia’s position on dropped dramatically. Over the last seven days, they are animal welfare. Can the Secretary of State explain to roughly 50 to 55 per 100,000, compared with the previous Welsh farmers how the UK Government will ensure fair highs of 500 per 100,000. In these circumstances, does competition and that imports from Australia will always he agree that it is about time that the Welsh Government match those expected of Welsh farmers? gave Welsh businesses some certainty or vision for when they can start to rebuild their lives, and that the Welsh Simon Hart: The hon. Gentleman, like me,has significant Government should come on board with the UK agricultural interests in his constituency in west Wales. Government road map out of the lockdown? We have had local conversations as well as national ones to try to reassure farmers—I think successfully, in Simon Hart: My hon. Friend’s question reveals quite some respects—that the transition period and our a sad contrast between the priorities of the Welsh commitments on animal welfare and environmental Government and the priorities of the UK Government standards will not be compromised. I do not think there at this moment. We read in the papers this week that the is anything I can say to him that suggests that that has Welsh Government are fixated on talking about new changed in any respect, but I urge him—I know he will tourism taxes. They are talking about constitutional take this seriously—to look at the trade deal as a huge reform, even going as far as reform of the House of opportunity for food and drink producers in Wales. As Lords. None of these seems to be consistent with the we work to challenge some of the myths that have been UK Government ambitions, which are jobs, livelihoods, written and spoken about the Australia deal, let us also investment and recovery, and they should be joining us use the platforms that we have to promote everything in that endeavour. that is good about it and how it will provide access to new markets of the sort that we have not had before. David Simmonds: Like my right hon. Friend, I hugely welcome the progress that has been made in Wales, but Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab): As my hon. what frustrates many is that the Welsh Government Friend the Member for Llanelli (Nia Griffith) said, this seem to be in the habit of announcing extended lockdowns Government have until tonight to step in and temporarily at short notice—[Laughter.]—without having due retain crucial steel import safeguards to protect our consultation with the Government. Does he agree that, steel industry from cheaper foreign imports. There is should this practice continue, we should expect Cardiff still no action from the Government. I hear what the Bay to meet the financial cost of supporting businesses Secretary of State says, but we will be waiting with keen to keep their heads above water during those lockdowns? interest. Is this what Ministers meant by promising to protect and champion our businesses post Brexit, and Simon Hart: I notice the laughter stopped at the what exactly have Wales Office Ministers done to intervene moment my hon. Friend raised that particular question. and stop this? I will say again what I have often said from the Dispatch Box: certainty is crucial in all this. I have always preferred Simon Hart: I assure the hon. Lady that we have been a UK-wide response to covid, in whatever respect that in regular touch with our colleagues in Government on might come, because it inspires confidence and compliance. this, as well as with the industry itself, with whom, as I think that some kind of further indication from the the hon. Lady knows, we deal on a regular basis. I said Welsh Government as to the unlocking process for earlier that our commitment to steel in Wales—as she businesses in Wales is overdue and I hope very much that knows, because we have talked about it so many times—is we will hear more shortly. absolutely resolute, but I am afraid that she will have to wait until later this afternoon to have a statement or Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC) [V]: announcement of some sort, which I hope will clarify Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llefarydd. With your permission, the situation. I would like to say thanks to Wales’s national football team. It was not to be this time, but fe godwn ni eto— we will rise again. Covid-19: Co-ordination of UK-wide Response More than one in five households in Wales with a net income under £20,000 have seen their income drop since Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): What recent January. Nearly 110,000 families are struggling to cover discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on essential costs. Labour’s leader in Wales complained co-ordinating a UK-wide response to the covid-19 outbreak. yesterday that the key levers for tackling poverty are in [901786] the hands of the UK Government, but paradoxically he opposes the devolution of those powers to the . David Simmonds (Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) One Government have the levers but choose not to use (Con): What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet them, while the other are content with not having those colleagues on co-ordinating a UK-wide response to the levers at all. Will the Secretary of State urge the Chancellor, covid-19 outbreak. [901791] please, to make use of his powers and make permanent the £20 uplift to universal credit? The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues as part of Simon Hart: I am absolutely happy to confirm, as I the UK Government response to covid-19. This includes always do from the Dispatch Box, that the Chancellor is weekly meetings with the Chancellor of the Duchy of very focused on making sure that levelling up means Lancaster, the Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment exactly that, that economic recovery means exactly that, and, of course, the . that nowhere gets left behind and that every decision we 247 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 248 take in Government, in any Department, is always here and list of the strength of the Union, the value of taken through the prism of levelling up and of equalising the Union and where it has been such a reassuring force opportunity and job and life chances across Wales. That in the past 16 months, the success of this UK-wide has been a really transformational development during programme is probably the best that we could ever turn covid, and I very much hope that the right hon. Lady to. I am grateful to have been given an opportunity to can join me in congratulating the Chancellor on the work say so again. that he has done. Covid-19: Staff Safety at DVLA Offices Liz Saville Roberts: None the less, I am sure that for those families £20 would make a lot of difference. Carolyn Harris (Swansea East) (Lab): What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Last week, I presented a Bill—the Crown Estate Transport on the safety of staff at the Driver and Vehicle (Devolution to Wales) Bill—to devolve the management Licensing Agency’s offices in Swansea during the covid-19 of the Crown Estate, and our natural resources in outbreak. [901788] Wales, to Wales. Scotland gained those powers in 2017, and now it is reaping the benefits of the green offshore The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales wind revolution. I am sure that the Secretary of State is (David T. C. Davies): We work very closely with the aware that the value of the Crown Estate’s remaining Department for Transport and share the view that the seabed assets, which include those in Wales, has more safety of staff at the DVLA is paramount. That is why than doubled over the past year, to more than £4 billion. the DFT has implemented weekly covid testing for Does he agree that Wales deserves equal treatment with everyone, hired more than 30 new cleaners and installed Scotland as regards control over our natural resources? thermal imaging cameras to carry out temperature checks on all people entering the building. Simon Hart: I can confirm that I have conversations with the Crown Estate. Its proposals for offshore floating Carolyn Harris: I am glad to hear that the Minister is wind off the west Wales coast are extremely welcome. so in touch with the DVLA, but can I enlighten him on Where I think that I am in some form of disagreement an issue? A staff rep at DVLA has been subjected to a with the right hon. Lady—she will not be remotely tirade of online abuse for standing up for colleagues’ surprised by this—is on the fact that in order to achieve safety. Much of that abuse has been shared on the social some success in the renewables sector, somehow we media accounts of some DVLA managers. The DVLA always have to go back to powers and further devolution. is refusing to remove an online petition that includes Of all the conversations that I have had with industries, threats to the rep’s safety. Will the Minister join me in sectors, individuals, voters—you name them—across the condemning this abuse and, in his conversations with whole of the past 18 months, including and in particular Department for Transport colleagues, encourage them at the Senedd elections, not one single person urged me to not only distance themselves from that abuse, but to follow the route that the right hon. Lady has just set ensure that the DVLA removes all the abusive contact out. Of course, they urge us to pursue our renewables immediately? agenda, and that is what we are doing. We are doing it, as far as we can, as a UK-wide endeavour, because that David T. C. Davies: I am not aware of the specific is the way we will get to our targets the quickest. examples, but I am happy to join the hon. Lady in condemning all kinds of online abuse against absolutely Covid-19 Vaccine Programme: Role of Union anyone. I have been the victim of online abuse myself, and I am sure that the hon. Lady has—I assume that (Stourbridge) (Con): What recent most of us have—and I would never ever support the assessment he has made of the role of the Union in the abuse of anyone online, whatever their views or their effectiveness of the covid-19 vaccine programme in position in some form of industrial dispute. I would just gently point out, though, that 60,000 items are received Wales. [901787] by the DVLA every day that have to be dealt with in The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): The person, and many of them are coming from the most UK Government’s vaccine taskforce has been the vulnerable members of society,so I hope, notwithstanding foundation for the success of our covid-19 vaccines the issues around online abuse, that the Public and programme. The research, development, acquisition, Commercial Services Union will quickly draw this dispute manufacture, payment and UK-wide distribution, to a close. supported by the UK armed forces, has demonstrated Jobs and Investment beyond doubt the value of our . Caroline Ansell (Eastbourne) (Con): What steps the Suzanne Webb: Can my right hon. Friend give an Government are taking to create jobs and encourage indication of just how many vaccines the UK Government investment in Wales. [901789] have now supplied to the Welsh Government and the NHS in Wales so that they can continue to roll out this The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales triumphant United Kingdom achievement, in which I (David T. C. Davies): Inward investment is central to the am reliably told that my constituents in borough UK Government’s mission to level up the UK economy. are leading the way? Last year, Wales attracted 5% of all inward investment projects into the UK, creating over 1,500 new jobs and Simon Hart: Todate, the UK Government have delivered safeguarding almost 7,000. This strong performance more than 3.8 million doses of vaccine to the Welsh will be boosted by the Welsh trade and investment hub, Government—free of charge, as should absolutely be based in TyˆWilliam Morgan, which I was pleased to be the case. Of all the many examples that we could stand able to visit last week. 249 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 250

Caroline Ansell: I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. the excellent Royal Mint in her constituency and met Visitor destinations in Wales are, like Eastbourne, set some of the kickstart workers who have benefited as a for an unprecedented staycation summer this year, but result of UK Government funding. to secure the long-term recovery of the sector, to remain internationally competitive and to fully realise the power (Clwyd South) (Con): With its world of the visitor economy, the 5% VAT cut is key. Will he heritage site, the Llangollen canal and the steam railway, make representations to the Treasury to that effect? tourism is vital for jobs and investment in Clwyd South. DoestheMinisteragreethattheLabourWelshGovernment’s David T. C. Davies: The 5% cut in VAT for the plans for a tourism tax would be disastrous for the hospitality industry has been a boost to tourism businesses hospitality industry in Wales, particularly as we have across the whole of the United Kingdom, including in just come out of the covid pandemic? Eastbourne, and it has certainly benefited many businesses that I have had the pleasure of visiting in Wales, such as David T. C. Davies: I absolutely agree with my hon. the National Slate Museum at Llanberis, the zip wire at Friend and I look forward, I hope, to an invitation to Penrhyn and Surf Snowdonia at Dolgarrog. There are visit his constituency at some point in the future to see fantastic opportunities to go on holiday to north Wales, some of the superb tourist attractions there. The UK to south Wales and even to Eastbourne as a result of Government have shown their commitment to the tourism the cut in VAT, and I hope hon. Members will take industry by cutting VAT to 5%, whereas the Welsh Labour advantage of it this summer. Government want to implement a tax on the tourism industry at a time when it is at its most fragile. The UK Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) (Lab): Government will always want to level up the economy, The Welsh Labour Government’sbusiness support funding whereas Welsh Labour will always want to levy taxes. has been a lifeline to many Welsh companies throughout the pandemic. Indeed, there are businesses that have Professional Qualifications Bill been able to stay afloat solely because of the emergency grants and loans that they have received, but this business Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD): What support is under threat due to this Conservative discussions he has had with the (a) Welsh Government Government’s determination to make decisions about and (b) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and post-EU funding here in Whitehall instead of working Industrial Strategy on the potential effect of the Professional with the newly elected Welsh Government. Will the Qualifications Bill on professionals affected by that Minister urgently reconsider this approach to the ending legislation in Wales. [901790] of 20 years of Welsh decision making on these issues, in order that businesses can have confidence that these The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales vital Welsh Government programmes will have the funding (David T. C. Davies): I have regular discussions with the to continue in the future? Welsh Government and the Business Secretary on a wide range of subjects, such as the impact of legislation David T. C. Davies: I welcome the point made by the on Wales. This Bill will ensure that any unnecessary and hon. Gentleman, because it is absolutely true that the unclear barriers imposed on accessing professions—both £3 billion that the UK Government gave in support to for overseas-qualified professionals and UK nationals, businesses in Wales has been hugely beneficial in ensuring including those in Wales, who are seeking to become that those businesses survived, along with the £8.6 billion qualified—are removed. extra that the UK Government delivered to the Welsh Assembly Government. That commitment of those billions of pounds demonstrates the enormous commitment of Wendy Chamberlain: The Bill allows the Secretary of the UK Government towards Wales. I can assure him State to exercise powers concurrently over areas where that the new shared prosperity fund and the levelling-up Welsh Ministers normally exercise power. Does the funds will continue to support Welsh businesses, and Minister therefore agree that the devolved Administrations of course we look forward to working with the Welsh should be able to revoke these measures if they decide Government to ensure that those funds are well spent. this is necessary in the future?

Alex Davies-Jones (Pontypridd) (Lab): The Minister David T. C. Davies: The UK Government have shown will be aware that last week the Lloyds Banking Group their commitment to devolution on numerous occasions announced the closure of 44 branches across and are always willing to work with the Welsh, Scottish and Wales. For communities such as mine in Pontypridd and Northern Irish Administrations, but at the end of and Taff Ely, these banks provide a vital service for the day the Bill is about ensuring that highly qualified residents and are important local employers. Can the professionals in the hon. Lady’s constituency are able to Minister therefore confirm exactly what conversations work anywhere in the UK, and I would have thought he has had with the Chancellor about encouraging that that is something she would support. banks to remain open in Wales to protect these vital local jobs and services? Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funding

David T. C. Davies: I have certainly had discussions Ruth Jones (Newport West) (Lab): What plans the about closures with Lloyds bank in my capacity as a Government have to provide funding for renewable energy constituency MP. We do not, of course, have the power infrastructure in Wales. [901793] to prevent independent commercial organisations from making such decisions, but it is regrettable that banks The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales have closed down. Obviously, I would be happy to work (David T. C. Davies): I recently had the pleasure of with the hon. Lady, as I did last week when we visited visiting the Morlais tidal energy and Pembroke dock 251 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 252 marine initiatives, both of which are part of the growth The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): We deals. Later this year, we will bring forward a net zero have committed £2 billion to Network Rail for the strategy and hold an auction for up to 12 GW of current control period, and close to £60 million has renewable energy funding. been committed to upgrade Cardiff Central station and £76 million to electrify the Severn tunnel route. More RuthJones:Thenewlyre-electedWelshLabourGovernment locally, the Cambrian and Wrexham-Bidston lines and have wasted no time in getting to work and have committed stations at Bow Street and St Clears are also set to receive to building greener homes, hospitals and schools, which additional funding. will develop new green jobs in a radical transition to a zero-carbon Wales. So will the Minister join me and the Chris Elmore: In a previous answer, the Secretary of people of Newport West in welcoming these Welsh Labour State said that the UK Government’s priority was Government commitments to build on their investment investment. That clearly is not the case with Welsh in Wales? What lessons does he think the Westminster railways: we have more than 11% of the track but have Government can learn from these green, ecologically not had even 2% of funding over the past decade. It has sound plans? been a lost decade for Welsh railway infrastructure. The Secretary of State needs to set out quickly with Department David T. C. Davies: Of course I welcome Welsh for Transport officials how he is going to address the Government commitments to support green energy and lack of investment and ensure that Welsh railway gets green jobs. I assure the hon. Lady that the Secretary of the investment it deserves. State and I will want to work with the Welsh Government to further that aim. These are issues we can agree on, Simon Hart: The hon. Gentleman is a great campaigner which is why we have demonstrated that commitment on this issue, but I can only repeat what I said in answer through the £21.5 million going to the south Wales to the substantive question, which was a list of investment. industrial cluster and the £15.9 million going to Meritor—or It is all about levelling up and infrastructure— Lucas Girling as she and I would remember it—for Chris Elmore indicated dissent. electric powertrain integration. That will help many members of her constituency. Simon Hart: It is all very well the hon. Gentleman shaking his head in disbelief, but the reality is that there Political Neutrality in Positions of Faith has been more investment in all the infrastructure projects than at any stage in recent history. That is largely thanks Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con): What discussions to the energy of this Government and our commitment he has had with representatives of the Church in Wales to levelling up in Wales. on political neutrality in positions of faith. [901795] Craig Williams (Montgomeryshire) (Con): The Cefn The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): I have bridge at Trewern is a bottleneck between mid-Wales recently been corresponding with the Archbishop of and the west midlands economy. Will the Secretary of Canterbury regarding the Bishop of St Davids’ ill-advised State meet me and stakeholders to ensure that the and divisive comments on Twitter. I am sure we all Union connectivity review, which I very much welcome, agree that our religious leaders should promote tolerance tackles this bottleneck? and inclusiveness, and I am pleased that the Church in Wales has apologised for the bishop’sintemperate language. Simon Hart: Absolutely.My hon. Friend is the epitome of energetic campaigning on road improvement and Scott Benton: I am very supportive of the actions other infrastructure schemes. Who will forget the Pant taken by the Secretary of State involving the Bishop of to Llanymynech bypass as one of the great achievements St Davids, but does he agree that this issue of intolerance of the MP for Montgomeryshire? I am happy to confirm towards those who hold Conservative views is becoming that, so excited am I by that prospect, I will be there on more widespread throughout academia and public life, Monday next week. and that we need concerted efforts to address this? Speaker’s Statement Simon Hart: As my hon. Friend knows, it appears that this sort of trolling habit is, sadly, not exclusive to Mr Speaker: Before we move on to Prime Minister’s the bishop; Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones has also questions, I would like to pay tribute to a member of my been busy dishing out abuse, with his most recent staff who is retiring today from the House of Commons contribution being to describe Conservative voters as after 28 years’ service. Ian Davis, who took part in his the “lowest form of life”. I cannot help but ask what the final Speaker’s procession earlier, joined the House professor would have done and how he would have service in October 1993, having served in the Army reacted if any of our colleagues had described university across the world for 24 years, including the overseeing academics as the lowest form of life. It would have been of a field hospital in northern Saudi Arabia during the as outrageous for him as it is for us, and I very much first Gulf war. hope that Cardiff University will follow the example of On his retirement as Band Sergeant Major in the the Archbishop of Canterbury and deal with this promptly. Scots Guards, Ian, a gifted musician who plays the French horn and violin, came to the Commons to be a Rail Infrastructure Funding senior Doorkeeper around the Chamber. He joined Speaker Michael Martin’s team in my office in 2001 as Chris Elmore (Ogmore) (Lab): What plans the the Trainbearer, which is how he is dressed today, before Government have to provide funding for rail infrastructure his promotion to Assistant Secretary to the Speaker in in Wales. [901796] 2011, which is the role he has held until now. 253 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 254

Ian’s military discipline, can-do attitude, friendship, agony of that defeat, yesterday’sresult was truly incredible. sense of humour and expertise will be sorely missed by I know that the whole House will wish the team the very my team, and particularly by me. I have got to say: it is best of luck on Saturday—[Interruption.] The whole House not an easy job to become Speaker, but the one thing will wish them the best of luck on Saturday, I am sure. that was easy for me was knowing that Ian Davis was Why did the Prime Minister not sack the former Health there to advise me and the Speaker’s Secretary on the Secretary on Friday morning? work that we do. [HON.MEMBERS: “Hear, hear!”] I cannot thank Ian enough for the support and help that he has The Prime Minister: I read this story in common with given to me personally, as well as to the office. you, Mr Speaker, and everybody else on Friday, and we Of course, Ian was in the Scots Guards, and so was had a new Health Secretary in place by Saturday. Given his father, so he has a great history of serving this country. that we have a pandemic, to move from one Health After 52 years of public service and an MBE for services Secretary to the next with that speed was fast, but it was to Parliament, I would like to wish you, Ian, all the best not as fast as the vaccine roll-out, which is now going so and a very happy retirement with Linda, back home on fast that, in this week, half of under-30s have now had the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight’s gain is the their first jab. That is speed. Commons’ loss. Thank you for everything you have done. [Applause.] : What a ridiculous answer. The Prime Minister must have been the only person in the country who looked at that photo on Friday morning and PRIME MINISTER thought that the Health Secretary should not be sacked immediately.On Friday,the Prime Minister’sspokesperson The Prime Minister was asked— said that the Prime Minister “considers the matter closed.” Minister after Minister were then sent out to Engagements defend the indefensible. It was briefed that the Prime Minister was “quite happy” for the Health Secretary to [902015] Katherine Fletcher (South Ribble) (Con): If he stay in his post. Can the Prime Minister clarify, now will list his official engagements for Wednesday 30 June. that he has the chance, did he sack the Health Secretary, Mr Speaker: Before we get under way, I point out that or at any point ask him to resign—yes or no? a British Sign Language interpretation of Prime Minister’s questions is available to watch on parliamentlive.tv. The Prime Minister: The right hon. and learned Gentleman will notice that the Health Secretary has The Prime Minister (): May I begin, changed in the past five days. He complains about the Mr Speaker, by echoing and supporting very much your speed with which that happened. This Government fine tribute to Ian Davis? I thank him for all his service moved at positively lightning speed by comparison with to this House and wish him all the very best in his retirement. the right hon. and learned Gentleman, who spent three I know that Members from across the House will days trying and failing to sack his Deputy Leader, whom want to congratulate Gareth Southgate and his team on he then promoted. He fires and rehires! their 2-0 win against Germany at Wembley last night—the first time that the men’s team have beaten Germany in a Keir Starmer: The Deputy Leader is sitting beside knockout game in 55 years. We wish them all the best me. The former Health Secretary has done a runner. for their match against Ukraine on Saturday. We will all On Friday, the Prime Minister said that the case was be hoping against hope that this time, finally, football is closed. Then on Monday, he tried to take the credit for coming home. the Health Secretary resigning. In a minute, he will be This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues telling us that he scored the winner last night. Let me and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I press the Prime Minister a bit more on this. The person shall have further such meetings later today. with whom the Health Secretary was in a relationship was his non-executive director. Let me remind the House: Katherine Fletcher: After yesterday’s game, many of according to the Government’s own guidance, one of our German friends are heading home, but, does my the roles of a non-executive director is to challenge the right hon. Friend agree that, as the song goes, if they Secretary of State and the Department, and they receive want to stay here drinking all our beer, they need to join taxpayers’ money for doing so. From the outset, it was the 5.6 million people who have already successfully blindingly obvious that there was a conflict of interest applied for the EU settlement scheme forthwith, before here and a whole host of unanswered questions. Why today’s deadline? on earth did the Prime Minister judge that this matter The Prime Minister: Yes. I thank my hon. Friend, was closed on Friday morning? who is absolutely right. I am thrilled that an astonishing 5.6 million EU nationals have already applied for this The Prime Minister: I hesitate to accuse the right hon. wonderful scheme. I encourage anybody who is still and learned Gentleman of repeating his question. I eligible to submit their applications today. observe that the non-executive director in question is also no longer with the Department. What that continuity Keir Starmer (Holborn and St Pancras) (Lab): May I means is that that Department is getting on with the join your comments and sentiments about Ian Davis, fastest vaccine roll-out of any European country. I am Mr Speaker, and wish him the very best from all of us in proud to tell this House that, in the past few days, this this House? I also congratulate the England team on country has overtaken Israel in the proportion of people yesterday’s performance. Having been at Wembley for that we have vaccinated. I think that he might pay tribute the Euro 96 semi-final and experienced at first hand the to the Health Department for that achievement. 255 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 256

Keir Starmer: Let me get this right: the Prime Minister The Prime Minister: Let me be absolutely clear with was happy to keep a Health Secretary in place during a the right hon. and learned Gentleman: I think the pandemic who he not only thought was absolutely whole House and the whole country can see that we “hopeless”, but who he also knew had broken the rules have a new Health Secretary in place and have had one and was in a relationship with somebody he was employing since the day after the stories appeared. That was entirely at the taxpayers’ expense. It does not sound like case right; it was the right response to the situation. Of closed to me. course he is right in what he says about the sacrifice I know that the Prime Minister is keen to sweep this made by families up and down the land, but in my view under the carpet, but let me tell him why it matters: millions the best response to their grief and pain, and the of people made huge and very difficult sacrifices to sufferings that they have endured, is to get on—with a follow the rules that his Health Secretary had introduced. new Health Secretary, which is what we have, and with PrimeMinister,takethecaseof OllieBibby—[Interruption.] all the energy and application that we have—and roll I am sorry; you might want to listen. Ollie died of out those vaccines and allow the people of this country leukaemia on 5 May,the day before the photo of the former to work forwards towards freedom day, which I devoutly Health Secretary was taken. Ollie died, like so many other hope will come on 19 July. Never let it be forgotten that people in this pandemic, with his family and friends unable if we had followed the advice of the right hon. and to spend time with him. When he was in hospital, he learned Gentleman, that would not be possible because begged to see his family, but, following the rules, only one it was under his proposals that we would have stayed in member of his family was allowed to see him. His mum the European Medicines Agency and been unable to said: deliver the vaccine roll-out at all. “I’m livid. We did everything we were told to do and the man that made the rules didn’t. How can that be right?” Keir Starmer: Having failed to sack the former Health I ask the Prime Minister again: how could he possibly Secretary, the Prime Minister is trying to take credit for think this matter was closed on Friday morning? the fact that we have a new Health Secretary. [Interruption.] Well, he would not be there if the Prime Minister had The Prime Minister: We all share the grief and pain of had his way; the matter was closed. Ollie and his family, and millions of people up and It is no questions asked by the Prime Minister on down the country who have endured the privations that Friday, and no questions answered today. There is a this country has been through in order to get the pattern here. When Dominic Cummings broke the rules coronavirus pandemic under control. That is why we by driving to Barnard Castle, the Prime Minister backed had a change of Health Secretary the day after the story him; when the Housing Secretary unlawfully approved appeared. It is why, actually, what we are doing as a a £1 billion property deal for a Tory donor, the Prime Government, instead of focusing on stuff going on Minister backed him; when the Home Secretary broke within the Westminster bubble, is focusing on rolling the ministerial code, the Prime Minister backed her; out the vaccines at a rate that will ensure that people and when the Health Secretary broke covid rules, the such as Ollie and his family do not have to suffer in the Prime Minister tried and wanted to back him too. future. I am proud to say that as a result of the efforts Every time it is the same old story. Is it not the case that made by the NHS and the Department of Health, we while the British people are doing everything asked will have vaccinated everybody by 19 July; every adult of them, it is one rule for them and another rule for over 18 will have received one jab and everybody over 40 everybody else? will have received two jabs. That is the priority of this Government—and quite right too. The Prime Minister: There was a new Health Secretary Keir Starmer: I can hardly think that the Prime Minister the following day, and the whole country can see that. thinks it is appropriate in response to a question about We are getting on with our agenda of vaccinating the Ollie to suggest that this is, in his words, the “Westminster population of this country through the energy and bubble”;the“Westminsterbubble”inanswertothatquestion, application of the new Secretary of State for Health Prime Minister? Before Prime Minister’s questions this and the Department of Health. I thank them and I morning,IspoketoOllie’smumabouttheawfulcircumstances congratulate them. It is as a result of that vaccine that she and her family have been through. She told me roll-out—which, as I say, would have been fatally impeded that every day she watched the press conferences—every had we followed the policies of the Labour party—that day that they were on—and she hung on to every word we now have a higher wall of vaccination than virtually that Government Ministers said, so that she would any other country in the world and are able to proceed know what her family could and could not do. And then with our cautious but, we hope, irreversible unlocking they followed the rules. This is not the Westminster of the UK economy, with the result that growth is up to bubble. She told me that for her and her family this case levels we have not seen since last July, and jobs are up. is not closed, and she speaks for millions of people. I ask The Leader of the Opposition calls for us to act faster the Prime Minister to withdraw that phrase when he in removing Cabinet Ministers. It took him three days, gets up; it is the wrong response to Ollie’s case. as I say, to give the right hon. Member for Ashton-under- Lyne three new jobs—shadow Chancellor of the Duchy I cannot help concluding that the Prime Minister did of Lancaster and shadow Secretary of State for the not ask the relevant questions on Friday morning, future of work. We create jobs; he creates non-jobs. He either because he did not want to know the answers or dithers; we deliver. because he knows full well that there is more to come out. [Interruption.] He says “nonsense”. I ask the Prime [902018] Jacob Young (Redcar) (Con): The steel industry Minister, in response to his muttered “nonsense”: when is an asset of national strategic importance. Those are he declared the case closed on Friday morning, had he not just my words but the words of the Prime Minister, asked the Health Secretary if he had broken any other and I know he means it because when Greybull went rules—yes or no? into administration this Government supported British 257 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 258

Steel until a new buyer was found. British Steel still woman who has been in the UK for 44 years says she employs more than 600 people in Redcar and Cleveland feels suicidal. Another says she feels like a third-rate and more than 3,000 people in Scunthorpe. In the light citizen. This is shameful. Will the Government now do of the Trade Remedies Authority’s recommendations to the right thing and scrap the deadline and introduce theInternationalTradeSecretary,howwillthePrimeMinister automatically granted settled status, or will the Prime ensure that steel remains a national strategic asset? Minister’s legacy be the ridiculous removal of NHS staff, our local community workers, our teachers and The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend is absolutely many more who have made their homes here? right to campaign for British steel. We have an ambitious plan to transform our country with better use of British The Prime Minister: It is obvious from the statistics I steel. As I said to the House a couple of weeks ago, have already quoted that this is an outstanding success, there is a 7.6 million tonne pipeline of steel waiting to because we have had huge numbers of people applying. be bought over the next decade.As for the recommendations There may be people who still have to apply—there of the Trade Remedies Authority, the Government are have been several extensions; it is five years now since considering them and the Department for International theBrexitreferendum—butwehavefunded72organisations Trade will update the House later today. to help vulnerable EU citizens understand what their rights are and make the applications. Anybody applying Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye and Lochaber) (SNP): I within the deadline will of course have their case dealt join you, Mr Speaker, in wishing Ian Davis all the best with, and I urge them to get on with it. for his retirement and thank him for the service that he has given to the Scots Guards and in this House. He has [902019] Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con): I pay tribute to truly been a friend and a sane voice to give guidance to the Government for the world-leading covid-19 vaccination those of us on these Benches when we have needed it, programme. Can I encourage my right hon. Friend and and I thank him very much for that. the Government to press ahead with allowing those who Can I congratulate England on their victory last night are fully vaccinated greater international travel to save and wish them all the best in the tournament ahead? Of as many aviation and travel sector jobs as possible and course, they have done well: they have won most of help regrow our economy? their matches, with the exception of the game against Scotland, where they failed to even score a goal —nae The Prime Minister: I congratulate my hon. Friend luck. on his long-standing and justified campaign for the In July 2019, the Prime Minister gave an unequivocal aviation sector. That is why we have invested £7 billion guarantee to EU nationals living in the UK. He said already to support aviation since the start of the pandemic, that they but obviously what we hope is that the vaccine roll-out “will have the absolute certainty of the right to live and remain.” programme and the double-jabs programme will enable Less than two years later, hundreds of thousands of EU people to start flying and really give that industry the nationals have been left in limbo, including thousands prospect of a long-term, sustainable recovery. of children. While the settlement scheme deadline falls today, we know there are hundreds of thousands of Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) (Green) [V]: Today, unprocessed cases. It is simply unacceptable that their the Environmental Audit Committee, of which I am a rights will be diminished by the failures of this Government. member,has published a report calling for transformational Will the Prime Minister honour his word, give certainty, change in the Government’s approach to restoring nature. and scrap the disastrous settled status deadline before It is not just about the 15% of UK species that are we face another Tory Windrush? threatened with extinction—the cuckoos, the kittiwakes and the turtle doves—but the ebbing away of so much The Prime Minister: I thank the right hon. Gentleman, of our natural world. The Conservative Chair of our and I just repeat what I said earlier to my hon. Friend Committee, the right hon. Member for Ludlow (Philip the Member for South Ribble (Katherine Fletcher): I Dunne), says that Government policies too often remain think it is fantastic that 5.6 million people have applied. “grandiose statements lacking teeth and devoid of effective delivery We are processing all the applications as fast as we mechanisms”, possibly can, and clearly the most important thing is for so I want to ask the Prime Minister something very anybody who still has not applied to get their application specific. Will he look again at the Government amendment in today. to the Environment Bill, which refers only to measures “to further the objective” of halting species decline Ian Blackford: The issue is that there is a backlog of rather than actually meeting that objective. A one-word hundreds of thousands of cases because of delays on change from “furthering” to “meeting” would make a decisions. Overnight, thousands of our friends and world of difference by introducing the legally binding neighbours could become illegal immigrants. They are target to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 that his Government living in fear for their jobs, their families and their have promised, so will he do it? Will he make that livelihoods, all because this Prime Minister will not change? Yes or no? keep his word. We know all too well the experience of this Government’s Home Office: dawn raids, vulnerable The Prime Minister: This Government are committed people deported, and a hostile environment for the not just to halting, but to reversing biodiversity loss not Windrush generation. only in this country, but around the world. The hon. Scotland’s message to EU citizens is: you are welcome Lady can see that from the conclusions of the G7 summit here, we want you to stay, this is your home, but this UK and everything that the Government do to promote Government are causing EU citizens untold stress. One biodiversity across our country. 259 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 260

[902022] Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con): area of my constituency. Everybody in this House knows Over the past few years, we have seen the proliferation that there have been huge problems with the shortage of hate speech, harmful content and anti-vaccine of HGV drivers in this country, and that has only been conspiracy theories on social media. In response, the compounded further by Brexit. So I have a simple Government have published its world-leading draft question for the Prime Minister: why can we not add online safety Bill. Can the Prime Minister say when HGV drivers to the UK shortage occupation list? Parliament will be given the opportunity to start the scrutiny of that draft Bill? The Prime Minister: I will certainly look at what the hon. Member is proposing, but I think the most important The Prime Minister: The Bill has been published in thing is to get our entire workforce back at work. There draft form and pre-legislative scrutiny will start as soon are currently millions of people still on furlough, and of as a Joint Committee has been established. I am given course there are labour shortages at the moment, but we to understand from my right hon. Friend the Chief need to get people back into work, and that is why we Whip that my hon. Friend the Member for Folkestone have to continue to roll out the vaccines in the way that and Hythe (Damian Collins) may be in a position to we are. serve with advantage in the scrutiny of that Bill.

[902016] Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne [902024] Sir (South West Devon) (Con) North) (Lab): We all know that great sport starts at the [V]: My right hon. Friend will be aware that the counties grassroots, whether that is football or swimming, and of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset have come we all need help and encouragement to live healthier together to form the great south-west to generate regional lives post pandemic, yet since last March over 400 growth and prosperity in much the same way as the leisure and fitness facilities have permanently closed, midlands engine and the northern powerhouse. It has including our much-loved swimming pool in West Denton, the support of all local authorities, local enterprise and many thousands more are under threat. Will the partnerships and the business community, but we have Prime Minister do two things about that today: expand now been waiting for recognition from Government for and extend the national leisure recovery fund to fund well over three years and frustration is reaching fever these much-needed facilities; and back Newcastle’s bid pitch. Can my right hon. Friend please look into this for the Outer West leisure centre from the levelling-up matter and give us the green light, so we can help the fund? Everybody deserves a chance to live a healthier life Government achieve their objectives of sustainable growth, and, one day perhaps, to play or swim for their country. prosperity and jobs?

The Prime Minister: I thank the hon. Lady because I The Prime Minister: I am a passionate supporter of think it was a great question, and she is absolutely right the great south-west and the prospects that it brings. I to champion grassroots sport and what it can do for understand that my hon. Friend has met the Minister young people and for the health of this country. I for Regional Growth and Local Government to discuss certainly hope that the centre she champions will be these proposals, and I look forward to hearing their successful in the levelling-up fund, but obviously I cannot outcome. control that myself. She must make that case herself, but I am wishing her every possible good fortune. [902020] Christina Rees (Neath) (Lab/Co-op) [V]: Many of my constituents have been angered by the treatment [902023] Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester and Strood) (Con): of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency staff and the In Rochester,we are incredibly proud of our long-standing disgraceful harassment of Public and Commercial Services creative arts community and the contribution it makes Union rep Sarah Evans. With cases rising significantly to the Medway towns, so it has come as a huge blow in south Wales in the third wave of the pandemic, why that the board of directors at the University for the does the Prime Minister feel it is so acceptable for the Creative Arts has decided to close Rochester campus DVLA to have returned over 450 staff to its Swansea after its 135-year history in the town and having inspired site, contrary to Government advice, as some of them some of our most successful artists and designers such can work and have been working effectively and safely as Dame Zandra Rhodes, Karen Millen and Tracey from home? Emin. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the university’s plan to close the site at such a difficult time for the sector will be detrimental to our levelling-up agenda The Prime Minister: As I understand it, rates of locally, but also to the opportunities for so many working- infection and disease have been declining at the DVLA class kids in Medway for whom this campus has always site. I hope very much that everybody there can return provided an instrumental route into further and higher to work in the normal way as soon as possible. education? [902026] Tom Randall (Gedling) (Con): The high street The Prime Minister: I thank my hon. Friend. She is has had a difficult time lately and Gedling’s has been no right to campaign for higher education, particularly in exception, but Gedling Borough Council’s levelling-up her constituency. I know that she has been engaged with fund bid will help to kick-start high street regeneration, university leaders on the ground in Rochester, and I am improve Arnold town centre and encourage healthy sure that they will have listened carefully to what she travel in Netherfield. Will my right hon. Friend join me has to say. in thanking the council officers at Gedling Borough Council, particularly Mike Hill and Joelle Davies, who [902017] David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP): On Friday, have put the bid together, and does he agree that the bid I visited David McCutcheon, the chief executive of can help to make Gedling an even better place in which Bullet Express, which is a haulage firm in the Baillieston to live, work and raise a family? 261 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 262

The Prime Minister: Yes, and I thank Mike Hill and on the circulation of cancer drugs, and the fact that Joelle Davies for their efforts. I thank them also for 20% of all the customs checks carried out in the whole what they are doing to call upon the levelling-up fund, of the EU are carried out in Northern Ireland. I do which will indeed invest in infrastructure projects that indeed hope that all of that can be fixed, and then we improve life across the country, but particularly in my can move on. hon. Friend’s constituency. [902029] Anthony Mangnall (Totnes) (Con): Yesterday [902021] Dr Philippa Whitford (Central Ayrshire) (SNP) I was in Batley and Spen, campaigning with our fantastic [V]: Due to the Prime Minister’s failure to maintain candidate Ryan Stephenson. He is committed to delivering strict border quarantine and the delay in adding India the police that we need on our streets. So from Brixham to the red list, cases of the delta variant are surging to Salcombe, Batley and Spen, will the Prime Minister across the UK. As well as a marked regional variation, commit to supporting initiatives such as the councillor the biggest ongoing impact is on sectors such as hospitality, advocate scheme that was launched by my police and entertainment and aviation. So, rather than starting to crime commissioner, Alison Hernandez? reduce financial support from tomorrow, will the Prime Minister extend full furlough and business support The Prime Minister: I am a big fan of Alison Hernandez beyond September, particularly for those geographical and I think she is doing absolutely the right thing. To areas and businesses that are most affected? support her, we are, of course, increasing our policing presence on the streets of the city. We are rolling up The Prime Minister: No, because although the delta county lines drugs gangs; we have tackled about a third variant is indeed seeded and growing in at least 74 countries of them so far. We have also instituted tougher penalties around the world, including this one, this is the country for serious sexual and violent offenders, which were where the protection by immunity against the delta opposed on a three-line Whip by the Labour party. variant is the highest and the strongest. That is why we are going to continue with our cautious but irreversible [902027] Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Streatham) (Lab): We are road map, and I hope that it will command the hon. experiencing a knife crime epidemic in London. As many Lady’s support. as 50 people have been killed by knife crime in our city, and a staggering 17 of these were young people, including [902028] Peter Gibson (Darlington) (Con) [V]: I thank one of my own young constituents. I fear that we are my right hon. Friend for all that he is doing to level up going to see more and more people, young people in our country. A rising tide must float all ships; to that particular,needlessly lose their lives and, with the summer end, will he commit to delivering the northern link road approaching, more and more violence on our streets. for Darlington, and will he further commit to helping to The Prime Minister is aware just how important youth stop LNER’s great train robbery of services from our services are in the prevention of crime. Can he explain station? Finally, does my right hon. Friend agree that why his Government have cut over 70% of youth services our levelling-up agenda, investing in the north, should in the past decade? Will he pledge to do more for the provide the people of Batley and Spen with great confidence city’s young people, put his money where his mouth is as they go to the polls? and reverse his disastrous cuts?

The Prime Minister: Yes. It tells you all you need to The Prime Minister: We invested in youth services know about the modern Labour party that when they and will continue to do so, but it is quite extraordinary heard there was going to be an economic campus in that the hon. Lady continues to avoid the Macavity-like Darlington, they called it giving up; that is what the performance of the Mayor of London, who is totally right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras failing to grip this, to reduce serious crime and to stop (Keir Starmer) said. My hon. Friend is totally right to knife crime. There was a previous Mayor of London support Ryan Stephenson in his campaign for Batley who got the murder rate down by 50%, because we and Spen tomorrow. I believe that Ryan will offer a gripped it and we took responsibility in City Hall. I strong local voice for change and progress in Batley and think it is shocking to see what Sadiq Khan is doing Spen. on this issue, but we will do everything we can to fill in the gap. [902025] Stephen Farry (North Down) (Alliance): I am Ian Paisley (North Antrim) (DUP): I refer to my sure that the Prime Minister is delighted that the High entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I Court in Belfast this morning upheld the Government’s associate all Northern Ireland Members with the tribute view on the Northern Ireland protocol. Later today we you made to Ian Davis, Mr Speaker. are also expecting a joint EU-UK agreement in relation to the extension of the grace periods around chilled Today, the Belfast High Court found that the Northern meats. Does the Prime Minister accept that today may Ireland protocol does conflict with the Act of Union, well be a watershed, after which we can stop talking although it does not break the law; that it has repealed about the protocol in constitutional and identity terms, aspects of the Act of Union, which is in direct contravention and instead the UK and the EU jointly can work with the commitments that this Government have made through the general problems to find pragmatic solutions? to the people of this kingdom. The Prime Minister will In doing so, will the Prime Minister also call for calm in be aware that litigation is ongoing in the High Court in Northern Ireland, ahead of the marching season? England on a commercial case that could result in a loss of earnings claim of hundreds of millions of pounds by The Prime Minister: Yes, and the best thing that the British businesses trading in Northern Ireland. EU can do is to make sure that we remove all the Under section 8 of the withdrawal agreement, the problems that are currently associated with their application Parliament here is sovereign. The judgment today confirms of the protocol—the ban on chilled meats, the restriction that Parliament is sovereign. The Prime Minister has a 263 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 264 solid majority on his Benches. Does he now have the knows to be true, that nothing will affect the position of will to finish this job, to reverse the mistakes of the Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland protocol, to seize the moment, to We will make sure that we uphold that. defend the Union and to unilaterally fix it, once and for all, to put Northern Ireland out of its commercial, Mr Speaker: I am now suspending the House to enable social and political misery? the necessary arrangements to be made for the next business. The Prime Minister: I thank the hon. Gentleman. We will, of course, study the ruling of the court in detail, 12.38 pm but I can give him this general reassurance, which he Sitting suspended. 265 30 JUNE 2021 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 266 Education Settings Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in Kate Green: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting the Education Settings urgent question. Data published yesterday showed that 375,000 children were out of school last week because of coronavirus. It 12.42 pm is nine weeks until the new academic year begins, but we have no idea what the Secretary of State plans to keep Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab): (Urgent them in class. School leaders dread another last-minute Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Education announcement. They need time to put plans in place, if he will make a statement on the impact of coronavirus and their staff desperately need a break over the summer. on children and young people’s attendance in education The Secretary of State has briefed that the bubbles settings. policy will be replaced with daily testing from September. Will testing take place in schools? If so, what support The Secretary of State for Education (): will they receive to do it? Can he tell the House the I am grateful to you, Mr Speaker, for granting this results of the pilots in schools using regular testing urgent question. This Government are absolutely focused instead of bubbles? What impact has that had on the on returning society back to normal as soon as possible, number of coronavirus cases in the school community and that includes in our schools, colleges and right and the number of hours that children and staff remain across the education sector.As I have made clear throughout in class? Will he tell us why, if he believes he has a the pandemic, my top priority has been to keep children solution that will keep children safely in the classroom, in school. Indeed, as I speak today, millions of children he is waiting until September? What is he doing now to have been back in the classroom since 8 March, learning keep children in school before the summer holidays? with their friends and teachers. As I am sure the House Time and again, Labour has called for mitigations to will agree, that is exactly where they belong. The vast keepchildrenlearning,includingventilationandNightingale majority of schools are open—99.8% of state-funded classrooms. Why has that not happened? Will the Secretary schools were open on 24 June—benefiting children who of State clarify why he abandoned the policy of masks have given up so much during the pandemic. in schools when cases were rising and masks were still Back in February, the Prime Minister set out an required in shops and indoor spaces? Will he share the extensive road map. We need to continue to be careful scientific evidence that led to that decision? to complete this cautious but irreversible road map to Can the Secretary of State confirm that children who freedom. We understand the frustration of parents and have to isolate over the summer and cannot attend the pupils who may feel that they are being asked to isolate holiday activities and food programme will still receive unnecessarily. As I have said throughout the pandemic, free meals? Finally, will he tell us when he expects to children are best off in school. As we continue with our receive Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation educational recovery, it is vital that absence is minimised advice on vaccinating older children? Does he believe as far as possible, and that children and young people that they will begin receiving the vaccine before September? attend school. I am looking carefully every day at how Ministers’ negligence on letting the delta variant into we manage the balance between safeguarding children’s our country is keeping hundreds of thousands of children education and reducing transmission of the virus, because out of the classroom. The Secretary of State must act I know that too many children are still having their now or make way for someone who will. education disrupted, no matter how good the remote education they receive. Gavin Williamson: On daily contact testing, that is T he new Health Secretary and I have already discussed something that Public Health England has been running these matters, and I am working with him across my trials on. We expect it to report back to the Department Department, as well as with scientists and public health of Health and Social Care and to us in the coming experts, to take the next steps. However, as the House is weeks. We are very clear that we want action to be aware, some restrictions remain in place in schools. I taken, and that is why we very much want to see the want to see those restrictions, including bubbles, removed lifting of more restrictions and of the bubbles in schools as quickly as possible, along with wider restrictions in as part of the next step. As the hon. Lady will appreciate, society. I do not think that it is acceptable for children that decision has to be made across Government as part to face restrictions over and above those on wider of the next stage of our road map, but we will of course society, especially as they have given up so much to keep be informing schools and keeping them up to date as to older generations safe over the past 18 months. Further progress in plenty of time before the start of the next steps will be taken to reduce the number of children term. who have to self-isolate, including looking at the outcomes The Labour party deigns to give advice. Let us not of the daily contact testing trial, as we consider a new forget that its advice was to join the European Union model for keeping children in schools and colleges. We vaccine programme. Well, where would that have got constantly assess all available data, and we expect to be us? It was the Labour party that said that it would not able to confirm plans to lift restrictions and bubbles as be possible for schools to deliver testing right across all part of step 4. Once that decision has been made, we our schools and colleges, yet that was what we were able will issue guidance immediately to schools. to do. And it was the Labour party that opposed I would like once again to put on the record this children going back into the classroom and did not Government’s sincere thanks to all teachers for their support this Government’s efforts to ensure that children dedication and work at this time. My commitment to were able to get their education at the earliest possible the House and to the children of Britain is that, as we stage. At every point, the Labour party has done everything open up wider society, we will stick to the principle that it can to frustrate and stop the opportunities for children children’s education and freedom comes first. to be in school. 267 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 30 JUNE 2021 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 268 Education Settings Education Settings Robert Halfon (Harlow) (Con): I thank my right hon. that all our actions, right across Government, are properly Friend for what he is doing to try to keep schools open, co-ordinated as part of a process of easing restrictions but we have 300,000 children being sent home. In addition, right across the country. 93,500 children are missing 50% of school or more, as identified by the Centre for Social Justice this week in a Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con) [V]: I am delighted hard-hitting report. that the Government prioritised the reopening of schools We are in danger of creating a generation of ghost as we eased lockdown; I congratulate my right hon. children, denied a proper chance to climb the education Friend on all his efforts to make sure that children ladder of opportunity. Will my right hon. Friend update return to schools and get in-person education as much the guidance and look to establish mobile testing units as possible. Does he agree that rolling out regular in schools as soon as possible, even before September, testing as we do so will ensure that we not only stop the to stop the need for children to be sent home? Will he spread of the virus, but prevent children from being also set out a plan, galvanising the forces of the Department, unnecessarily sent home and missing out on their education? local authorities and schools, for how these 100,000 At the same time, we must make sure that the tests are ghost children are going to be returned to school properly carried out properly and appropriately. so that we can bring their education back to life and do not damage their life chances for decades to come? Gavin Williamson: I absolutely agree. My hon. Friend will probably have seen the figures: more than 50 million Gavin Williamson: My right hon. Friend raises the tests have already been conducted across schools and important issue of children who are not attending school. colleges. We are very much aware that testing has been That is why we have pulled together the REACT teams, an important part of getting schools reopened, and we which are a combination of DFE teams, regional schools continue to work with colleagues in the Department for commissioners, local authorities, the police and, crucially, Health and Social Care and in track and trace to ensure schools themselves, to target those children, working that testing is available to all pupils and their families. alongside the supporting families initiative led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD) [V]: The number of children missing school is rising every single day and My right hon. Friend will be aware that there is families are at their wits’ end, while the Government are already extensive testing in schools. In fact, some 57 million once again far too slow to react. Will the Government tests have already been conducted in schools and colleges act now and establish a rapid taskforce with public across the country, so we already have a well-established health directors and school leaders, with a mandate to testing mechanism. The next stage, as we move to step 4 keep schools open safely? of the road map, is that we want schools to be able to operate more freely. We want all children to be able to Gavin Williamson: It is fair to say that Liberal Democrats be part of the summer activities, whether that is the have never been very good at numbers. Actually, schools holiday activity and food programmes or the additional are open right across the country—they are welcoming summer schools that schools are laying on. That is why, children. Millions of children are in school, benefiting as part of step 4, we are looking at lifting the restrictions from being with their teachers, and we continue to take and bubbles that schools currently have to operate, and action to ensure we do everything we can to maximise we are looking at doing that at the very earliest opportunity, the number of children there. As part of step 4, as I so children will be able to benefit through the summer. touched on earlier, we will be looking at lifting more restrictions; that will be announced in the near future. Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op) [V]: Will the Secretary of State stop this dither and delay? Greg Smith (Buckingham) (Con): I very much welcome On education matters, everyone in this House should be my right hon. Friend’s work to keep schools open and united, but there is a generation of young children who his ambition to see the end of the bubble system, but have missed education and will continue to miss education. may I ask him to look at a cohort of children who risk Families, and parents particularly, want certainty. They being caught up negatively by covid guidance and want to know what the rules are and what they can restrictions: those who are due to start primary school expect, so that they can plan their everyday lives. Most this September? I declare an interest in that my own son of all, all of us who care about education know that the is due to start school this September. Under the current upcoming summer holiday could be an opportunity for guidance, schools are unable to run the settling-in sessions a vast number of national volunteers to work with that are essential for children to familiarise themselves children, to give them the vital support they are missing with their new environment and have the best start in because they have missed so much school education. school life. Will my right hon. Friend take action to Come on, Secretary of State, take the lead and do ensure that those settling-in sessions can happen? something positive, imaginative and bold. Gavin Williamson: I will share some of the guidance Gavin Williamson: I thank the hon. Gentleman for that we have. There is flexibility for schools, for those his thoughts. We have already outlined, if he had listened key transition years, to have some level of familiarisation to my answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for with those children. I will organise it that my office Harlow (Robert Halfon), that we are looking towards shares that information with my hon. Friend. lifting the restrictions, especially bubbles, as part of the next step of the road map. As the hon. Gentleman will (, Hall Green) (Lab) [V]: The be aware, the Government will, in the very near future, number of children self-isolating has quadrupled during announce the next step of the road map, and lifting the this month because of increases in cases of covid. restrictions will very much be part of that. It is important Following this sharp rise, more children are now able to 269 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 30 JUNE 2021 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 270 Education Settings Education Settings [Tahir Ali] of getting schools back on 8 March, when we were campaigning so strongly for it. Their words are a little learn online from home with the IT equipment and bit hollow now. internet access provided to schools by the Government. The Secretary of State is clearly indicating where he Hundreds of families in my constituency of Birmingham, wants to go on getting rid of bubbles. I am not really Hall Green have benefited from the scheme, but I am sure, though, why we cannot do it now. We are going to now hearing that many of the devices have been either cause a huge problem for the rest of term and we will disabled or taken back by the schools. That has a not be giving a lot of time for teachers in schools to significant impact on learning, especially for those who prepare for the autumn. What I really wanted to ask are living in poverty. It is important that access to IT him was about testing. We have now vaccinated all equipment should not be disrupted. Will the Secretary adults at risk of being seriously ill from covid. Given of State therefore ensure that children keep the laptops that covid is going to be endemic, is he really suggesting and return them only when they leave school at year 6 that for the rest of time we are going to be testing our or 11? schoolchildren on a regular basis? I think we need to move back to normal. Once we have protected everyone Gavin Williamson: The investment that we made in who is vulnerable to covid—children are not, largely—we IT equipment is there to help pupils. Although those need to get back to normal, not ensuring our children laptops are the property of the schools, we very much have to be continuously tested for the entirety of their want the schools to prioritise using them to help children school careers. from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. I will certainly take up the hon. Gentleman’s point and look in more Gavin Williamson: My right hon. Friend raises a very detail at whether we can give more guidance and a interesting and thoughtful point. We want to see schools stronger steer to schools to really emphasise that point. return to normality. We do not want children to feel as if there is an extra layer of things they have to do that Dr Neil Hudson (Penrith and The Border) (Con) [V]: we, as adults, do not have to do. That is very important. We all know that the pandemic has caused many young Testing has been an incredibly important tool in the people to miss out on vital learning experiences and I armoury to get schools back, especially on 8 March welcome the Government’s recovery strategy to help when we saw the mass return of schools, but we do keep them catch up. In Cumbria, we have unique outdoor it under review. We take scientific advice from the education centres, such as the Blencathra Centre and Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health the Outward Bound centres, that offer life-affirming England and other scientific bodies. We are looking at educational experiences both as day and residential this continuously and we have found it a useful tool, but activities, giving young people a chance to benefit from in the much longer term do I see testing as something some of the vital opportunities they have missed out on. that we expect children to continuously do always in the Does my right hon. Friend agree that these centres can future? No, I do not. Ideally, I want to move away from be a key part of the solution, and will he look into his that at the earliest and most realistic possible stage. Department directly supporting and utilising these assets to achieve the educational recovery? Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab): My hon. Friend Gavin Williamson: As part of step 3 of the road map, the Member for Stretford and Urmston (Kate Green) we lifted restrictions so that people could do overnight pointed out that there is a risk, as things stand, that residential. My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight children may have to isolate and stay at home when they the benefits of outdoor education centres and the real should be taking part in the holiday activities and food value they bring to many young people. We will certainly programme over the summer. Can the Secretary of continue to work with the sector on how we can promote State give an assurance that, whatever happens, children that, especially as schools have more and more freedoms who are entitled to access food support over the summer in the future. will still be able to do that?

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab): The Gavin Williamson: I can absolutely assure the right Government have consistently let down our children. hon. Gentleman that that is the case. Obviously, the To bring down case numbers and to reduce school Department for Work and Pensions has its covid support closures, the likes of me advocated for teachers to be fund, which is available for local authorities to provide vaccinated, for a circuit break during half-term last year free school meals. Any changes as part of the road map and for other sensible measures, but we were ignored. that would lead to the lifting of further restrictions and Now, shockingly, one child in 20 was out of school last of bubbles within schools would also take effect for the week and case numbers are still rising. Will the Secretary summer holidays, so children who wanted to take part of State commit to reviewing the use of the bubble in holiday activity and food programmes would be able system and to implementing the recommendations now, to do so without operating within a bubble system. rather than waiting until the autumn? Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells) (Con): Because of new Gavin Williamson: I will happily pass on a copy of variants, it is quite possible that long into the future the Hansard to the hon. Gentleman, so he can reference number of covid cases will increase from time to time. Is what I said earlier in response to this urgent question. the Secretary of State aware that Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, who was behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean) (Con): The Secretary has said: of State is right to push back on the Labour party. I do “If…high protection against hospitalisation continues despite not remember Labour Members being huge champions spread in the community, the public health crisis is over”? 271 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 30 JUNE 2021 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 272 Education Settings Education Settings Does my right hon. Friend understand that we must home when isolating. With every click widening the move away from being concerned with the number of attainment gap, will the Secretary of State today back cases of covid and disrupting schools needlessly through my campaign to ensure that every child entitled to free testing and isolation, and focus squarely on hospitalisation? school meals has access to data and a device at home?

Gavin Williamson: I very much have that at the forefront Gavin Williamson: This is very much why we invested of my mind. If my right hon. Friend has time, it would hundreds of millions of pounds in the roll-out of 1.3 million be very interesting to sit down with him, and with some devices to be able to support schools, but most importantly of my team and some from the Department of Health to be able to support children, as the hon. Lady set out. and Social Care, to discuss this in greater detail. The key thing is making sure that people are not being Caroline Nokes (Romsey and Southampton North) hospitalised and people are not in danger of dying. The (Con) [V]: Can my right hon. Friend reassure me, as we vaccine has had enormous success in doing that, but we look to 19 July and the end of the summer term, that cannot then have the brake on children’s lives in the there can be no question of a return to bubbles and future. self-isolation when children return in the autumn?

Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): I commend and Gavin Williamson: I do not want to pre-empt the thank the Secretary of State for being here today and decision across Government on the next stage, but our addressing the concerns of many of us. What happens direction is very clear about lifting the restrictions and here sets the direction for regional Administrations. ensuring that children are not in a situation where they Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the education of have to bubble. That is very much part of the course of young people, with some not being able to access resources the road map, and of course we would very much expect and many suffering as a result of the closure of schools. that our children would not be facing that in September, Mental health issues among pupils are rising at alarming as my right hon. Friend has said. levels, so what discussion has he had with school principals and with regional Assemblies to reduce the negative impact on our children’s academic development? What Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) (Green) [V]: The steps can he take to ensure that the education system is Secretary of State says that his priority is to keep pandemic-ready for the future? children in school, yet hundreds of thousands of them are missing yet more precious time in the classroom as well as important end-of-term rituals, and families are Gavin Williamson: We have always, at all stages, done angry and desperate. For many months, organisations as much as possible to work with all devolved such as the Health and Safety Executive and the Royal Administrations across the UK and we will continue to Society of Medicine have been saying that one of the do so, be it on mental health issues, the awarding of basic things that needs to be done to protect our children grades, or education recovery.Let me take the opportunity is to ensure better ventilation in all classrooms. People to put on the record my thanks for the work that I had who live in New York, for example, can consult a public the opportunity to do with Peter Weir, who was the website to see the ventilation status of every single Minister for Education in Northern Ireland. We had a classroom in the state,and there has been serious investment very close working relationship and I am very appreciative in ventilation and filtration there. Why has the Secretary of all the work he undertook for the children and of State not done something similar here to introduce students in Northern Ireland in his time as Minister. those basic mitigation measures and fast-track the assessment of testing pilots? Living with covid must not James Daly (Bury North) (Con) [V]: The metropolitan mean dumping all the risk on our children because the borough of Bury currently has more than 2,000 children Education Secretary has not acted with anything like self-isolating, which is negatively impacting on their the urgency and ambition this crisis demands. social, emotional and educational development. I welcome and recognise my right hon. Friend’s commitment to keeping children in school, but does he recognise and Gavin Williamson: At every stage, we have put in all agree—I am sure he does—that we cannot allow this the protective measures that are required in order to be situation to continue? Surely we must learn to live with able to keep children safe and ensure that they are back covid-19 and remove the requirements for school bubbles, in the classroom and have the opportunity to learn. together with the current policy of self-isolation, at the earliest opportunity. Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con): The numbers of pupils self-isolating and therefore not at school have Gavin Williamson: We are very much wanting to go risen nationally from 40,000 to 300,000 in three weeks, down that course of easing restrictions and ensuring and in the same period in Gloucestershire they have that, as we come out this pandemic, children are one of risen from a few hundred to almost 8,000, which is the greatest beneficiaries. My hon. Friend’s mind and virtually 8% of all pupils. That is clearly not the direction mine are very much in the same place. that either the Education Secretary or any of us want. We can therefore all agree with the Scientific Advisory Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab) Group for Emergencies’children’sexpert, Professor Russell [V]: Children in the most disadvantaged areas are almost Viner, who has said that we have to rethink all the rules twice as likely to be those self-isolating, such as year 6 in around our schools. Schools are not the driver of St Mark’s Primary School in my constituency, but they transmission at the moment, and to my knowledge are also likely to be on the wrong side of the digital there is not a single child in Gloucestershire in any of divide, with 23 pupils at St Mark’s still without the kit our hospitals with the virus, so something needs to be and connectivity required to log in and learn from done. My right hon. Friend has already given a clear 273 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 30 JUNE 2021 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 274 Education Settings Education Settings [Richard Graham] Gavin Williamson: The hon. Gentleman probably heard my earlier answer. Of course, the Department for steer that he wants to see children back at school as Work and Pensions scheme is there to support children soon as possible and the benefits of summer school who are in receipt of free school meals over the summer being enjoyed, so would he consider a pilot project in period. The holiday activities and food programme is Gloucestershire to allow all these children who are an extensive scheme across local authorities right across self-isolating to get back to school as soon as possible? the country. This is an excellent scheme and we want to see all children able to take part in it because of the Gavin Williamson: Frankly, if there is going to be a benefit of not just food, but, as importantly, the activity pilot project, it is going to be in Staffordshire, not in that is part of the scheme. Gloucestershire, but that was a good old punt. Simon Fell (Barrow and Furness) (Con): I welcome Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab) [V]: my right hon. Friend’s commitment to end bubbles. Professor Marmot has reported today on the impacts of Last week, some 74% of children who were isolating in inequality in large parts of Greater Manchester, including England were doing so not because they had caught my own constituency, and we know that covid has covid but because someone in their bubble had done so. exacerbated these inequalities. We know that too many This puts a huge strain on them and their parents. With children have had and are still having their education that in mind between now and the terminus date, will disrupted. We all agree that we need to ensure that my right hon. Friend consider accelerating the rapid children and families are supported, not just during testing programme to ensure that we see less self-isolating self-isolation, and that catch-up is intensified, so what for children? work is the Secretary of State’s Department doing on the wider impact that covid may have on this cohort of Gavin Williamson: We always continue to work with children in school or college through the pandemic? the Department for Health and Social Care on testing How do we ensure that we properly tackle the inequalities and being able to maximise that so that we can catch created by covid on top of the pre-existing inequalities people with covid at home, so they are not in a position affecting the same children? of infecting their friends at school and the teachers. Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab) [V]: Gavin Williamson: I would very much appreciate it if With nearly 400,000 children and young people out of the hon. Gentleman forwarded that report, as it would school just last week for covid-related reasons, the be interesting to look at the details. We have been Government’s failure to secure our borders against the looking closely at the impact of covid on children’s delta variant has demonstrated the damage that it is learning right across the country. We have been doing a doing to children and their future. Given those failures detailed study with Renaissance Learning to look at the and the incompetence, frankly, of the Secretary of State lost learning, not just as a national cohort but very over the last year in getting a grip and supporting much in granular detail, and that is very much informing schoolchildren, is it not time that he worked with the our policy development as to how we best address that. Chancellor to get the funding that is needed for catch-up, as was recommended by the former catch-up tsar,Sir Kevan Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) (Con) [V]: I thank Collins? There is a shortfall of £13.6 billion. Is it not my right hon. Friend for his answers today and for his time that that money was provided so that children do commitment to remove self-isolation for schoolchildren not continue to suffer because of the mistakes of the as soon as possible. That will be widely welcomed Secretary of State’s Government? across Wimbledon. Can he reassure me about what the Government are doing to ensure that disabled children Gavin Williamson: The hon. Lady seems to be blissfully get the support they need at home when they have been unaware that we have already invested over £3 billion in self-isolating and unable to attend school? supporting children to be able to catch up in our schools. As she requested, we will continue to work closely with Gavin Williamson: We very much expect the education the Treasury—as we have been doing—as we approach to be delivered for all children remotely, whether they the spending review to see what further action is needed are in a mainstream school, a special school or alternative to be able to support our children. provision. We work with the sector to ensure that that happens, including on the provision of IT equipment Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con): Last week, 375,000 pupils and devices, which is so critical for all schools to be able were off school through self-isolation and there has to deliver that. been a 40% increase in anti-depressants being prescribed to under-17-year-olds. Given that children are extremely Sam Tarry (Ilford South) (Lab): We remember the unlikely to suffer serious ill health as a result of catching appalling free school meals debacle over Christmas, covid, and given the damage being done to their education where the Opposition and football players had to try to and their mental health, is it not time we stopped this force the Government to do the right thing. My Ilford self-isolation madness and got all pupils back in the South constituents, who are among some of the poorest classroom where they belong? in certain super-output wards, are extremely concerned that their holiday activities and food programme has Gavin Williamson: My right hon. Friend raises a not been guaranteed if they are going to be at home really important issue in terms of children’s mental self-isolating. Will the Secretary of State please be health. This is why we have been so concerned to put crystal clear that nobody will go without food this interventions in place to be able to support children, as summer? well as those who work in our schools and colleges, with 275 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 30 JUNE 2021 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 276 Education Settings Education Settings their mental health at this incredibly difficult time. The Europe to impose travel restrictions on India as a result best way of helping children and all people—all staff—with of the delta variant. The new Secretary of State for their mental health is by actually having schools functioning Health and Social Care, the Transport Secretary and as normally as possible. That is why we have always the Prime Minister take that responsibility incredibly been clear that when we are in a position to be able to seriously. remove those restrictions, and to be able to make those changes and make it easier for schools to operate as Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) normally as possible, we will always take those steps at (Con): I welcome my right hon. Friend’s comments. I the earliest possible stage. have recently finished a 10-day period of self-isolation following someone in my office testing positive for covid. Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab): My However, the flatmate of that person was able to go about constituent Stephen sums up the frustrations of parents their daily life in a normal way, using the Government’s and pupils when he tells me that his boy is now home daily testing trial. As we learn to live with covid, surely again for a third time—10 days of isolation—because it is time to move quickly to a more nuanced approach somebody has tested positive in his school, even though that does not endlessly interrupt children’s education, as he wears a mask. He has tested negative on a PCR test, it cannot be right to have learning continuously disrupted plus two further tests a week. Stephen asks how we can by unnecessary self-isolation. justify 40,000 people hugging each other at Wembley, but his son cannot see his friends. The effect on pupils Gavin Williamson: There is nothing that I can really has also been raised by my constituent Joe, who teaches disagree with my hon. Friend about, so I had better just and has seen the mental health effects to which the sit down, hadn’t I? Secretary of State just referred. What additional support will be put in place to support Joe and the pupils that he Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab): Too many schoolchildren supports during this mental health crisis? across my constituency of Blaydon have faced disadvantage from being out of school under the current arrangements. Gavin Williamson: The hon. Member is probably aware Will the Secretary of State be absolutely clear with school that both the Department of Health and Social Care leaders well in advance of any new arrangements to be and my Department have outlined support packages for put in place? It is vital that they have that information. schools to boost mental health provision, including Will he also talk about the support that can be given to training to ensure that there are people trained to deal disabled children to ensure that they have the chance to with mental health issues in all schools, right across the catch up on the education opportunities that they have country. He is probably also aware of the comments I missed? made earlier about the lifting of restrictions and the Gavin Williamson: I very much want to reassure the removal of bubbles. That is the next step that we very hon. Lady that we will give all schools good notice of much want to take, but it has to be done in line with the any new arrangements. As I have committed to, we are broader changes and steps to unlock the country that aiming to issue guidance and advice to schools in are part of the road map. conjunction with the details of step 4. On disabled children and children with special educational needs, we Suzanne Webb (Stourbridge) (Con): Getting children will continue to have a really strong emphasis in terms back into school without having to self-isolate cannot of how we support special schools or alternative provision. come soon enough, as there is no substitute for learning, In particular, we will weight the level of support at attainment and keeping children in face-to-face education. a much higher level for those schools than we do for Will my right hon. Friend confirm that keeping children mainstream schools. in an educational setting whenever it is safe to do so remains his priority? Mrs Flick Drummond (Meon Valley) (Con): Like others, I would also like to see the immediate return of Gavin Williamson: My hon. Friend is so right. The the daily testing that has been so successful in the pilot provisions—whether it was the roll-out of mass testing schools, so that pupils can remain in school. I agree with across all schools, or the restrictions and levels of safety others that we should go back to normal as soon as that we had to put into schools—have all been designed possible, preferably in September. Yesterday, the Minister around getting children into schools for the maximum for School Standards stated that we are consulting parents, amount of time, ensuring that they are in front of the teachers and pupils about extending the school day. Will teacher with their friends, having the very best classroom the Secretary of State make it clear during the consultation experience. That is the No. 1 priority. As we move out of that the extended day should be for enrichment activities this crisis, we want to lift as many of those restrictions as well as time for extra tutoring where necessary? as possible and liberate schools to be able to operate in the best possible way for themselves. Gavin Williamson: I very much want to see children spending as much time in school as possible, although Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab): Does the Secretary I do want them to have the opportunity to go home at of State agree that the Government’s failure to get certain points, Mr Speaker! As part of that extra time, border controls in place has enabled the delta variant to I want them not only to be learning from a rigorous take hold in the UK, forcing children out of classrooms curriculum that has been carefully crafted by my right and away from their friends? hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards—they will get a lot of fun out of learning from that rigorous Gavin Williamson: At every stage, the Government and detailed curriculum—but to have more fun doing have been one of the first to act in order to keep this sporting activities, cultural activities, art and so much country safe; this was one of the first countries in more as well. 277 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 30 JUNE 2021 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 278 Education Settings Education Settings Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD): Over the past shared with schools well in advance of the summer few weeks, I have been touring secondary schools in my holiday to ensure that staff are not required to work constituency. The current self-isolation policy, which, across their summer leave, and that specific guidance incidentally, resulted in a Twickenham secondary having will be provided for SEND schools rather than their to close its doors entirely last week for several days, being an after-thought? combined with lockdowns is not just impacting academic progress; the No.1 issue, according to heads and Gavin Williamson: Specific guidance is always provided safeguarding leads, is the mental health impact. As well for special educational needs schools. I can ensure that as ensuring support for academic catch-up, may I urge the detail on the gov.uk website is available to the hon. the Secretary of State to do everything he can to speed Lady so she might be able to read it if she is interested in up the roll-out of mental health support teams in doing so. I absolutely assure her that, as I have said in schools? Will he also please speak to the Health Secretary answer to other questions, we will provide that information to provide urgent additional capacity for tier 4 child at the earliest possible stage. and adolescent mental health services beds because too many children are being turned away? From the evidence Antony Higginbotham (Burnley) (Con): I have been that I am being presented with, it is not exaggeration to contacted by parents across Burnley and Padiham, say that children’s lives are at risk because teachers and some of whom have children who are off for the third school counsellors just do not have the skills to deal time despite having never had coronavirus themselves, with those cases. so I welcome the Secretary of State’s work to end isolation for students. One thing that will really help Gavin Williamson: The hon. Lady raises a very thoughtful schools is getting the testing solution right. What and important issue. I am very much with her in that I conversations has the Secretary of State had with Public want to see the roll-out of mental health support in Health England and the Department of Health and schools as quickly as is feasibly possible. That also plays Social Care about new types of testing, such as saliva an incredibly important role in tackling some of the testing, that would be far quicker and easier for schools further pressure that is then put at the door of CAMHS to implement? services. I am very happy to take up the point that she raised with the Department for Health and Social Care, Gavin Williamson: We always work with our colleagues which runs CAMHS, as to how best we can support in the Department of Health and Social Care and children in those early stages and, if there is a need for Public Health England in respect of the very best forms clinical intervention, how that can be best supported of testing. Weare always aware that there is new technology and swiftly supported in order to be able to deal with and innovation and we want to be able to use that to the the problem early on. best of our ability, to make sure that not only all my hon. Friend’s constituents in Burnley who want to (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Con): The attend school are able to do so but everyone throughout Government prioritised reopening schools above almost the country can do so as well. anything else. Schools in Stoke-on-Trent have been doing an absolutely amazing job in keeping education Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab) [V]: I going, given the challenges that they have faced. I know have had lots of emails from desperate parents in south that schools in my constituency are struggling with several Manchester whose children have suffered multiple periods covid cases right now. It is vital that we keep children in of isolation and are worried about more. They all say school as far as possible, especially those from the most that we need to review the isolation rules urgently. We disadvantaged backgrounds. Will my right hon. Friend now hear that the Secretary of State is looking at do everything possible to ensure that no more time is announcing plans as part of step 4, but there is no lost and that all our young people receive the good quality reason to wait for step 4: schools have a problem now education that we want to see? and they need to know what to do about it. Every time I have met headteachers in the past year, their biggest Gavin Williamson: I know my hon. Friend has done complaint is always about the lateness of guidance from so much for education in Stoke, including his efforts to the Secretary of State’s Department. Why is it that the secure a new free school for the Stoke-on-Trent South Department for Education is always so slow with advice? constituency. He is right: we constantly review what Why do pupils and schools always seem to be the after- needs to be done to keep children in school for a thought in this crisis? maximum amount of time so that they can benefit from the education. We recognise that that delivers the best Gavin Williamson: I assure the House that we always benefits for children not only in his constituency, but in do everything we can to ensure that all guidance is all of our constituencies. available to schools at the very earliest opportunity.

Charlotte Nichols (Warrington North) (Lab) [V]: Teachers Robbie Moore (Keighley) (Con): As my right hon. and school staff in Warrington North have moved Friend will be aware, in Keighley and Ilkley, we have heaven and earth over the past 18 months to try to been subject to restrictions since the pandemic began, support the education and welfare of our town’s young whether under the local or regional approach. There is people in the face of last-minute, changing and often concern among some of my constituents that a regional contradictory guidance. Nowhere is this more the case approach to the implementation of restrictions may than in special educational needs and disability educational return at some point. Will my right hon. Friend confirm settings, especially as testing can be traumatic or, indeed, that if that was the case—I do not want to see it—we impossible for some children with special needs. When would not end up with a situation in which schools in will schools know what is to happen in September and, Keighley and Ilkley were forced to close when others in can the Secretary of State confirm that this will be the country were able to be open? 279 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 30 JUNE 2021 Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in 280 Education Settings Education Settings Gavin Williamson: I assure my hon. Friend that I feels his spirit wishes to lead him and make progress on want schools in Keighley and Ilkley always to be open ending self-isolation and bubbles? Can he now count on and never to be closed, and that is certainly something their support? that we want to ensure happens. We do not want to see schools in different parts of the country having to close, Gavin Williamson: I would probably count the Opposition which is why we will take all the measures that are as a rather unreliable ally, but I certainly hope that they required to ensure they stay open. will not do the usual flip-flop that we are accustomed to seeing from the Leader of the Opposition. Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab): Schools will not stay open because the Secretary of State wills it—we need a Zarah Sultana ( South) (Lab): The Secretary long-term plan. The Secretary of State for Health and of State has again been found sleeping at the wheel. One Social Care told the House on Monday that we are in 20 pupils were self-isolating last week, and today my going to have to live with the virus. What does that office was told of another Coventry school being forced mean for schools? Where is the plan for improved to close. Teachers are doing the best they can, but with ventilation and Nightingale classrooms so that children mitigation rules relaxed and without additional resources, can socially distance in schools and not have to be sent the delta variant will continue to rip through schools. home in bubbles? The virus is not going away—where is Why were masks required in class in April but not now, the plan? given that case rates were lower then than they are now? Will he abandon his “feeble” catch-up plan—not my Gavin Williamson: The hon. Gentleman seems to words, but those of his former adviser? Will he now put have paid little heed to some of the measures we have in the resources needed to mitigate covid and for educational put in place to ensure that children can get back into catch-up—that is £15 billion—as his adviser recommended? school. That is probably not surprising given that his party’s policy seems very rarely to be to encourage and Gavin Williamson: I am not sure whether the hon. make sure that schools are open—[Interruption.] The Lady is arguing for more restrictions or fewer—her hon. Gentleman had the opportunity to ask his question— question did not seem to be that coherent. Perhaps if she can write to me to clarify whether she is pro restrictions Clive Efford: You sent our kids back to school with or against then, I would be happy to answer. the Kent variant! Jacob Young (Redcar) (Con): I thank the Secretary of Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton): State for his update, and for the promise of ending Order. bubbles and school isolation. Does he agree that it is Gavin Williamson: We will continue to do everything surprising to hear the Labour party’s latest change in that we can to ensure that children are able to benefit position on pupils attending schools, especially given from a great education. That is what we have been that only earlier this month it was advocating moving doing. We have seen schools open up and down the away from formal learning, rather than catching up on country—99.8% of schools are open—and we will continue crucial lost lessons? to take the measures required to keep schools open. Gavin Williamson: I suppose one of the great advantages Mr Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con): Parents, pupils of opposition is that consistency is not something that and, of course, teachers have borne the brunt of difficulties has to be adhered to. There has been an element of in respect of bubbles and the self-isolation of children, inconsistency there. What we are focused on, as we come but it now feels that the whole country is a goal for out of the pandemic, is ensuring that we do everything progress on these issues. Has the Secretary of State possible to support schools,teachers and, most importantly, heard today, as I have heard, that the Labour party children, to help them catch up on what they have would now support him if he felt able to go where it missed over the last year and a half. 281 30 JUNE 2021 Points of Order 282

Points of Order liberal democracy, and a position that flies in the face of the fundamental truth of being innocent until proven guilty. During the three and a half years of his 1.38 pm imprisonment, I have sought myself to not prejudge the case against my constituent as it is, as you will appreciate, Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab): On a a matter for the Indian courts. I have only asked that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. On Monday, transparency, due process and the rule of law be abided in a point of order, I queried the apparent discrepancy by—something that in this instance it would seem has between the Secretary of State’s insistence to the House been denied to Jagtar and is another indication that the on 21 June that 6 million children will benefit from growing calls for the UK Government to define his tutoring, and information given by his officials to Schools detention as an arbitrary one should now be listened to. Week that the Government had pledged to provide Could you advise me and the House: what recourse is 6 million courses. In yesterday’s estimates day debate, open to Members of this place on diplomatic missions the Minister for School Standards again referred to to the Court of St James with regard to their ongoing 6 million courses. We now have two Ministers saying business with this House? two different things.However,despite Mr Deputy Speaker’s response to my point of order on Monday, no ministerial Madam Deputy Speaker: I thank the hon. Member correction has so far been issued. Can you assist me by for his courtesy in giving notice of his point of order. I inviting the Secretary of State to clarify the matter? do not think it appropriate that Members of this House should be lobbied in this way, nor that judicial processes Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton): I should be interfered with. I thank him for putting his thank the hon. Lady for giving notice of her point of concerns on the record and for giving me the opportunity order. It is of course essential that ministerial statements to express our concerns as well. to the House are accurate, but the content of a speech, I now suspend the House for three minutes to make as she knows, is a matter for the Member or Minister arrangements for the next business. themselves. I do not know whether anyone wishes to make a further point. The Secretary of State and his 1.41 pm Ministers are here and will have heard the hon. Lady’s Sitting suspended. point of order, so I am sure that she will find some clarity forthcoming. BILL PRESENTED

Martin Docherty-Hughes (West Dunbartonshire) (SNP): SUBSIDY CONTROL On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Ahead of Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57) my Westminster Hall debate this afternoon regarding my constituent Jagtar Singh Johal, it has come to my Secretary , supported by the Prime attention that Members of this House have been sent Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Michael briefings originating from the Indian high commission Gove, Secretary , Secretary , here in London. This is something, as you will be aware, Secretary , Secretary , Secretary that diplomatic delegations are entitled to do, but in this , Secretary Simon Hart and Paul Scully, instance it would seem that they have included details presented a Bill to make provision regulating the giving that would seek to prejudge what is a live criminal case of subsidies out of public resources; and for connected in that country. I am sure you will agree this is a most purposes. unusual state of affairs when one considers the separation Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time of the judiciary from other branches of government, tomorrow, and to be printed (Bill 135) with explanatory which is seen as a cornerstone of a well-functioning notes (Bill 135-EN). 283 30 JUNE 2021 Flexible Working 284

Flexible Working There were people who benefited massively. The truth is that flexible working disproportionately benefits people Motion for leave to bring in a Bill (Standing Order who are women, people who are disabled, people who No. 23) are carers, people who are from low-income backgrounds and people from a black and minority ethnic background, 1.44 pm because the intolerant office culture still exists. There Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab): I beg are also massive mental health benefits from flexible to move, working—in a survey, 96% of employees said that their That leave be given to bring in a Bill to give workers the right to happiness levels had risen since agile working was flexible working from the first day of employment except in introduced—not to mention the benefits for retention exceptional circumstances; to require employers to offer flexible and recruitment in the workplace. EY has said that the working arrangements in employment contracts and advertise the productivity of workplaces when they introduce flexible available types of such flexibility in vacancy notices; and for working is quantified at £15 million per year.Infrastructure connected purposes. and construction companies said that when they started Before the pandemic, about 60% of the workforce talking about and promoting flexible working, 38% more said that they had some flexibility when it came to people started applying to the jobs that they advertised. working. Leading organisations in the field, such as the commercial law firm Hill Dickinson, and astonishing There is also the benefit that there is a wider talent organisations in my constituency, such as Synergy Vision, pool of people to pick from once employers have advertised have talked about bringing in flexible working for their flexible working, but overall the impact of flexible employers and increasing happiness in the workforce. working is mostly on women—that is something that Synergy Vision has been recognised for that with a we cannot deny. In this country, the responsibilities for UK’s Best Workplaces 2020 award. When I asked its childcare and looking after children largely fall on chief executive, Ffyona Dawber, what benefits had come women. The statistics show that if women can flexibly out of introducing flexible working, she said that it was work and go back to their jobs, they are twice as likely a win-win for the employers and the employees. not to quit their jobs after they have had a child, and to go back to their careers. Men can work flexibly, too, During the pandemic, things have changed and there and the statistics show that women are twice as likely to has been a 6% increase in the workforce who work from excel in their career if their husband is helping them home, but there is a myth that during coronavirus with childcare. McKinsey has pointed out that if we everyone had flexible working and everyone worked fully utilise women in the UK economy, by 2030 we from home. Actually, that is not true. The truth is that would be adding £150 billion to our economy. A lot of people who were on higher incomes and earning more that depends on widening flexible working and making were able to work from home and work flexibly, but that sure people buy into it. was not the case for everyone. People on low incomes either did not have the flexibility at work or had to Despite the benefit to the economy, the impact on retain working from home and could not change their mental health, the benefit to disabled people, the benefit working lifestyle at all. to people on low incomes and the benefit to people In fact, from March 2020, flexible ways of working from BAME backgrounds, there still is not a culture of other than working from home, including compressed flexible working in this country. Since 2020, only 17% of hours, job sharing and part-time working, all declined jobs advertised have said that those who apply can work gradually. The organisation Pregnant Then Screwed said flexibly. A third of requests for flexible working are that phone calls to its hotline from women who had turned down. This problem is that companies can use a been refused when they asked for flexible working had wide range of business reasons for not granting a request more than doubled, and about two thirds of requests for flexible working. The problem is that companies are for flexible working had been turned down. given a blank cheque. They are not told they will face some sort of legal restriction if they say people cannot Four out of five people want to work flexibly in work flexibly. There is no point saying that coronavirus future. There are organisations that are already doing has completely changed office work culture and that that work; the Royal Air Force, for example, was recognised everyone will be able to work flexibly from now on. as a leading practitioner with an award for best practice in flexible working. There are other organisations that I have a million case studies at my fingertips, but I believe that putting the mental health of their employees will use just one. It is of a mother who looks after a first is important. five-year-old child, has a disabled husband and has For those of us who were able to work from home caring responsibilities for her 80-year-old father. During and work flexibly during coronavirus, it was a life-changing the pandemic, she worked flexibly and her productivity experience. I spoke to parents who said that they had increased, which was reflected in her bonus. She went to never felt more connected to their children. There were her employer when the pandemic sort of came to an end mothers who talked about the relief of not being the and they were all going back to the office, and her boss last to pick up their child from nursery—sitting on the said, “You can’t continue working flexibly.” That goes step of shame, as we call it. I can relate to that. I spoke to show that we cannot leave it up to offices to make to disabled workers who said that it was such a relief their own decisions. We have to bring in robust legislation that they did not have to commute to work in the if we want to change the culture and if we want to make morning and that they could sit in their own living room, some amount of change. log on and speak in Zoom meetings. I spoke to carers I welcome the fact that the Government are consulting who said that it was such a relief not to have to worry on making flexible working the default, but I have been about whether the pharmacy was closing and whether in politics far too long and know that consultations can they could get to it in time to get urgent medication for drag on. They may have the veneer of being true and the elderly relative they were looking after. that action will be taken in the end, but they drag on 285 Flexible Working 30 JUNE 2021 286

[Tulip Siddiq] Estimates Day and nothing changes. We in this Parliament have the [2ND ALLOTTED DAY] privilege of changing the law so that flexible working becomes something that everyone can enjoy and to Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office which everyone has the right, not just the privileged few who have the perk of enjoying it. Official Development Assistance and I ask the Government to pay attention to the fact that the British Council I have cross-party support for my Bill. Members will [Relevant documents: Written evidence to the Foreign have received numerous emails from constituents about Affairs Committee, on the Foreign, Commonwealth and flexible working. I also ask the Government to take this Development Office’s Main Estimate 2021-22, reported seriously, to bring in robust legislation and to make a to the House on 18 May; International Development difference to the way we work in this country. Committee correspondence with the Permanent Under- I thank some of the organisations that have pushed Secretary,Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for the change for years and have helped me with my on FCDO Main Estimate 2021-22, reported to the House Bill: Pregnant Then Screwed, the TUC, the Fawcett Society, on 15 June and 22 June; Fourth Report of the International Mother Pukka, Young Women’s Trust, Gingerbread, Development Committee, Session 2019-21, Effectiveness the Fatherhood Institute, and Working Families. I hope of UK aid: potential impact of FCO/DFID merger,HC 596; the Government will listen to me, to their colleagues and the Government Response, HC 820; International who support this Bill and to voices across the House by Development Committee correspondence with the Secretary introducing legislation that changes the way we work in of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development this country once and for all. Affairs on cuts to the UK Official Development Assistance Question put and agreed to. (ODA) Budget, reported to the House on 15 December Ordered, 2020, 13 April, 27 April, Session 2019-21, and 7 June; oral evidence taken before the International Development That Tulip Siddiq, Laura Farris, Layla Moran, Christine Committee on 26 January, 13 April and 22 April, Session Jardine, Caroline Lucas, Dr Philippa Whitford, Claire 2019-21, on the Future of UK aid, HC 1141; written Hanna, Jim Shannon, Mary Kelly Foy, Kevin Brennan, evidence to the International Development Committee, John McDonnell and Dawn Butler present the Bill. on the Future of UK aid, reported to the House on Tulip Siddiq accordingly presented the Bill. 26 January, 23 February, and 22 April, Session 2019-21 Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on (HC 1141) and 18 May, and 15 June (HC 100); Friday 19 November, and to be printed (Bill 136). International Development Committee and International Development Sub-Committee on the Work of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact correspondence with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s budget, reported to the House on 14 April, 27 May, and 22 June; and oral evidence taken before the International Development Committee on 20 April, Session 2019-21, on Humanitarian crises monitoring: UK aid to Yemen, HC 1353.] Motion made, and Question proposed, That, for the year ending with 31 March 2022, for expenditure by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: (1) further resources, not exceeding £2,516,113,000 be authorised for use for current purposes as set out in HC 14 of Session 2021-22, (2) further resources, not exceeding £739,069,000 be authorised for use for capital purposes as so set out, and (3) a further sum, not exceeding £3,725,498,000 be granted to Her Majesty to be issued by the Treasury out of the Consolidated Fund and applied for expenditure on the use of resources authorised by Parliament.—(Rebecca Harris.)

1.54 pm Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab): I thank the Backbench Business Committee for allowing us this estimates debate on official development assistance, more commonly known as foreign aid, and the British Council. It is clear how much passion and interest there is across parties on this topic. Over the last two years, there have been considerable and brutal reductions in overseas development aid at a time of unprecedented global need. When other nations across the globe are stepping up, the UK seems to be walking away, and that is why today’s debate is so important. Public and parliamentary interest in aid has never been greater. 287 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 288 the British Council the British Council I wanted to spend the debate looking in detail at the we got only a worryingly short list of countries where Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s the UK will spend bilaterally this year, with no figures spending plans. I wanted to scrutinise how UK aid, cut attached. It is simply impossible to perform proper scrutiny drastically to 0.5% of GNI at a time when more aid is without those figures. needed, is being spent in the most effective way possible. My Committee is being stymied in its efforts to However, the information needed to carefully check scrutinise, Parliament is being blocked from being able that spending simply is not being shared by the FCDO. to consider the figures, and many of the organisations The Select Committee on International Development that are implementing the UK aid programmes, making has had to fight tooth and nail to extract whatever the difference on the ground, have had to fight for information it can from the Government. A pattern of clarity on whether their programmes will even survive behaviour is emerging that demonstrates this Government’s these cuts. The haphazard way in which these cuts to aid contempt for parliamentary scrutiny. That cannot be programmes have been made has also caused considerable allowed to continue. financial waste. Let us take the cuts to global health, one of the Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) FCDO’s priority areas, as just one example. Donated (Ind): I am grateful to the hon. Member for the comments drugs to treat preventable diseases will be wasted, as that she has made so far and for her work on the Select there is no one available to distribute or administer Committee. In the post-Brexit age, we hear a lot from them following a 90% cut in funding. In Bangladesh, a the British Government on sovereignty and being able programme providing essential healthcare to disadvantaged to make sovereign decisions, but is not the crux of the communities, including a response to covid-19, was given matter—as this major issue, the cut to international aid, less than a week to close. That story plays out across shows—the fact that we are not making decisions on every area of UK aid. the basis of parliamentary sovereignty, and that the Government really should be paying more attention to Anna McMorrin (Cardiff North) (Lab): My hon. the views of this House? Friend is making an excellent point on the fact that the more barriers there are to aid, the more difficult it is to Sarah Champion: That is absolutely the nub of my deliver. Does she agree therefore that it is a moral and speech. At a time when we ought to be able to scrutinise economic imperative that this Government do everything the detail of the spending of taxpayers’money—particularly in their diplomatic might to reauthorise and readopt at a time when cuts are being made to it—that is not in the cross-border crossings in north-east and north-west the gift of this House. It is in the gift only of a very few Syria to relieve the millions of people there at serious Ministers, and that should concern us all. risk of loss of life? When my Committee received the main estimate from the FCDO this year, we were genuinely shocked. It Sarah Champion: I absolutely support my hon. Friend’s looked very different, with considerably less detail than calls for that border crossing to be reopened. It is a last year’s equivalent. Budget lines had been altered, time-limited ask, and the International Development with the majority of spending from the former Department Committee wrote to the Foreign Secretary over two for International Development lumped together under weeks ago asking for that very thing—to open those one heading. That obscures the size and distribution of borders and keep them open so that aid can get in to the cuts to aid spending. help those desperate people—and we still have not received It is customary for the Government to consult with a reply. relevant Select Committees prior to making such radical In Vietnam, teams clearing land mines are being changes to the presentation of estimates. Needless to made redundant, as there is no funding for their project. say, that did not happen. Surely, at a time of increased In the Central African Republic, a project fighting the parliamentary interest in aid spending, we should expect worst forms of child labour will be forced to close early. more detail, not less.With such little detail and information, How does it make sense to invest in these transformative Parliament cannot know exactly what is going on and projects over years and then cut the funding at the very what it is agreeing to. How can we make an informed point they are about to realise their goals? It is a waste decision without a basic breakdown of where the FCDO for those communities and a waste for the UK taxpayer, plans to spend in a particular country or on a particular who has been funding it. theme? This debate also considers the role of the British Sadly, that is entirely consistent with the lack of Council, an organisation that has experienced huge information and transparency provided by the FCDO challenges as a result of the pandemic. Unable to offer throughout last year. Add that to the lack of willingness its normal range of paid-for educational services, budgets to engage with my Committee, and Members’ questions have been squeezed dramatically, impacting upon other being dodged or simply ignored, and Parliament faces a programmes and leading to office closures around the constant uphill struggle for the most basic details that world. Indeed, from next week, the British Council is we should be entitled to. starting the redundancy process for between 15% and The Government have said that they will return to 20% of its jobs. spending 0.7% of GNI on aid “when fiscal circumstances The British Council is one of the best examples of allow”. My Committee, and I am sure other Members soft power that I know, and the Government are standing in the House, have lost track of how many times we have by and letting it crumble. That is set against a growth in asked the Foreign Secretary to define what is meant by cultural institutes from other states—namely China’s that. We are getting no closer to an answer. We have Confucius Institutes—that are creeping across the planet. repeatedly asked for a country-by-country breakdown That is not exactly the action of an outward-looking, of funding allocations for this financial year. Instead, global-focused Great Britain, is it? 289 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 290 the British Council the British Council [Sarah Champion] be lured into modern slavery. However, if we cut the programmes for dealing with modern slavery, that girl The Government say they are proud of the UK’s aid may not be able to get into education because the slave spending, but hiding figures and failing to respond to drivers and the gangs—the criminal gangs—may have my Committee’s questions are not the actions of a got to her first. We have to look at these issues holistically Government who are proud. They seem like the actions and at the linkages between them. of a Government who are trying to cover up their shocking reductions in funding and the devastating Anthony Mangnall (Totnes) (Con): I hope my right results: the girls who will not go to school, the children hon. Friend will forgive me for interrupting her, but she who will not be vaccinated and the families who will not is making such an excellent point, and exactly the same have access to clean water. Once again, I ask the Minister argument can be made on tackling gender-based violence. for three things: to publish the individual country allocations If we want to succeed in getting women through education, for this financial year; to provide immediate clarity to then we must tackle gender-based violence. It is a organisations implementing UK aid programmes on comprehensive package, and that is why we need to be their funding allocations for this financial year; and, securing the 0.7%. most fundamental of all, for the Government to detail the steps that they will take to return to spending 0.7% Mrs May: Indeed. My hon. Friend is absolutely of GNI on ODA. correct. I gave just one example, but actually we have to Finally, I want to say thank you to all the FCDO staff look at aid funding holistically, and look at the linkages and all the aid workers around the world who do an between areas and the impact of cuts in one area on amazing job in the most difficult of circumstances. We another area. There is no evidence, I am afraid, from stand with them and will continue fighting for the resources what I have seen from the Government, that that is what that they need to be able to do their job: tackling poverty they have done. It does appear that they have just cut in and inequality around the world. That is the right thing silos. We see, for example, that the Global Fund to End to do; morally it is the right thing to do, but it is also the Modern Slavery has an 80% cut in its funding and there right thing to do for Britain’s interests. is a 25% cut in funding for girls’ education, but these are Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton): linked. I urge the Government to look at those links. There will be a seven-minute time limit on Back-Bench I want to note that, in their response to the fourth contributions, with the clock in the Chamber and on special report of the Select Committee, in late September the screen for those participating virtually. —28 September—last year, the Government said: “The Government’s manifesto made clear that we would proudly 2.3 pm maintain our commitment to spending 0.7 percent of our national Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead) (Con): It is a pleasure income on development—a commitment enshrined in law and one to which the new Department will honour its responsibilities. to follow the very good speech from the Chairman of The Integrated Review, which will inform the priorities and the Select Committee, the hon. Member for Rotherham direction for this new department, will set an ambitious vision for (Sarah Champion), and I echo her comments in thanking the future of the UK as an active, internationalist, problem-solving FCDO staff and aid workers around the world for the and burden-sharing nation. Investing 0.7 percent of Gross National work that they do, often, as she said, in extremely difficult Income…on international development is at the heart of that circumstances. I would also like to say to the Minister vision; it shows we are an enterprising, outward-looking and truly that I am grateful to Lord Ahmad for the discussions he global Britain that is fully engaged with the world.” is having with me on modern slavery and initiatives on That was at the end of September 2020, and in November modern slavery, and those discussions are continuing. 2020 the funding was cut. Either one hand does not Before I come to the specific points I want to make know what the other hand is doing in the Government, on the estimates, I will make a general point on this or they were just trying to calm everybody into a sense debate, because I believe that, in response to my right that everything was going to be okay before they actually hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) wielded the knife on this particular issue. last week, the Prime Minister implied that this debate The second point I want to make is about the impact was a vote on 0.7%. Of course, it is a vote on the estimates on the UK’s presence on the world stage of the decisions for the FCDO. It cannot be used as a proxy vote on that have been taken. This relates not just to ODA 0.7%, and I hope the Government will accept that and spending, but to the spending of the FCDO in general. recognise that the calls for a vote on 0.7% are still there. I note that the Select Committee, in response to the There are two issues that I particularly want to raise. decision to merge DFID into the FCO, said that it had The first is that, in the limited information available to “significant concerns that the merger may jeopardise the ongoing us on aid spending from the Government, there seems effectiveness of future UK aid spending… In the long run, the to be little suggestion from the Government that they creation of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development are actually paying attention to the important linkages Office could reduce the UK’s clout on the world stage.” between the different elements of spending in the aid I fear that it is reducing the UK’s clout on the world budget. This is often an holistic matter, and these things stage, and this cut in overseas aid is but one example of cannot just be looked at in silos. that, although we focus, as we have in previous debates To give just one example of this, our right hon. on this issue, on the very real impact on the ground of Friend the Prime Minister is rightly very keen to encourage the money being cut from different programmes. The girls’ education around the world. It has been a theme health programme has been mentioned by the Select of Conservative Governments now for some considerable Committee Chairman, the hon. Member for Rotherham, time. We have taken it up in G7 meetings, and we have but there are others, including the cut in funding to encouraged others around the world to take up that starving people in Yemen, for example, and all of these theme. Of course, a girl who is educated is less likely to are having a real impact on the ground. 291 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 292 the British Council the British Council The FCDO also needs to look very carefully at the good deal of consensus across the House this afternoon DFID expertise that is now within the FCDO. As it on these points. looks across its estimates and at how it is spending its The Government’ssudden default on their commitments, money in the Department, it needs to make very certain enshrined in law, and the way the cuts are being that it does not lose that expertise. There have been implemented, with minimal information for this House, times in the past when people have rightly questioned has damaged plans, partnerships and trust that have the way in which our aid money has been spent, but I built up over many years between the UK Government have to say that that has changed in recent years, largely and international partners. At a stroke, the Government due to and initiated by my right hon. Friend the Member have succeeded in damaging the UK’s reputation as a for Sutton Coldfield when he was the International reliable partner, at a time when they are supposedly Development Secretary. We spend our aid differently, developing the UK’s role as a global player. All of this is and we have developed—and successive International purportedly to ensure that we can shoulder the burden Development Secretaries did this too—real expertise. of their disastrous covid policy,while conveniently playing We are now hitting the needy across the world with a into the supposed prejudices of their new and possibly double whammy because they are losing our funding fickle supporters. and they are losing our expertise as well. These cuts have been rushed, with no consideration Mr (Sutton Coldfield) (Con): Does or assessment of the impact they will have on the my right hon. Friend realise that the position is far people who receive UK aid or the effect on UK-based worse than was set out when the so-called merger took overseas aid projects, particularly small-scale initiatives place? What has happened is that DFID has been without the robust structures or funding to absorb completely dismantled. Even in the days of her predecessor, large-scale cuts made by their main or only real source Lady Thatcher, there was an overseas development of finance. There has been no real consultation, not administration within the Foreign Office, which was a least with this House, and there has been a failure, or sort-of department for development with a Minister of more likely a refusal, to understand and take into State in charge of it. There is nothing like that today. account the likely impacts, or to engage with partners The whole thing has been completely smashed to pieces, and communities, so as to try to minimise the damage, if as she is saying in her speech. that is at all possible. Throughoutthisprocesstherehasbeenpoorcommunication Mrs May: I thank my right hon. Friend for clarifying with partners. The Government have failed to provide that point so well. If we are going to continue to be dependable and predictable information, and the repeated respected as a country that leads on overseas aid, it is failure to deliver on promises of forthcoming decisions absolutely imperative that we not only spend the money, and information has left organisations and projects unable but that we also have the expertise to ensure that it is to plan or manage the situation. being spent properly. Hosting receptions in the British embassy, and getting to know local businessmen and Let me turn for a moment to small-scale projects in politicians, is a different skillset to knowing how to Wales. Hub Cymru Africa reports that the closure of deliver aid on the ground logistically, so that British the FCDO’s small charities challenge fund—the most taxpayers’ money is spent in the most effective way. accessible grant scheme up to £50,000 for Welsh NGOs—is Maintaining that expertise is particularly important hitting, for example, the Teams4u project in Wrexham. if the Government are to be believed, as we hope they The closure of the FCDO’s partnership grants of up to are, when they say that they are going to restore the £250,000 is affecting the successful delivery of projects 0.7%. When a programme is cut, we cannot just say, such as Interburns. Perhaps the Minister would like to “Well, you are not having that money this year, but next explain why the partnership grant of £249,000 to Bees year you are going to have it.” People will no longer be for Development Monmouth for its work in Ethiopia is employed to give the aid on the ground. We need the being cut by £102,000, thereby closing the project early. expertise to be able to build the programmes up. We are That explanation might be useful for his ministerial looking at a perfect storm, where not only has the colleague at the Wales office, the Under-Secretary of money gone away but, when the time comes—I hope it State for Wales, the hon. Member for Monmouth (David will be next year that the Government restore 0.7%—we T. C. Davies). United Purpose in Cardiff has been will find that the people are not in the Department to working in Malawi for 32 years. Its work has been rated ensure that that is being done, and being done effectively. A++ for performance and value for money by the FCDO itself. It has had to drastically reduce its work, with only I say to the Minister that I sincerely hope that we can weeks of warning, due to Malawi’s law on staff notices restore the respect that we have had around the world, and severance packages.Some Welsh NGOs are considering through our funding and our expertise, restore the closing down entirely. 0.7%, look holistically at the aid spending and not lose DFID expertise. If we do that, we might be able to Such cuts stand in clear contrast to the Welsh return, as was said in the Government response to the Government’s aid schemes, such as Wales for Africa. fourth special report, to being Wales takes international aid seriously; achieving sustainable development is written into the Welsh constitution. The “an enterprising, outward-looking and truly global Britain that is fully engaged with the world.” Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 commitstoa“globallyresponsibleWales”.ThisGovernment Sadly, at the moment, the message is rather different. are betraying those Welsh values. Even our universities— responsible for so much of the success of the domestic 2.12 pm vaccine programme—are affected. UK Research and Hywel Williams (Arfon) (PC) [V]: It is a pleasure to Innovation has already confirmed that the ODA cuts follow the effective speech by the right hon. Member for will lead to a £120 million budget shortfall in 2021-22. Maidenhead (Mrs May). I suspect that we will see a That conflicts with the Government’s own ambitions for 293 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 294 the British Council the British Council [Hywel Williams] is not the same as the strategic oversight of foreign policy, which is why I would like to see some of this R and D to reach 2.4% of GDP by 2027. This is coming back and being reinforced as the technical skill disastrous not only for Welsh universities, but for the it really is. wider UK research community. Let us look at a few examples. Some have said to me Let me turn to an example of broad-scale effects. that perhaps we are going back to a pre-1930s world, Plan International reports that an estimated 20 million and there is certainly a hint of that. Let us look at the women and girls will now not be reached; 700,000 fewer cuts we have seen in Lebanon, a very important historical girls will be supported by girls’ education programmes; ally, one in which we have invested heavily, through the 2 million fewer women will be supported by humanitarian Lebanese armed forces and through the relationship of assistance; 8 million fewer people and girls will be building capability that would fight terrorism, which we supported by nutrition interventions; and 9 million all face. This is an organisation that has done more to fewer women will be supported to access clean water hold the state of Lebanon together than many of its and sanitation. This is a disaster. supposedly civic institutions. We have invested an awful This is not a deliberate wrecking by a perfidious lot and we have a huge amount of good will—having foreign competitor. It is not an explicit hostile action by been there and met the Lebanese armed forces chief an enemy. It is not even the unintended consequence of when I was serving in the armed forces, I can also say absent-minded and careless prime ministerial policy that we have also brought back a lot of raki from his making aimed at grabbing a headline or two. It is a personal collection, but that is a separate matter. We deliberate disaster of this Government’s own making, have built up a fantastic relationship with a very important and it will not be forgiven or forgotten by its survivors. strategic partner in the middle east. That is not just good for Lebanon, which is facing the crisis of a quarter 2.17 pm or a third of its population being migrants—refugees forced over from the Syrian civil war—and nor is it just Tom Tugendhat (Tonbridge and Malling) (Con): I a good moment for the middle east, because it creates a will not go over the existing point about 0.7% and 0.5%, link into various forms of support into other countries, because I think the House knows my view. I share but it is brilliant for Britain. It is fundamentally absolutely the views of the hon. Member for Rotherham strengthening the UK and our place in the world. It (Sarah Champion) and my right hon. Friend the Member gives us a toehold into one of the most vibrant financial for Maidenhead (Mrs May), who have made their point— climates in the region and an essential partner for so and, in fact, my point—extremely clearly. many of our other operations. Instead, I will focus on the integrated review and the merger of the Departments, and what it actually means Anthony Mangnall: I thank my hon. Friend for allowing according to the statements of Her Majesty’s Government me to interrupt him, because he makes an excellent point compared with the actions on the ground. I would about how our having that relationship with countries suggest that there is a slight dissonance between the talk promotes Britain. But it is also about the organisations of global Britain engaging directly with nations, and the we support, be it the HALO Trust or War Child. These cuts to bilateral Britain while we are reinforcing multilateral organisations end up being supported by the British action. Now, I understand why we have taken those Government and then find themselves on active duty decisions: we have legal contracts with multilateral agencies promoting our interests—helping save people. That is and therefore we have legal obligations with them that also integral to delivering the global Britain message. are harder to break; so instead we are undermining our own policy and weakening those bilateral ties. Tom Tugendhat: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I It seems to me—perhaps the Minister will be able to have spoken to the Mines Advisory Group about its explain why I am wrong—that we are wracked over the work in Lebanon, which has been so important, not just small print while others are racking up the newsprint of in promoting our interests. Sadly, it will almost certainly their achievements, and that is a mistake. It is a mistake be needed not just in Iraq, where it has operated at because, as my right hon. Friend the Member for some points, but in Syria. Maidenhead made clear, we need to be demonstrating our place around the world. I support the ambitions of Dr Murrison: Does my hon. Friend share my concern aligning the two Departments, and indeed of bringing that £6.8 million of the spend by the Foreign Office last the Department for International Trade and perhaps year was not “ODA-able”, which is a remarkable thing, other Departments much closer together with the Foreign as our support, in particular to Lebanese armed forces, Office. My former colleagues in the Ministry of Defence has enabled land in Lebanon to be farmed by farmers will not like this terribly, but I support the idea of who have not seen that land for 50-odd years? having a Foreign Secretary who is the strategic mind for the British Government overseas, including on the Tom Tugendhat: My right hon. Friend makes an deployment of, for example,carriers.HMS Queen Elizabeth essential point: the OECD definition of what is “ODA-able” is in port in Cyprus today. Although the Foreign Office is historically anachronistic. He is right to say that we should have had a very clear view on her role and need to update it and that spending money on the deployment, and was absolutely right to support the armed forces who keep the peace and allow development ships going through international waters—or Ukrainian is an essential building block of development, and waters, as they were only the other day—I would never therefore should be ODA-able. That is a slightly separate argue that an ambassador should be the admiral of a point to the one I am making, but I am very grateful to fleet or that a political councillor should be the captain him for making it. As a right hon. and gallant Member, of a destroyer. The same is true, I am afraid, in respect he knows well the strength that the armed forces and of aid spending; there is a technical expertise here that indeed the royal naval surgeons can bring to any theatre. 295 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 296 the British Council the British Council My next point is about the change to our footprint in This debate has demonstrated the cross-party strength Mali,NigerandChad,wherewehavejustopenedembassies, of feeling about what is being done to our aid budget. which I welcome. I am glad that we are extending the While every other G7 member state has responded to Foreign Office’s footprint. Indeed, my hon. Friend the the pandemic by increasing aid, the UK Government MemberforRochfordandSouthendEast(JamesDuddridge) have done the exact opposite, which is deeply frustrating is the Minister responsible and has visited or will no and concerning. They are reducing the budget by £4 billion doubt soon visit all three of those embassies and missions. this year, on top of the almost £3 billion that was cut When he does so, I hope he will take with him the best last year. Reducing aid spending to 0.5% should shame wishes of the whole House to the staff there. us all. Until this year, there has been a strong cross-party Of course, in such areas of the world it is not enough alliance in favour of maintaining the 0.7% commitment, to have just nice words; we also need nice actions. The of which we are all proud. The speeches today have actions that we need our diplomats to be able to complete demonstrated that strength of feeling. are those that promote our interests and values and, The pandemic has left the world even more vulnerable, indeed, the interests of the people in those areas. Those with some of the poorest people in deep trouble and things are not terribly surprising: they are democracy, some of the poorest nations in great difficulty. We know the rule of law and the education of women. I have that the Government’s cuts are leading to lifesaving heard the Prime Minister speak about them so often water sanitisation and hygiene projects being cut by that I can rattle them off not quite in my sleep but 80%. Education programmes will be cut by 40%, resulting pretty much. It is certainly true that we are doing all the in 700,000 fewer girls receiving education. They will right things when we have the capability; the challenge then be much more vulnerable, as the former Prime is that for Mali, Niger and Chad there is no budget line. Minister said. Essential humanitarian aid programmes, We will therefore see our efforts branded as the work of including to Yemen, will be cut by 60%. The Rohingya the World Bank, the World Food Programme and many crisis has led to 1 million displaced people in camps in other organisations. They are fantastic organisations, Bangladesh. Funding to that group has been cut by but that will reduce the impact of global Britain. almost 50%. They are the most vulnerable people in the I am a little concerned about the cut to our funding world. They have faced genocide, and rape has been used for research on tropical diseases—from £150 million systematically against the women. Across the world in to £17 million. As the House may know, the Foreign conflict zones such as Yemen, many of us have seen Affairs Committee is doing an inquiry into global health women and children suffering the most. Rape and violence security, and we have been hearing how that investment against women, whether Syrian refugees or those forced is essential to the maintenance of future capabilities into refuge in Yemen, has been used as a weapon of war. against pandemics. We are all aware of the pandemic we That is what these cuts have meant: women being made face today but, as the House knows, it is not enough to more vulnerable when they have already faced trauma shut the stable door after the horse has bolted; we need and violations. That is why the proposed cuts are so to try to predict when the horse might be getting a little unacceptable and why this Government’s undermining jittery. For example, we know the effect we have had in of parliamentary scrutiny and democracy is so concerning. making sure that Ebola never broke out in the UK There is not only a moral imperative to support those —although there was a limited incident when one nurse who face vulnerability, especially given the pandemic; it came back with it. is in our economic interests as well. The World Bank In Nigeria, a country of which I am particularly estimates that nearly 124 million people have been fond—forgive my bias, but I think it is a quite remarkably pushed into extreme poverty since the pandemic began. vibrant, brilliant and engaging country—we have been The World Food Programme estimates that 270 million cutting our ODA spend again. This leaves me somewhat people are either at risk of becoming or already are confused. Health makes up 34% of the current allocation acutely food insecure. This is a global economic and and education about 11%, so a cut of 58% is very likely health crisis. As we have heard time and again, the virus indeed to cut into those things. is not a respecter of international borders. While one I hope the House can see that although I welcome country is at risk, all countries are at risk. No one is safe strategic alignment, I do not think that ambassadors until everyone is safe. Last year,the UN Secretary-General are admirals or that consuls are captains. What I do described the covid-19 pandemic as think, however, is that this House and, indeed, this “menacing the whole of humanity—and so the whole of humanity Prime Minister have set a strategic vision for Britain in must fight back.” the world that seems to have got lost in translation Tothe contrary, our Government are being isolationist. between the Cabinet table and the Foreign Office. I They are not thinking about our interests. If we do not question, very slightly, whether or not a moment of support the poorest countries in the world to protect deep thought, alignment and reinvestment might just those who are vulnerable and manage the pandemic bring back a bilateral and a multilateral into balance, through our aid effort and other partnerships, we will and perhaps when we get back to 0.7% that will give us not get out of this crisis. We will leave many more people the global Britain we have all asked for. vulnerable. Hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of dying because of the decision to cut our aid budget. 2.27 pm On the economic dimension, we have to think about Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab) [V]: It the linkages, as the former Prime Minister said in her is a pleasure to follow the Chairman of the Foreign speech. Others have spoken about the influence that Affairs Committee, the hon. Member for Tonbridge and Britain can have on the global stage. If we provide the Malling (Tom Tugendhat), and the former Prime Minister, support to countries that need help, according to the the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May). I International Monetary Fund the cumulative gain will congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham be $9 trillion by 2025, with $3.6 trillion accruing to the (Sarah Champion) on speaking so powerfully. advanced economies, which will recoup $1 trillion in tax 297 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 298 the British Council the British Council [Rushanara Ali] Let us be absolutely clear on the estimates. To oppose them would have given my right hon. Friend the Chief revenues. So it is in our economic interest to help Whip all his Christmases in one go. No responsible countries develop, get out of the pandemic, and survive Opposition would support such a thing. What we seek and thrive. There is not just a moral imperative, albeit from this Government, who are rebelling against their that is very important for our country and we are all own promises and manifesto, is a meaningful vote, not a proud to be a part of what we have done over the last show of force or something that the Government can few decades. A country-by-country analysis by Save the ignore, and we do this in accordance with Mr Speaker’s Children shows that American and European funding specific instructions to the Government at 3.30 on of vaccines will each be repaid 35 times over in increased 14 June, just a couple of weeks ago. trade and output. Why do we care so much about this issue? I would That link takes me to a wider point about the cuts to like to make just three points, because the House has the British Council. As we have heard, the linkages probably heard enough from me on much of it. These between our different institutions, what they do and cuts are hurting our reputation and threatening our foreign their presence in developing countries, can create the policy ambitions. My right hon. Friend the Member for climate for better trading relationships for our economy Maidenhead (Mrs May), who spoke so eloquently today, to succeed through those partnerships. We are already made the 0.7% her first commitment in the 2017 election, seeing that in the attempts to get trade agreements with because she understood the importance of standing by countries outside the European Union. If we cut our the 0.7% in reinforcing our values and our promises. funding when they need it most, it does not bode well Much worse, these unprecedented cuts in the heart of a for strong partnerships, whether on the economic side pandemic are damaging hundreds of thousands of people’s or in relation to security and development. That is why lives and leading to many avoidable deaths. it is so important that the Government should allow us There are three examples that I want to mention to vote on the 0.7% in the future, and that they should quickly. The first is education for girls, which the Prime reconsider this cut in the aid budget, because supporting Minister has spoken about so eloquently, and on which the vulnerable is in our economic interests as well as a British policy has been driven passionately and effectively moral imperative in these really difficult times. I call on by my hon. Friend the Member for West Worcestershire Ministers to think again and to reverse the cuts. (). However,we are cutting that investment 2.35 pm by 40%, meaning that 700,000 fewer girls will get into education, and we are also cutting by 60% our grant to Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield) (Con): I draw UNICEF, the agency that is the very engine of getting the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of girls into school. In 2010, the British Government doubled Members’ Financial Interests, and I thank the Backbench their UNICEF grant. A third of all girls in secondary Business Committee and, indeed, the International schools in Africa drop out because they become pregnant, Development Committee, which is so ably led by the yet we are cutting by 85% our funding of the work of hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion). It is a the United Nations family planning agency across the pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bethnal Green world. That is not, as my right hon. Friend the Member and Bow (Rushanara Ali), who shadowed me for a for Maidenhead indicated, joined-up government. period of time when I had responsibility for some of these matters. I want to underline what has already been Anna McMorrin: Does the right hon. Gentleman said about our respect for and gratitude to humanitarian agree that it is often women and girls across the world workers and others around the world who put themselves who face the brunt of climate change in their own in harm’s way for their fellow members of humanity communities, and that the cutting back of aid within and also, of course, to our brilliant diplomats, who are those countries and communities is not only having a the subject of these estimates debates. devastating effect over there but, given the interconnected The Prime Minister, when responding to me last nature of climate change, is impacting on us here? In week, mentioned the possibility of a vote on these the year of COP, five months away from it, surely we estimates. Languidly, that ball was tossed to him by the should expect better from this Government. Leader of the House, but it is worth making clear, not least for those outside this place, that there was never Mr Mitchell: The hon. Lady makes an extremely good any question of having a vote on the estimates. The point. We cannot understand international development Leader of the House was merely teasing the House by unless we see it through the eyes of girls and women. suggesting that, because he knows perfectly well that it My second point, which has already been mentioned, is neither sensible nor serious to vote in that way. I is on the 90% cut in funding for work on neglected believe he sleeps with “Erskine May” on his nightstand, tropical diseases. That funding is a huge British taxpayer and he knows that very well. The estimates have never investment. It is also one of the best investments we can been rejected by this place. They can either be reduced make in global health. The Prime Minister, in a superb or rejected, but they cannot be increased. Of course, video earlier this year, promised strongly to support many of us want to see them increased so that we that work, yet it has now been cut by 90%. That means honour our commitment to 0.7%. If we had accepted that 74 million schoolchildren will not receive drugs to my right hon. Friend’s invitation on the estimates, and if prevent parasitic worms. It means that huge numbers we had rejected them, the Foreign Office would have will be maimed, blinded, debilitated, disabled and killed. needed to send out redundancy notices on Monday in The UK was a world leader in this extraordinarily order to meet its legal obligations, like Liverpool in the important area, stimulating public and private sector days of Derek Hatton and the loony left. And they partnerships. As a result of this cut, hundreds of think that we who stand up for the 0.7% are the irresponsible millions of drugs, vaccines and tablets will be wasted Members of this House! and probably burned. 299 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 300 the British Council the British Council My third point has been very well made by my hon. the only arrangement—that has been a beneficial emergence Friends the Members for Somerton and Frome (David from the establishment of English votes for English Warburton) and for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron). laws in this House. If EVEL is to be done away with, It is about the work of the British Council, the Voluntary and I hope it is, I hope that this aspect of scrutinising Service Overseas and the International Citizen Service, line by line Government expenditure through the estimates which I had the privilege of setting up some 10 years is retained. Sadly, as the hon. Member for Rotherham ago. There is no clarity about the future funding of the said, we are discussing only one line in today’s estimates International Citizen Service, which has sent thousands documents. What was once an entire Department—the and thousands of youngsters overseas, many of them Department for International Development—with its not from well-off families but from families that were own estimate and all the scrutiny that could accompany on free school meals. They have been brilliant ambassadors that has been reduced to one budget heading in HC14, for our country as well as doing such a good job in the estimates document, on page 187, “Strategic priorities international development. The British Council, which and other programme spending”. All the amazing, life- I know my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and saving work carried out by DFID staff, partners, Billericay is going to talk about, is now far more self- stakeholders and grassroots organisations around the sufficient in raising its own money and giving the taxpayer world has been diminished not only by the savage cuts a better deal than ever before, and to let it down in this to the budget, but even by the way it is accounted for way is really quite wrong. Is it any wonder that my right and reported in the Government’s spending paperwork. hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead rather movingly made the 0.7% her first pledge in 2017 general election? Tom Tugendhat: The hon. Member is making a very I want to draw the House’s attention to the words of good point. Does he agree that we could learn, although the deputy Foreign Secretary—the Minister for the Middle perhaps only in this example, from the US Congress, the East and North Africa, my right hon. Friend the Member French Parliament and a few other Parliaments around for Braintree ()—who, as little time ago the world where the Government are required to publish as 9 July last year, said this from the Dispatch Box: their accounts line by line in a way that can be compared “The Government remain completely committed to the 0.7% of year on year? It is a bit difficult to hold the budget to GNI to ODA. That has been called into question a number of account if we are not given the details with which to do it. times, so I will repeat myself, despite the fact that my time is short: the Government are completely committed to the 0.7% target…That Patrick Grady: Absolutely. Indeed, if we had that kind commitment is embedded in law, but we do not spend 0.7% because of appropriations process, we could vote to amend the it is embedded in law—we spend 0.7% because it is the right thing budget lines. I agree again with the right hon. Member to do.”—[Official Report, 9 July 2020; Vol. 678, c. 1198-1200.] for Sutton Coldfield on that, but at least we should be I end on two points. First, when are the Government thankful that it is not just listed as “a giant cash going to abide by Mr Speaker’s instruction to the House machine in the sky” in the budget. Of all the offensive, at 3.30 pm on 14 June to bring forward a meaningful dismissive and belittling expressions used by the Prime vote? Secondly,post-Brexit, with the emphasis on returning Minister, both before and since his election to office, powers to this Parliament, we stand here today on an that description of the UK’s aid budget and everything issue where we all promised—all 650 of us—to stand by that went with it—to dismiss so frivolously and the 0.7%. It is an issue on which the Government gave contemptuously the leadership that it showed, the cross- undertakings on the floor of the United Nations General party consensus that it represented, the diplomatic weight Assembly; that is enshrined in law, with the most senior that it carried—tells us everything we need to know lawyers in the country warning that the Government about the ideology behind the decision to walk away have changed the 0.7% and not missed the target; and from the 0.7% target and slash spending by over £4 billion. on which the Government have avoided a vote on the It has nothing to do with the pressures of covid on the Floor of this House because they know they will lose it. economy and everything to do with an ideological If that is the case, what is the point of the good people distrust of what aid is supposed to achieve. of the royal town of Sutton Coldfield sending me here? But aid works. Aid saves lives. The 0.7% was not a What has become of the pride we all feel in being magic number; it was agreed by developed countries in Members of this place? If we cannot secure a vote on an the 1970s as the result of working out how much was issue of life and death, do we not need to look afresh at needed to address global poverty at the time and how the balance of power between the Executive—the much those who could afford it should contribute. It Government—and the legislature of this House of helped to shape the goals of those days that eventually Commons, in order that we do have powers to vote on became the millennium development goals and the global something that is so important and to which so many of goals for sustainable development—goals that the UK us have been, for years, so committed? helped to devise. 2.43 pm Jonathan Edwards: Does the hon. Gentleman agree Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP): I do not that those in Wales and Scotland who believe in an think I have ever agreed with so many consecutive ethical foreign policy and who support humanitarian speeches from the Conservative Benches. I congratulate aid will see this as skewed priorities? When over £200 million the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) is to be spent on a royal yacht and yet there is a cut to and the Chair of the International Development international humanitarian aid, what message does that Committee, the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah give to the people of Wales and Scotland? Champion), on securing this debate. It is great that we are getting to discuss the estimates Patrick Grady: Absolutely. Aid was supposed to be on estimates day. Not so long ago, Members would have one of the great benefits of the Union. DFID in East been called to order and dismissed from the Chamber Kilbride and the UK’s global leadership were presented for trying to do that, so this is one arrangement—possibly to people in Scotland in 2014 as a reason to vote to stay 301 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 302 the British Council the British Council [Patrick Grady] because if it is not we will diminish the small pot that is there for the aid budget anyway. If it is additional, then in the United Kingdom, so I do not know what message will it get classified as ODA, and how does that work in the Government think they are now sending to people the overall accounting of things? [Interruption.] The in Scotland by slashing aid. I noticed that a high proportion Minister can address this in his summing up, but it of Members of Parliament from Scotland and Wales would be interesting to know exactly what effect this are down to speak in this debate. Perhaps the Government, covid assistance will have on the overall aid budget. if they want to protect their precious Union, should As we have said, debating estimates on estimates days reflect on that as well. is an improvement on the previous scrutiny, but the Aid is not a cash machine in the sky. It cannot be Government should be relieved that these motions are turned on and off like a tap without consequence. Cuts not amendable. If there were a votable amendment and closures today simply cannot be undone tomorrow today to recommit the Government to the 0.7% target, or when the fiscal situation allows, whatever that is everyone knows that it would be carried by the House. supposed to mean. The abrupt end of many projects, Perhaps this is just another example of where the not least those supported by the British Council, will do Government do not really want Parliament to take back long-term damage that is not easily fixed. Indeed, to control after all. undo the damage or restart the programmes will end up As we have said, this was supposed to be one of the costing even more in the long run. great successes of the Union. It has been a pledge of the A recent cross-party meeting hosted by the STOPAIDS SNP ever since the target was set that an independent campaign heard from incredibly brave activists and Scotland would meet, and even seek to exceed, the service providers from Kenya and Indonesia whose target of 0.7% GNI for aid. In the recent Holyrood projects are at risk from these cuts. That means more manifesto, the SNP Government have pledged to increase people at risk of contracting HIV or going without their relatively small, but highly effective, international treatment. The Government’sown Aid Match programme, development budget, which, incidentally, the UK which they get plaudits for and which allows charities to Government then quite merrily account for as overall put the UK aid logo on their publicity, is under threat. UK ODA spend. Many projects are on hold. Members of the public have Even in the face of economic difficulty and the global donated in good faith to charities such as War Child pandemic, the Scottish Government and we in Scotland and Mary’s Meals, thinking that every pound they recognise our responsibilities to those less fortunate donate will be matched by another pound from the UK than ourselves. That is the difference between the inward, Government, only for those charities to be told that introspective little Britain attitude that this Government’s they and their partners delivering projects overseas will aid cuts demonstrate, and the outward, internationalist have to wait for the money and wonder whether it will vision that more and more people in Scotland have of arrive at all. their country as a good, independent global citizen. Just today, the former President of Malawi, Professor 2.52 pm Arthur Peter Mutharika, who the all-party group on Mr John Baron (Basildon and Billericay) (Con) [V]: Malawi hosted here in Parliament in 2018, has joined MayI start by thanking the Backbench Business Committee 32 other former Heads of State and Heads of Government for granting this aspect of today’s debate on the British from Africa in calling out the very cuts to neglected Council, and, indeed, all those who supported our tropical disease funding that the right hon. Member for application? Sutton Coldfield spoke about. The WHO said about the cuts that there is no obvious alternative source of Parliament will know that, since 1934, the British funding and that they will literally lead to tens of thousands Council has promoted British culture and education of otherwise preventable deaths. and the English language abroad, and in doing so it has fostered good relations and trust between the British In my constituency, at the University of Glasgow, people and people from other countries. It was the first Professor Alison Phipps and her collaborators working and remains the world’s pre-eminent cultural relations to tackle violence against women in Ghana, Palestine organisation. For example, prior to covid, it directly and Zimbabwe have had their work paused, again without connected with nearly 800 million people. It is a key reason notice. Professor Phipps said that why the UK is considered a soft power superpower, and “people were in tears…we are being offered advice from people in on behalf of the British Council all-party group and of other countries who have experience of working with governments Parliament as a whole, I thank all employees, both past who are corrupt or cancel contracts with impunity.” and present, for their excellent work. It is both recognised Well, so much for the soft power superpower. In the in this place and very much appreciated. year that it hosts the G7, the UK is the only G7 country Governments of all persuasions have got it. The cutting its aid budget. In the year that it hosts the global Prime Minister has told me personally that he gets it. climate conference, it is stepping back from global The Defence Secretary, earlier this year, said that there leadership, but it can always find money, as my friend was not enough British Council in the world, but actions the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr speak louder than words. Our campaign, which has (Jonathan Edwards) says, for a new royal yacht. There is included a letter to the Prime Minister signed by well also always money for weapons of mass destruction on over 100 colleagues, which still has not been answered, the Clyde. relates to the fact that, despite generous Government The Government have been boasting of late about support to see the British Council through the pandemic, vaccine stocks, ventilators, and certain amounts of funding it is still £10 million short of what it requires to keep or they are making available to developing countries to maintain its international network of offices, and this fight covid. It would be helpful to hear from the Minister will result in the largest single set of closures in the today whether this is additional to the aid budget, British Council’s proud 90-year history. 303 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 304 the British Council the British Council This Government’s support is needed, because in any review.I ask the Government to think long and hard about normal year the British Council is almost self-funding, this error,particularly when it comes to the comprehensive courtesy of its commercial activities, including, typically, spending review. teaching English in China. Last year, these commercial Yesterday I received an answer to a written parliamentary activities dried up. The cash reserves were used and no question confirming there will be no further closures. I commercial loan was available, because of the nature of ask the Minister, when he speaks at the Dispatch Box, the British Council’s relationship with the Government. to confirm that remains the case. Yet the FCDO maintains that it has increased its support Finally,I thank the many colleagues who have supported to the British Council by around 27% on last year. Last our campaign to get the Government to think again, year was an unusual year. A more accurate and fairer including the hundred who signed our letter. I ask the comparison is with the last normal year, 2019-20. The Minister to bear this in mind in future considerations 27% increase claimed by the Government actually represents with regard to the British Council. a cut in FCDO support when compared with that last normal year. In addition, a chunk of this year’s support 2.59 pm is earmarked solely for restructuring, typically redundancies, and cannot be used for programming or keeping offices (Birmingham, Hodge Hill) (Lab) [V]: open. As the Government will not close this £10 million Like many others, I want to speak because I deplore shortfall, office closures and programme reductions are these cuts in aid, which have been discussed this afternoon to follow. with so much analysis and eloquence. These cuts will Let us be clear that these closures are not operational have consequences; these cuts will cost lives. I like the matters left to the British Council. As the Foreign Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the hon. Member Secretary’s letter to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs for Tonbridge and Malling (Tom Tugendhat), a lot, but Committee confirmed, these closures have been required I thought he was being almost ridiculously polite about by the FCDO and have been the subject of close ministerial the strategic incoherence that we now confront, because involvement. these cuts in aid deface, they demean, they damage the global Britain strategy that was set out just a few weeks Indeed, the FCDO has listed the 20 offices to be ago in the House of Commons. We cannot have a Prime closed, as defined by the removal of a country director Minister who asks for a rules-based order and then and staff. They come in three categories: there will be a orders the Treasury to break the rules and cut what we complete cessation of in-country activities in Namibia, actually helped construct—the 0.7% aid target. Sierra Leone,South Sudan, the United States and Uruguay; there will be a remote presence over the internet or via As chair of the international Parliamentary Network local third parties, but no British Council staff, in on the World Bank & International Monetary Fund, I Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile and just wanted to throw three points into this debate. First New Zealand; and, finally, there will be hub and spoke things first: we must reverse these cut because they are operations, directed from London, essentially covering damaging the global effort to vaccinate the world. The the Balkans but also including Malta and Switzerland. Prime Minister sallied into the G7 talks in Cornwall In all 20 countries, a physical, recognisable and distinctive with grand talk about getting the world vaccinated by British Council presence will cease. the end of next year, but when the dust had settled on the G7 communiqué, the IMF revealed that we are I briefly draw particular attention to our withdrawal two-thirds short of the grant finance that we need to from Afghanistan. As an ex-soldier, I supported the vaccinate the world—that is $23 billion. When I asked initial well-resourced mission to rid the country of the Prime Minister a week or two ago where that money al-Qaeda in 2001, but thereafter I opposed morphing was going to come from, he just brushed it off. That is the mission into one of nation building. I believe the not good enough; we need answers, and reversing the British Council’s withdrawal compounds that error. Over cuts in aid could help us to provide those answers. the past 20 years,Britain has invested heavily in Afghanistan, The second point is that we need these aid cuts in every sense. We made a promise to the Afghan people reversed because we need the Foreign Secretary to reacquire that we would not abandon them and, almost in one fell some credibility in order to rally the global resources swoop, we are withdrawing our military support as well that we need to tackle the pandemic and its aftermath. as our British Council offering. This will live long in the The World Bank thinks that we need about $200 billion memory. extra to tackle covid-19 around the world, and $250 billion Let us also be clear that, although the FCDO is right extra to reinvest in climate-friendly infrastructure in that we should be alive to innovations such as remote poorer countries. This week, we took a big step towards working and digitalisation, the British Council would finding those resources. The executive board of the not be going down this road on this scale but for the IMF basically signed off on a plan to issue $650 billion current financial situation. The fact that other countries of special drawing rights. That would channel about are increasing their global footprint indicates that they $27 billion in extra resource to the poorest countries. believe there remains great value in having a presence But the real prize is the $623 billion of SDRs that go to on the ground. China, for example, is planning to open richer countries. We need to recycle them; we need to a further 1,000 Confucius Institutes over the coming revise the old voluntary agreements that entail half of years. There is no better substitute for a physical presence that money being held back; and we need to maximise on the ground, to understand the country in question, the amount of money that goes into grant rather than and such a presence might have averted some of our soft loans. We need Britain to be a force helping to lead foreign intervention errors. those debates. I believe this retreat from the world will be noted by Furthermore, we have a big decision to make, as a other countries, and it is not compatible with the vision world community, on replenishment of the International of a global Britain or with the ambitions in the integrated Development Association. IDA20 replenishment has 305 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 306 the British Council the British Council [Liam Byrne] fled the conflict with Boko Haram without life-saving support. The UN has told us that in Ethiopia, 350,000 face been brought forward. The framework that was published imminent starvation. last week has significant changes that involve prioritising Let us put this in context. The four-year Bosnian investment in human capital—absolutely critical when war—a brutal, devastating war that saw Europe’s first we hear what is happening to education and girls’ genocide since world war two—left 100,000 people dead. education around the world. Weneed the Foreign Secretary These cuts will result in a death toll equal to or higher to have credibility in those talks, and reversing this cut than that war’s. In the words of the Secretary-General would help give him that credibility to rally resources of the UN, they are “a death sentence”. He is right. around the world to do what the world needs to do to We have arbitrarily and unilaterally turned our back on reverse the first rise in extreme poverty that we have seen victims of war in the middle of a global pandemic. It this century. goes against every value that we promote as global The final point is that we judge a nation’s values by Britain, and it is happening against the will of the British the numbers in its budget. Right now, we are putting up people and the British Parliament. defence spending by something like £24 billion; we are The Government may think that they are appealing cutting development spending by £4 billion. We are to some populist vote on this issue, but even there they cutting the budget to prevent conflict and increasing the are wrong. Polling since the decision now shows that budget to prosecute conflict. We are even cutting aid in 53% of the public support foreign aid. Let us be clear: a places where we drop bombs, like Iraq and Libya. That majority of the public support the arguments that we is just morally wrong. are making today in this Chamber. The public in this I know that these things are a balance, but right now country are caring, compassionate and principled, and we have got the balance wrong. We need the Foreign our foreign aid policy must reflect that. It is perfectly Secretary to do a better job of fixing that imbalance reasonable to ask questions about how aid money is now, in the comprehensive spending review. If he cannot spent, whether or not we should have a fixed target and do that, he needs to hand the task to the House of how big or small it should be, but there is a time and a Commons. Let us have a vote and we will fix it for him. place to ask those questions. Now is not the time, and this is not the way. 3.3 pm Listening to the debate, I thought that there was a Mr David Davis (Haltemprice and Howden) (Con): It risk for all of us. I think it is asserted that Stalin once is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for said that a single death is a tragedy and a million deaths Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Liam Byrne). He is, as he so is a statistic. We have been standing here talking about often is, absolutely on the nail with his speech. It is all 100,000 deaths here and 100,000 deaths there, so I will well and good our sitting or standing here, talking finish by drawing attention to the nature of what we are about the percentage cuts here and the percentage cuts talking about. We are talking about miserable deaths there, but we are all clear on this: these cuts will kill. In for babies and children from starvation, diarrhoea and Whitehall, the savings that the Government say they will dysentery.Weare talking about women dying in childbirth make are rounding errors in their accounts, but in Syria, or shortly after. We are talking about the sort of cruelty— Yemen, Somalia and the Sahel, these “small savings” although it may be cruelty by neglect—that, if put in are a matter of life and death. It is that simple. front of any ordinary constituent of ours, would draw both their compassion and their generosity. That is what In the horn of Africa, the epicentre of instability may we want from the Government, either today or when be Ethiopia at the moment, but it threatens to ripple they come to make their proper decision on this policy. through Eritrea and Somalia into Kenya and Tanzania because the virus and locust plagues have ravaged livestock and livelihoods there—fertile ground for the terrorist 3.8 pm organisation al-Shabaab to thrive and recruit and to Layla Moran (Oxford West and Abingdon) (LD): It revive its murderous endeavours. To the west, across the is a genuine pleasure to follow the very powerful speech Sahel, droughts in the summer and floods in the winter from the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden have already caused conflict over resources, and in (Mr Davis). I congratulate the hon. Member for Rotherham northern Nigeria, Boko Haram’s reign of terror persists. (Sarah Champion) on introducing the debate. The fact that these events are not on the evening news It is incredibly moving and, I think, poignant just does not make them any less of a threat to us. The how much agreement there is across the House. When tragedies at home—covid-19 deaths, job losses, loneliness, does it happen like this? It is rare, and so is the absence mental health problems—may be our primary concern, of dissent from those on the Government Benches. but the fact that something is not happening here does Usually,someone will intervene to bolster the Minister—for not mean that it is not happening, or that it does not whom I have a lot of sympathy for having to defend this matter here. stuff—but now the silence is deafening, and the reason In the Sahel, 270,000 people a year get life-saving is that the Government know this is not the right thing medical support. That is going to be cancelled this year. to do. The Government would be defeated in a vote and In Syria, funding for the International Rescue Committee that is why they do not want to give us one, to put it is being cut by 75%. That means that 100,000 Syrians bluntly. will be without life-saving services, including health This also matters because of how ordinary people clinics to support women and children traumatised by across the country are seeing the effectiveness of Parliament. war. In Nigeria, the International Rescue Committee They also have genuine concerns about the effectiveness will see the budget for its programmes fall from £15 million of this Government. My constituents in Oxford West two years ago to just £2.8 million this year, which will and Abingdon care deeply about this, as one might leave women, children and disabled people who have expect, and many of them work in this area. Keith 307 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 308 the British Council the British Council Hyams, for example, is a researcher and member of the my constituents in South West Wiltshire. Neither was Global Challenges Research Fund’s strategic advisory that the message given to YouGov in its polling of last group, which is UK Research and Innovation’s main November, which showed that 66% of the public were funding vehicle for ODA research. He wrote to me to in favour of the temporary cut from 0.7% to 0.5%. outline the projects that he is involved in. They include youth groups based in slums in six African cities, seeking Layla Moran: Yes, that may certainly be the case, and to understand how covid is affecting life in the slums; a I will come to polling in a moment, but the right project in Cape Town, with the city’s local government, hon. Gentleman may be interested to know that other looking at how climate adaptation can include some of polling that has been done—the right hon. Member for the most vulnerable populations in the city; and a large Haltemprice and Howden referred to it—shows that if project tracking the effect of covid on indigenous peoples. we ask the question, “Do you think aid spending should Keith Hyams writes: increase or decrease?”, the proportion of people who think it should increase has leapt nine percentage points “It is difficult to imagine that project partners will be willing to trust UK collaborations again, having invested heavily in existing this year, to 53%. The direction of travel on that question projects only to have funding pulled out midway through with is upwards. very significant consequences for organisations reliant on the funding that they receive.” Dr Murrison rose— He says that he does not want to see GCRF funds Layla Moran: No, I will continue, because this is the rescued at the expense of something else, but that important point. To be perfectly honest, as a Lib Dem “there are better ways to implement these cuts than abruptly looking to take seats off the Conservatives in the blue ending” wall, I welcome the Government’s complacency. The live projects. Why end live projects? Why not let the Coalition for Global Prosperity has done polling in projects run their course and then look at how we can those seats, and I know that this is not the sole issue—it find savings down the line? The taxpayer value question, is not even the top issue—but it is an issue, and it is one which the hon. Member for Rotherham raised, is very that many Conservative voters, especially in those areas important. Why do it this way? but, actually, across the country, care about. When I Talking about covid, Oliver Pybus, an epidemiologist raised that with the Foreign Secretary the day before the at the University of Oxford, received an email to say by-election, he said of voters in Chesham and Amersham: that funding for his project is to be cut. His project “I do not think that they will be that daft”.—[Official Report, helps track genomic variants in places such as Brazil—the 15 June 2021; Vol. 697, c. 122.] P.1 variant, which emerged in Brazil, now has its own Well, they did vote Lib Dem, in quite surprising numbers. name; it is known as the gamma variant. How on earth The ink will dry on the PhDs that will be written is cutting that funding in our interests, when we know about what happened in that seat, but the point I am that the biggest strategic threat to our recovery from the trying to get across to the Government is that this pandemic, now that we have hopefully broken the link matters. This is not just about the spending on one between covid infections and hospitalisations, is a new project here or there. It is the moral thing to do and it is variant that will most likely emanate from somewhere the smart thing to do, but it is also the right thing to do, where the people have not been vaccinated? How will not just for the country but for their seats. People in cutting the funding for such projects help us? It is foolish those areas understand the interplay. They understand and pointless. the link. They understand that if we want to sit proudly People out there—our constituents—are beginning on the world stage and lead at COP26 but say to other to notice. The last time I spoke about this matter in this countries across the world, “Do as we say, but don’t place was on 15 June, days before the Chesham and look at what we do,” then we are going to lose credibility. Amersham by-election. Like many on the Opposition I urge the Government: please do not be complacent. Benches who take an interest in foreign affairs, we accept Give us our vote, or even better, give us the assurance that this is not always the most relevant concern on the that 0.7% will return next year—no ifs, no buts. doorstep—I occasionally hear it, but potholes and planning reform often take precedence. I was therefore genuinely 3.16 pm surprised, in a good way, when aid cuts spontaneously came up on the doorstep in Chesham and Amersham Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con): I as an example of why this Government could not be congratulate the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah trusted. Champion) on securing this afternoon’s debate. One could be forgiven for thinking that those people Let me start by anticipating some of the things that were just Lib Dem or Labour voters anyway, but they my hon. Friend the Minister may choose to say at the were not. They were angry—an emotion I was also not end of the debate. I have no doubt that, as my excellent expecting—because they were Conservative voters who successor, he is extremely well briefed on some of the had voted for the right hon. Member for Uxbridge and points that he will choose to make in response to the South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) in 2019, giving him the points that have been raised by so many colleagues this benefit of the doubt, and now they felt that their vote afternoon. was being taken for granted, and that this was as sure a I first want to say, in my most understanding sign as any that the Tory party had moved so far away mode, that I understand that when we have the sharpest from what they considered to be their roots that, for the economic contraction for 300 years, it is necessary to very first time, they were planning to vote Lib Dem. review aid spending that is linked to the size of the economy. The £2.9 billion that had to be removed from Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con): the budget as a result of that economic contraction is Perhaps Chesham and Amersham is a little unusual, something that I can understand. It is unfortunate, but but certainly that is not the message I am hearing from I can understand it. 309 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 310 the British Council the British Council [Harriett Baldwin] Some 72% of people would like to see a cessation or reduction in aid until the financial situation is resolved. I can also understand the defence, which the Minister We are in danger of batting these figures backwards will no doubt put up, that there is a clause in the and forwards. We must rely on what we hear on the International Development (Official Development doorstep. I do not know what my hon. Friend’s doorsteps Assistance Target) Act 2015 that says that, under extreme are like, but mine are quite unequivocal on this matter. circumstances, the Government can come to Parliament and outline an explanation for why they did not meet Harriett Baldwin: What I would say is that there is 0.7% in a particular year. one poll I would like to take—it is the one that Mr Speaker has asked us to take in this House—and that is a vote I anticipate that the Minister will also point to the on whether the 0.7% should be changed to 0.5% on a fact that the UK continues to spend £10 billion this year forward-planning basis. That is the poll I would like to in overseas development assistance. Any one of us take. Last week in Prime Minister’s questions, in response would accept that that is a very large amount of money, to a question from my right hon. Friend the Member and when we are spending a large amount of money, it for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), the Prime Minister is always important to review it and see whether we are indicated that today’s debate on the estimates was that spending it wisely. A zero-based budget exercise, looking vote. at every line item of expenditure, which is effectively what the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development I have looked into the matter, and I understand that if Office has just gone through, is something that any we voted down today’s estimates, not only would all prudent Government should do from time to time. diplomats stop being paid immediately, but a vote against estimates can only be done to reduce a budget, rather However, where I begin to depart from agreeing with than to increase a budget. That is why I am perfectly what my hon. Friend is likely to say at the conclusion of happy to support today’s estimates, but I would like to the debate is around the change to 0.5%—going into a see a separate, stand-alone vote on whether we should financial year and deliberately changing that percentage— go from 0.7% to 0.5%. If this House agrees that, I do without testing the will of Parliament to agree to it. not have any problems with the constitutional situation. That is where I think we are getting on to rather difficult I think that would override what is in the International legal and constitutional ground, because we all went Development (Official Development Assistance Target) into the last general election with a pledge to meet 0.7%. Act 2015. We need to see a test through a poll of the It was something that 100% of MPs were elected on. Members of this House. The law does state that 0.7% is what we should be aiming to achieve, apart from when there is an inadvertent I am delighted to see that the economy is recovering inability to meet that due to economic circumstances. very fast at the moment here in the UK, which I hope will mean that next year’sbudget for overseas development I feel very passionately that those of us who are assistance can start to increase once again. I am also expressing concerns this afternoon are really expressing delighted that the UK and Kenya are jointly co-hosting the concerns of those who are most affected, who are the replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education unable to voice their opposition. Of course, when a party at the end of July. I very much welcome the £430 million breaks a manifesto pledge, it is usually voters at the next that the Prime Minister announced at the recent G7 general election who are affected by it who will vote towards global education. It is the single best investment them out, but in this case, those who are most affected we can make in the future of our planet in terms of will, according to my right hon. Friend the Member for making sure that every child gets 12 years of quality Haltemprice and Howden (Mr Davis), very likely be education. We all know how much that unlocks in terms dead by the time of the next election and not able to of economic prosperity, a better climate and a healthier lobby a UK Member of Parliament. society, so that is an incredibly important thing to be As my right hon. Friend the Member for South West doing. Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) was saying about polling—no Can I suggest to the Minister that, in encouraging a doubt the Minister may also allude to this—the fact is successful replenishment of the $5 billion that the Global that this policy does not poll badly in the United Kingdom, Partnership for Education is seeking, we offer, as our because those affected are not themselves being polled economy grows, to match fund contributions from other and those being polled are not themselves affected. donor countries around the world? I think that would Mr David Davis: There has been lots of backwards be a really positive way of saying, “If you’ll put in more and forwards on this, but the simple truth is that the money, we’ll put in more money here in the UK.” polling depends very much on the question asked. One I would like to see a reversal of the 85% reduction to of the effects of these cuts falls on starvation relief, the United Nations Population Fund for family planning. drought relief and on medical support. If it is put to the I want every girl in the world to be able to access the public, “Do you want to give emergency aid to people same choices in family planning as we were all able to starving to death?”, we get 92% in favour. access in our lives. Of the countries around the world, one of the most alarming anecdotes I have heard about Harriett Baldwin: Indeed, that is an excellent point. the impact of this reduction in aid spending is that in People are very strongly in favour of vaccinating the South Sudan the World Food Programme is saying it is world, and that is why I very much welcome the pledge now having to choose between feeding hungry children made at the G7, which I understand will be in addition and feeding starving children. I would urge the Minister to the 0.5%. No doubt the Minister will confirm that. to put that very much at the top of his shopping list for his budget increase next year. Dr Murrison: Just on the subject of polling, the In conclusion, let us not argue about which poll says British Foreign Policy Group, which is hardly a right- what. Let us have a poll in this place on this issue. Tonight’s wing organisation, polled this issue earlier this year. vote is not the vote on that. Let us have a separate one. 311 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 312 the British Council the British Council 3.25 pm It has concerned us for some time, but in a letter of 24 June, the Minister for Asia, the hon. Member for Alyn Smith (Stirling) (SNP): I also congratulate the Selby and Ainsty (Nigel Adams), has confirmed 20 office Chair of the Select Committee, the hon. Member for closures. They are closing offices in Afghanistan, Sierra Rotherham (Sarah Champion), on securing this debate Leone, South Sudan, the US and Uruguay; grant in aid and on an excellent speech, which I very strongly agree activity will cease in Namibia, Australia, Belgium, Canada, with. I am glad to see there is such consensus across the Chile and New Zealand; and a hub and spoke model— House on this issue, because it is too important for I hope that came from an expensive management knockabout or Punch and Judy. consultant—or, essentially, a remote control model will Save to say that the SNP has a different world view be implemented for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, from that of the United Kingdom Government. We Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovakia, have a very sharp sense of who we are and what we are Slovenia and Switzerland. The letter goes on to outline trying to do. We are a northern European country other ways in which I believe the organisation will be aspiring to statehood to represent ourselves in the fora politicised to align better with the aims of the UK of the world that matter—the EU, NATO, the UN, the Government, rather than for the betterment of the Council of Europe and others—and to be that good world as a whole. global citizen and that force for change in the world. Taken together, I cannot see these changes as anything Government Members would say that we are already other than a retreat. Hon. Members might disagree, but represented in those fora by the UK. We know that; our I cannot see how shutting 20 offices increases the outreach contention is that we could do it better. I would caution of an organisation. Nothing says “engaging with the world” Government Members that doing what the Government like closing offices down, closing doors and saying, “We are doing at present is making our job easier.I acknowledge will deal with you by fax or Zoom.” It is a perfect that this is something the UK did well, but they are microcosm of post-Brexit Britain: scaling back on the taking something the UK did well and excelled at in granular, in-country effectiveness of the organisations international development and international aid, and promoting real change overseas, and focusing instead replacing it with something smaller,meaner,more politicised on gimmicks and baubles for domestic consumption. I and less effective on the ground. am afraid that no amount of prime ministerial planes, What we are seeing post Brexit is breathless rhetoric royal yachts, or bluster and bombast can disguise the about global Britain, but the reality on the ground is diminishment that is occurring under this UK Government. that we are seeing retreat and diminishing horizons. The It is not our agenda—I think Scotland can do this cuts to the aid budget, as my hon. Friend the Member better—but, as a friendly neighbour of the UK, I do for Glasgow North (Patrick Grady) outlined in a very not want to see the UK make a mistake. I do not want powerful speech, are a betrayal of trust and a breach of to see the UK walk away from the world’s poorest, and I trust—a betrayal of a manifesto promise, but worse do not want to see Scottish taxes spent on yachts and than that, a betrayal of the poorest in the world. This is planes when the global south needs us more than ever, at a time when they are dealing with covid too, so to so I hope that the UK Government will change course. claim covid as the excuse or the political cover for this act of betrayal is a desperate act of cynicism. 3.31 pm The UK does remain a significant donor of aid—of Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con) [V]: I course it does—but on top of the cuts that we oppose, thank the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion), we are equally concerned about the politicisation and who chairs the International Development Committee, diminished effectiveness of the remaining spend, because for securing this debate. I concur with practically every of the changes of priorities we have seen. We are seeing single speech that we have heard today and agree with in greater and greater detail where the cuts are actually almost everything that everybody has said. falling, and it tends to be on the programmes that do I am particularly concerned that, despite girls’education most good and effect most change overseas, so we being a stated priority of the Prime Minister, the overall object to this policy and we oppose this policy. My hon. budget for it is estimated to have been cut by at least Friend the Member for Dundee West (Chris Law) is 40% in 2021-22 compared with 2019. He wants 12 years going to focus on the cuts to aid in his remarks, so I will of quality education for girls. I am not sure how focus in mine on the British Council. that is going to happen, because it is estimated that It may seem counterintuitive for an SNP politician to 700,000 fewer girls will be supported by UK aid for praise and defend the British Council, but I will, and I education between 2019 and 2022 compared with between will gladly. I am a big fan of the British Council’s work. 2015 and 2018. I have myself used its services over the years in overseas Additionally, in April 2021 the United Nations engagement. In Scotland, as an independent state, we Population Fund—the UNFPA—announced that the will create something along those lines because we take UK Government would be reducing their contributions cultural diplomacy seriously, and we will have an to the UNFPA supplies programme, which is responsible opportunity as an independent state to market our for 40% of the world’s contraceptives, by 85%. Without presence in the world as well. The British Council is in contraception, many of those girls will not be able to go crisis, partly of course, as we have heard, because of to school. UNFPA executive director Dr Natalia Kanem covid, but in a more fundamental way, I believe, because described the cut as of the political interference that I mentioned earlier. “devastating for women and girls and their families across the The British Council has a funding shortfall, and that world.” has been partially addressed by the Government, which I agree. The funds that the UK has cut would have is to be welcomed of course, but that support has come prevented around 250,000 maternal and child deaths, at a significant cost to the effectiveness of the organisation. 14.6 million unintended pregnancies and 4.3 million 313 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 314 the British Council the British Council [Mrs Pauline Latham] girls’education programme called “Investing in Adolescent Girls in Rwanda”, a country in which we as the Conservative unsafe abortions. Yesterday in the International party have worked extensively. That programme had Development Committee, we heard that in Pakistan planned to support 200,000 11-year-olds over eight years. alone more than 30,000 unwanted pregnancies would Girls’education programmes are vital because investing arise, and more than 8,000 illegal and unsafe abortions in girls during adolescence has profound effects on their would be undertaken—rather than by Marie Stopes, own future wellbeing, including delaying marriage; reducing which has been operating in that field for many years. the risk of HIV/AIDS; increasing family income; lowering I feel as if this whole budget process has been flawed. eventual fertility; improving survival rates, health indicators Much of what has happened has been, “Well, I don’t think and education outcomes for future children; increasing we need to bother with that”, “No, we won’t worry women’s power in the household and political arenas; about that” and “Let’s just reduce this”. To ensure that and, very importantly,lowering rates of domestic violence. these cuts to aid do not further impact the world’s most What will happen to the girls and their futures now? marginalised communities, I urge the Government Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing): Order. immediately to confirm that the ODA budget will return The hon. Lady has significantly exceeded her time. I am to 0.7% of GNI in the next financial year. They also afraid I have to stop her. I give quite a lot of leeway, but need to publish a gendered equality impact assessment perhaps the clock is not working on the hon. Lady’sdevice. of the cuts to ensure that gender equality is not further reversed. 3.38 pm The decision will equate to about £4 billion of cuts from 2020 aid levels, which is huge for developing countries. Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab) [V]: As this is Women and girls suffer disproportionately from funding the second time I have spoken on this topic recently, I reductions in critical sectors, which will result in an do not want to repeat everything I said first time estimated 20 million women and girls who will not be around, other than that I still believe that it is morally reached by programmes. Some 2 million fewer women reprehensible that the Government have reneged on will be supported by humanitarian assistance, and 8 million their commitment to spend 0.7% on aid and are prepared fewer women and girls will be supported by nutrition to override by backdoor means the will of the House, interventions. We know that nutrition interventions help which voted in 2015 for that commitment to be enshrined to stop stunting and help people in developing countries in law. have fewer problems with malnutrition than they have The global pandemic has been used as an excuse for already, so we need to restore funding for nutrition. My these cuts, but we are the only G7 country that has hon. Friend the Member for West Worcestershire (Harriett resorted to such measures. We know that there is an Baldwin) talked about nutrition and the fact that agencies underlying agenda and it is not just because of the have to decide if they are going to feed the starving or pandemic. It has been evident for some years that many the hungry, which is not acceptable in this day and age. on the Government Benches have been trying to undermine the case for aid spending for a long time, either because What is really shocking is that in a global pandemic they do not believe that helping those in extreme poverty the amount of money being cut means an estimated around the world should be a priority or because they 9 million fewer women will be supported to access clean believe that voters do not believe that. Until now, that water and sanitation. Weall know that we have been urged agenda has been a matter of some subterfuge, but with to wash our hands, to be much cleaner and to worry about the spending review of 2020 it burst out into the open. hygiene, but we are going to prevent 9 million women Of course, not all Government Members think in the from accessing clean water and sanitation. way I have described, and I am pleased that by virtue of Government officials estimate that bilateral funding this estimates debate we have had the second opportunity for water, sanitation and hygiene programmes will be this month for them—including the former Prime Minister, cut by 80% from the £176 million spent in 2019. A the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May)—to 64% cut in WASH spending overall is predicted. At make that very clear. present, budgeted activities for WASH this year are When we talk about reducing 0.7% to 0.5%, it may 47% less than in 2019-20. During a pandemic it is sound like small numbers, but the reality is that £5 billion essential that more washing facilities are available and has been cut from our aid spending since 2019. The hygiene levels are higher than they have been before. Government have tried to mask the impact of the cuts These cuts will put women’s and girls’ lives at risk and by combining previous DFID budget subheadings into threaten to undo progress towards gender equality at a a single line in the estimates, strategic priorities and time when the pandemic has already rolled back women’s other programme spending, but they cannot hide what and girls’ rights by a generation. the headline numbers say: both capital and resource We have heard about 12 years of quality education spending under that subheading have been drastically for girls. The recent G7 girls’ education pledge committed slashed. Although we have not had transparency from to support 40 million more girls into school and 20 million the Government, we have heard today and in the debate more girls to read by the age of 10 by 2026, but, despite earlier this month about the impact the cuts will have on that, aid cuts to education programmes that target our overseas aid programmes in respect of health, education, gender equality have been higher than to those that do livelihoods, gender equality, water sanitation and much not. The overall aid budget for girls’education is estimated more. We should be talking about not the impact on to have been cut by at least 40% in 2021-22, compared programmes but the impact on people. There are real with in 2019. It is estimated that 700,000 fewer girls will people out there who will not get the healthcare, education be supported by UK aid for education between 2019 or family planning that they need, who will go to bed and 2022, compared with in 2015 and 2018. Ironically, hungry each day, and who will die, because of the the first confirmed programme to be cut was a £12.5 million Government’s decision. 315 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 316 the British Council the British Council Saving people’s lives and lifting them out of extreme Government are charged to decide upon has real-life poverty, particularly in the wake of a pandemic that has consequences, no question about it. If that were not so, had a huge impact in less-developed countries, absolutely we would be wasting billions of pounds every year, and must be a priority, but submissions to the International manifestly we are not. The question is: how much Development Committee’s inquiry show that aid cuts should we be spending on international development in have also harmed numerous environmental charities. the longer term? If we are arguing for a reduction of Climate Action Network said that there was a lot of £4.5 billion for this year but we are doing £4.5 billion of uncertainty, with the organisation not knowing where good work, perhaps we should be spending more in the the cuts to climate and environmental programmes were future, rather than less, That point has been made by going to fall. Yet it looks as if CDC Group, with its only one contributor today, from the Scottish National £700 million fossil fuel portfolio—which Tearfund party. highlighted in its submission to the Committee—will be I am not advocating that, because we have to make a unaffected. That shows completely the wrong priorities judgment about what is a proper amount of our national from the Government in the run-up to COP26. income to spend on international development. Another charity, Temwa, had a project ready to go in Notwithstanding all the polling data cited today, when I Malawi to fund more sustainable farming practices, am uncertain I have to listen to my constituents. I did so only for the Government to axe a £250,000 grant at the the last time I significantly rebelled against my own very last minute. I have been to Malawi and seen the party, which was in 2003, over the Iraq war, and I would long-entrenched poverty there. Of all the countries I do so on an issue such as this. The message I get from have visited, it was the one that it seemed most difficult my constituents on this issue—perhaps they dramatically to help. It is not a country that is rich in natural resources differ from those in Chesham and Amersham, but I and it does not have many routes out of poverty. I have have no way of telling—is that this is something they been to Kenya and Rwanda with the all-party group on are relaxed about, at best, on public spending. I get it in agriculture and food for development and seen at first the neck for spending on education, healthcare, law and hand just how much difference agricultural programmes order, and all of those issues time and again. When I can make with even small-scale funding, so £250,000 in say, “Where are you going to find the money?”, nine Malawi could be absolutely transformative. times out of 10 the response, “International development” MPs have been contacted by the Galapagos Conservation comes back at me. I have to justify this spend, because I Trust, which says that grants to the trust to conduct do believe, as a former Minister in the then Department research on the prevention and removal of plastic waste for International Development, in what this money is were cut by 64% this year, and that funding for future able to achieve. But we have to take the public with us, years is not guaranteed. Fifty jobs are now at stake. which is one reason why I was pleased about the merger Each year, 1 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and DFID. the ocean from the Pacific coastline of central and As a joint Minister at the time, I was very pleased to see south America, and without action that amount will those two Departments joined up because it seemed to double by 2025, threatening an area where more than me that that was one way of convincing the public that 20% of unique marine species live. the international development work this Government I refuse to believe that the people in this country do do also achieves foreign policy goals; I see no problem not want the UK Government to take action to stop with that at all, and neither do the overwhelming majority plastic pollution on the horrendous scale I just described, of other countries, particularly European countries, or to help Malawi to improve its farming sector. I refuse which do not separate the two functions. to believe that people are happy to support cuts that I also welcome the fact that this move is temporary. I will deny people in developing countries vaccines, maternal will be supporting the Government on this, but that is healthcare, family planning services and education for conditional on this being temporary. When that pledge all. I just do not believe that this country is like that. I was made, the UK economy and the prospects were not hope the Government will realise that, too, and restore looking very good at all. I am happy to say that they spending to where it should be. have brightened up significantly since then,

3.43 pm Anthony Mangnall: How temporary is “temporary”?

Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con): It Dr Murrison: One year is temporary; that is the is a great pleasure and privilege to speak in this debate, pledge that has been made. I think that is a perfectly but it is actually quite painful as well, because none of reasonable commitment to hold Ministers to. It could us want to see a cut in the assistance that we give to be that there is something else around the corner that other countries that are less well-favoured than we are. can be interpreted as force majeure, as set out in the This debate covers pages 183 to 196 of a meaty International Development (Official Development document that runs to 680 pages, and we have mainly Assistance Target) Act 2015, but in the absence of that focused—and correctly so—on international development. my belief is that this, as a temporary measure—one Other elements of the document will sadly be glossed year—is acceptable. I do not like it—I loathe it and I over in our enthusiasm to debate this particular issue, accept my responsibility for some of the consequences—but but it is right that we should do so. it seems to me to be reasonable. To those who have contributed so far, who I think have all been critical of the decision to go to 0.5%, I say (Luton North) (Lab): Does the right that we should never make the excellent the enemy of hon. Gentleman accept that this temporary cut will the good. We should celebrate the good that UK aid have lifelong consequences and life-ending consequences does. An important point to make is that what the for the people we have it for? 317 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 318 the British Council the British Council Dr Murrison: Yes, I do. Anybody who comes here 3.51 pm thinking that somehow this is not going to have real-life consequences is delusional, and I made that point in my Sarah Owen (Luton North) (Lab): It is a pleasure to opening remarks. Otherwise, we would be wasting billions follow the right hon. Member for South West Wiltshire of pounds every year in the money that we have talked (Dr Murrison), although I respectfully disagree on some about—£4.5 billion in this case. I have never said we issues, particularly the focus on polling. On an issue this waste money on the good works that we do, although serious, leadership is about doing what is right not just others take a different view for some of the fine detail. I what is popular. There are political points in my speech, believe it is good—it does good things, and we should because this is a political issue. be proud of and celebrate that. In supporting the Poverty is a political choice, and cutting aid to the Government on this measure, however, I have to accept world’s poorest at this time is a very poor political my part of the responsibility for the fact that it will have choice. The last Labour Government’s commitment to real-life consequences. the world’s poorest is one of our proudest achievements. I also welcome the Government’s focus on their seven On this side of the House, we have more that unites us priorities outlined in the integrated review, and I very than divides us, and this is something on which we can much support its emphasis on Africa, which is absolutely say we are truly united. right. Contained within it is an admission that going What we have is a divided Government who cannot forward we cannot do everything and that as a middle- decide whether charity begins at home or they want to ranking country we now need to focus on what we do build a global Britain. It is a totally incoherent position. well. I urge Ministers to be very careful about the Daily I completely agree that we should be doing more to Mail test in respect of the reputation of international look after the poorest in our own country, so let us development. Some legations abroad are tempted, with never forget that this is the Government who were so small pots of money available to ambassadors, to do embarrassed by their record of increasing child poverty what they think look like good projects on the ground. in our own country that they once tried to abolish its It is usually those projects, in my experience, that bring very definition in law. the whole thing into disrepute, and it is not worth the Those pushing this cut tell us that charity begins at candle because it profoundly influences the views the home, so why are they content with over 7,000 children public take of international development. It completely living in poverty in Luton North? If charity really trashes the undoubtedly fantastic work done with the begins at home, why was the Conservative party, during money that we allocate to international development, the pandemic, okay with sending a single cheese slice, a anditremovespublicsupportforinternationaldevelopment, few bits of ham and a couple of slices of bread and making it very difficult on the doorstep. To ensure that calling it a week’s worth of food for a child? And if that does not happen, we need to take oversight. charity really begins at home, why are we allowing as We need to look again at the OECD straitjacket. I many as 3,500 veterans in Britain today, people who touched on some of this in my intervention on Lebanon. fought for our country, to go without a home? Is that In my first-hand experience, we do great stuff on things really looking after our own? that are not currently ODA-able, and we need to ensure that is, in some way, counted. Let us never forget what looking after our own has looked like under the Conservatives over the past 11 years. I praise the Government for their leadership on vaccines Let us never let the Tories forget that that is their record and COVAX, which is the issue of the moment, but I when they say they want to cut aid to the most vulnerable also sound a cautionary note. There is no point people in our world. wheelbarrowing vaccines to countries that do not have adequate healthcare systems to deliver them. I do not The Government are not just on morally dangerous want to see our vaccines simply used to vaccinate the ground, they have seriously misjudged the British people elite in capital and regional cities. We need to be careful on this issue. When people in Luton North, and I am of that. What will the Minister do to improve those sure in all our constituencies, saw that children were systems and the logistics behind them, perhaps using going without food, laptops or school uniforms during some of our very good assets such as armed forces the covid crisis, they clubbed together. We do not turn medics and logisticians—I refer to my interest, as laid our backs on people in their hour of need. The patronising out in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests— attitude, frankly, of Ministers cutting aid because they because it seems there is a real role for them to play? think it is popular in Labour heartlands or goes down I support the comments made by the British Council. well with certain media outlets, is completely mismatched We do not do cultural imperialism, as several hon. and with my experience of people in our country. I see right hon. Members have mentioned. We get very close people banding together to raise money and giving to to it, but we do not have an Institut Français and we do people and causes both in our own communities and not do Francophonie. We should be robust in defence when disasters happen on the other side of the world. of our values, as inculcated in the British Council. I wholeheartedly agree with Gordon Brown when he I emphasise the importance of the English language, says that the decision to gut the UK aid budget is a life which is one of the best weapons and ambassadors we or death situation for so many people across the world. have. We do not own it. It is not exclusively our language Our collective aim should be to end the wars, the any more, but we are its custodians, and the British climate change, the poverty and the tyranny that leave Council propagates it in a way that cannot possibly people across the world poorer and in search of safety, fulfil the demand. but when we see the Government failing on our global I hope very much that the loans extended to the commitments, taking a step back and lowering our British Council by the FCDO can become grants, which standing on the world stage, our collective aims grow so would be helpful and would enable it to do the great much more difficult to achieve. Until we have a Prime work it does, particularly on the English language. Minister with a sense of moral and collective responsibility, 319 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 320 the British Council the British Council and until we have a Government who truly live up to the It is, however, also primarily a moral necessity. It is an promise of a global Britain—where we are all proud of unfair world. The opulence in this House, and most taking our obligations and responsibilities seriously especially in the House just along the corridor, confirms and standing tall on the world stage again—the least we the wealth that has been generated over many years. We can do is give our fair share of international aid. see it north and south of the border; we see it in every If we are to end the cycle of dangerous new variants city. We have benefited from it over many years. Of entering this country, we need to provide the support course, in those years, people have worked hard and have and the vaccines to the world’s most vulnerable. None shown endeavour and risk, but let us also remember of us is protected until we all are. That applies not just that one reason we have this wealth here—not just in during the pandemic and to vaccines, but to general this city, but in Glasgow, Edinburgh and across the health, too: sanitation, safety and education, particularly whole of this country—is that we have exploited; we for women and girls. As a country that wants to stand have enforced deals on colonies and on other nations. proud at home and abroad, we have a moral obligation We have taken from them. We made sure that we stripped to the world’s poorest. We should leave this global them of their natural resources and that they had to buy pandemic even more connected and even more committed the product that was created from ourselves. to seeing every corner of this world safe and thriving, Giving development aid is not simply about charity; not less. it is about taking responsibility for actions that this country participated in, along with others in the developed 3.56 pm world. We did it, the French did it, the Dutch did it, the Kenny MacAskill (East Lothian) (Alba): First of all, Belgians did it and on it went. The western and developed and rather unusually, I pay tribute to some Members on world accrued their wealth at the expense of what is the Government Benches. They have kept the flame alive, now the developing world, because we took from them if I can put it that way, of the 0.7% share that should be and insisted that we benefited from their natural resources. paid. It is never easy to speak out as a Member of the This is not about giving charity; this is about their right. governing party. I have been in that position. It would It is our obligation to give back and to try to provide be churlish to say that it is down to patronage or threats. that fairness. Ultimately, it is about loyalty to a cause that you stand by, so I pay tribute to those Members who have spoken The Government talk about a levelling-up agenda, out against their own Administration and, in respect of and they are right; there has to be a levelling-up agenda their own principles, have supported what was not just not simply in the north of England, but, indeed, across principle but a manifesto commitment. It cannot have the border between Scotland and England. Fundamentally, been easy, but they have the power to change. We though, there has to be a levelling up across this globe Opposition Members have the power to protest and to between the northern and southern hemispheres. The hold to account, but the fundamental change required wrong and the poverty that exist, which manifest themselves cannot come today. That must come from those on the in the UK in the north-south divide, exist on planet Government Benches. I encourage them to keep the Earth in a north-south divide and it is our obligation faith, and I pay tribute to the efforts they have made to and a necessity that we take action to reverse that. date. It is essential for the reasons that others have This is also about health and wellbeing. Some statistics mentioned: it is a moral necessity; it is an economic I saw yesterday showed that 85% of shots or vaccinations imperative; and it is a health and wellbeing requirement, have been carried out in upper and middle-income tier not just for ourselves but for the entire world. countries. A total of 0.3%—not even 0.7%—has been Only a few weeks after the Prime Minister’s trumpeting carried out in lower-income countries. We have already of this issue at the G7 summit, it appears that we are seen what has happened with the delta variant. If we going into reverse. I accept that there is a logic and a want to make sure that we do not face a further variant rationaleinwhattheGovernmentargue.The0.7%commitment that will not be dealt with by our vaccines—as is met by only two countries—Denmark and France, if epidemiologists fear—then we must take steps to ensure memory serves—but that does not mean that we should that we support the health and welfare within those seek to follow those other countries. This is a time to countries. That is why it is in our own interests to ensure take a lead, because it is a necessity not only for others, that we provide that 0.7%. as has been said by almost every speaker,but for ourselves. Finally, in the short time that I have left, I want to I ask the Government to stick to the principles that were comment on the position being taken on women and stood on and supported by all parties in the last election, girls. That is fundamental. As a former Justice Secretary, and that remain in their manifesto. I recall dealing with violence reduction. We made great Of course, it is in our own economic interest. There progress in Scotland in tackling violence reduction. are those who trumpet Brexit as part of a new global There is still a long way to go, but I say this because it is Britain of free trade around the world. Let us remember a microcosm. We were doing youth five-aside football at that there can only be free trade if we can stimulate night to stop young men drinking and participating in demand. If countries are too poor to be able to buy our gang violence and whatever. The lightbulb moment goods and services, then we cannot generate the work came for some police officers when they suddenly realised here. We have to use some Keynesian logic and economics that they were keeping the lads out of trouble, but to ensure that they have the resource available to acquire standing around waiting to speak to the lads were all things from us; and we must support, as many Members the young teenage girls. The officers realised that if they have said, measures to address starvation, flooding and did not deal with these teenage girls, they would be all the dangers that too often blight so many lands. dealing with their children in 16 years’ time. Anybody We will benefit economically from giving aid and we who has seen the Justice Analytical Services’ correlation will face consequences if we do not, so it is in our own between youth offending, criminal offending and teenage interests. pregnancies will know that it is stark. That is a microcosm. 321 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 322 the British Council the British Council [Kenny MacAskill] avoidable healthcare costs and reduced workforce productivity. As well as having exceeded its target of If we want to make these countries better, we must pour reaching 50 million people with nutrition interventions, resources into women and children, as we do to make a the FCDO has a strong track record of reaching the fairer country in this land. As I have said, it is for these most vulnerable people and delivering high-impact reasons—for our own economic wellbeing, for our moral interventions based on evidence and science. I do not want purpose, and, equally, for our own health and wellbeing— to see that success thrown away. that we have to have 0.7%. In addition, ICAI praised the FCDO for raising global ambition for improving nutrition. By hosting the 4.3 pm nutrition for growth summit in 2013, which mobilised David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and over £17 billion for nutrition, and stepping up as a Tweeddale) (Con): It is a first for me to follow an Alba major donor to nutrition ourselves in the years since, member in this Parliament. The hon. Member for East the UK has developed unrivalled convening power and Lothian (Kenny MacAskill) may have changed parties, is able to catalyse funds for nutrition from other donors and but he has not changed his passionate delivery, and I domestic Governments. We must build on that influence, thank him for that contribution. I thank, too, the hon. not take actions that diminish it. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion), the Chair of the International Development Committee, for her Mr Mitchell: My right hon. Friend talks about the part in bringing forward today’simportant debate,although, convening power of the British Government, and he is as my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead absolutely right, but does he also think that by breaking (Mrs May) made clear in her very forceful speech, it will our promise, and being the only one of the G7 to do so, not lead to a vote on the restoration of the 0.7%. I have we will fundamentally cut away and undermine that made it very clear that I want to see that restoration. convening power? It is vital that our aid budget, whatever it is, is spent David Mundell: I agree with my right hon. Friend. efficiently and with maximum impact. That is why I He has referenced the cuts; it is important that the find it inconceivable that the rumoured cut of 80% to actions that we take build on our influence and do not the nutrition budget can be true. I say “rumoured” diminish it. His point is well made. because of the difficulty in establishing the facts, as I believe that the FCDO’s work to date on nutrition others have already set out. represents global Britain at its best, and that is what I As chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on want to see continue. I want the Government’s excellent nutrition for growth, I have no doubt that the commitments track record on nutrition to be maintained and therefore, to nutrition to date have achieved a great deal. Nutrition to me, as I have said, it would be inconceivable that the is like rocket fuel for our aid budget. Our interventions budget could be facing a cut of roughly 80%. in health, education and emergency humanitarian response When the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, are all the more impactful when coupled with long-term Commonwealth and Development Affairs, my hon. Friend interventions that improve nutrition. That is because the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James children can develop healthy and robust immune systems Duddridge), winds up the debate, will he confirm that only if they get the right nutrition. A strong immune the Government are not going ahead with the rumoured system is the first line of defence against illness. It is cuts of that level to the budget, for the reasons that I essential for a healthy and productive life. have set out? I also want confirmation that the Government According to the World Health Organisation, 45% of will attend the nutrition for growth summit, hosted by all deaths among the under-fives are linked to malnutrition the Japanese Government in Tokyo at the end of 2021. and, heartbreakingly, as a result of covid-19’s disruption The summit comes at a critical time, midway through to food systems, an estimated further 433 children are the United Nations decade of action on nutrition, but expected to die of malnutrition every single day. with only five years left to achieve the World Health Malnutrition not only costs lives; it drives absence from Assembly targets on maternal, infant and young child school and reduces concentration, thereby preventing nutrition, and 10 years to reach the strategic development children from learning and reaching their full potential goals. Finally, will he assure the House that whoever as adults, which perpetuates a cycle of poverty. As well represents the Government can make a generous pledge as the impact this has on individuals, malnutrition at that event, and in so doing, demonstrate to the world prevents economic growth and, as a result, puts our that Britain really is a force for good and takes its own aid budget under even further strain. All of what international obligations seriously? this Government say they hope to achieve through the aid budget and the seven principles—be it girls’education, women’s health or economic development—is enabled 4.10 pm and enhanced through nutrition. Catherine West (Hornsey and Wood Green) (Lab): It I recently chaired an APPG meeting with the aid is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for watchdog, ICAI—the Independent Commission for Aid Dumfriesshire,Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell). Impact. It reviewed the FCDO’s nutrition work and I agree with him that it seems inconceivable that the UK gave it a green/amber rating. Green ratings are very could move away from its commitment of 0.7% of GNI rare, but it said that the rating was more green than to the world’s poorest. amber. That is because this work represents fantastic The hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion) value for money, with every £1 invested yielding, on reminded us, when she introduced today’s debate, that it average, a £16 return. Our failure to sufficiently support was so important to follow the money. It worries me nutrition comes at a cost of some $3.5 trillion, with that we still have a lack of transparency on which some countries losing 11% of GDP each year to otherwise programmes will be cut. I hope that the Minister will lay 323 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 324 the British Council the British Council out some more details this afternoon. The hon. Lady and we must not get rid of our excellent science research has a strong reputation for standing up for women and and development links with developing countries in a girls, and so much of that has come out in our speeches bid to be populist. this afternoon about the impact of this cut to the Scientists, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa but across budget on women and girls throughout the world. Africa and in Asia as well, are working together in a We know also that the UK’s soft power will be sense that is equal to our British scientists. That is the severely affected by the proposal to cut back the amount model of aid that we want to see, where the scientists that is spent on overseas aid. The BBC World Service are on an equal footing and have a collegial approach. could be at risk. When I was living in Nanjing in China, British science is at its best where it is not a patronising working as a teacher, I knew the importance of tuning hand-out, but collegial with other scientists across the in to listen to the regular news, because it was one of the globe, particularly in Africa and Asia. only things that I could trust, knowing that it was This is an important year for the Commonwealth coming essentially from high-quality news sources in Heads of Government meeting. Malaria eradication is London. one of its key aims. Prince Charles has just become the I must mention the importance of the British Council president of Malaria No More UK, which is attempting in promoting values and promoting the exciting and to promote the importance of strengthening health wonderful offer that the UK has in its university sector. systems across Africa and supporting research and My hon. Friend the Member for Aberavon (Stephen development with a results framework that incorporates Kinnock) spoke extensively of his experience in Russia, progress against malaria and other neglected tropical working for the British Council. It gave him an incredible diseases, as well as improvements in key indicators of insight into the importance of culture and the importance community-level service provision, as core metrics of of soft power in changing minds and being persuasive. success. The importance of the English language has been I hope that the Minister will respond to those points. mentioned during the debate this afternoon. We know Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker, for the that people often have their first encounter with the opportunity to contribute to the debate. English language through the English language examination system administered by the British Council. We know 4.17 pm also the importance of language learning for our students Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con): I welcome here in the UK, whether that be community languages, the chance to speak on the estimates for spending modern foreign languages in secondary schools—the on official development assistance. I wish to take the number of students taking them is at an all-time low—or opportunity,as other hon. Members have done, to question undergraduate and postgraduate language learning the Government’s decision to cut the aid budget from promoted by the Erasmus and Horizon schemes. That is 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI. I understand the points raised by all part of the UK’s soft power and contributes to the the Treasury about the need to make savings, given the effectiveness of persuasion in winning arguments in financial strain caused by covid-19, and I understand terms of our values, the importance of democracy and that difficult decisions must be made. However, as has the rule of law. been said in this House, the cut of approximately £4 billion I wanted to devote my last couple of minutes to the in aid is worth only about 1% of what the Chancellor importance of the global health research and development has borrowed to protect us from covid. elements of ODA funding. Dame Sarah Gilbert received I take issue with any cut to our aid budget, but I take an enormous ovation and applause at Wimbledon even more issue with where the cuts appear to be falling. yesterday—why? It was because she is one of the inventors If we absolutely must cut aid, we need to investigate very of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and she and her whole carefully where savings can be made. I question whether team have given us a glimpse of freedom. Where did her the Government should have done more to manage the learning come from? It developed in research to create reduction of the budget without slashing funding for the malaria vaccine. Research and development is so lifesaving programmes. The cut from £15 billion to important because although there may not be a specific £10.7 billion is a cut of about 30%, so why have we cut application that very day, it will come in very handy in 60% of the UNICEF budget, 85% of the United Nations the future. Population Fund’s, and 80% of our funding for water The idea that we would cut back now on global projects? Clean water is life itself. health security is just nonsense. For example, we know that reducing the price of viral load testing for HIV by Anthony Mangnall: My hon. Friend is making an 40% in sub-Saharan Africa, as my hon. Friend the important point. One of the bigger issues is the speed at Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty) which the cuts were announced, which did not give time and Lord Herbert in the House of Lords have said, is an for any of the organisations that saw those cuts to be important CDC innovative financing approach. Crashing able to prepare for them—to be able to put in mitigating that infrastructure, which has been built up over a circumstances to allow them to run programmes on a number of years, would do immense damage to HIV skeleton staff, or whatever it may have been. We have research. not given the right amount of lead time for these Furthermore, we know that such cuts will have an businesses and organisations to be able to prepare for impact on our own regional universities; Professor Gilbert the cuts. If we wanted to make the cuts, we should have is just one very high-profile example. In research around delayed doing it and put them into another year altogether. genomic work, we are still in the foothills of understanding the important links in the work done in developing Neil Parish: I thank my hon. Friend; he is right. countries on new zoonotic diseases that come through There seems to have been very little planning generally the animal kingdom to human beings. Wehave excellence, in both the speed of the cuts and where they have fallen. 325 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 326 the British Council the British Council [Neil Parish] deforestation due to the lack of alternative ways to make a living. The UK programme was changing that; Why have we not looked at the administration costs now it has abruptly been cancelled, despite its success. in this budget? Why have water projects and UNICEF The Environment Bill is currently going through the projects, in particular, been cut so drastically? We need Lords, and promises to be world leading on climate to pause and think for a moment. Let us try to rectify change and deforestation. It will be completely undermined much of the damage that has been done, because these if we are cutting funding to tackle deforestation abroad things can be brought back into place. I have given just at the same time as making commitments in legislation. a few examples, but it seems that the most vital programmes There does not appear to be any joined-up thinking—dare have taken a disproportionate hit. Cutting the budget I say it—across Government. We are taking strong for the UN Population Fund from £154 million to domestic action on the environment, but these cuts £23 million will have a devastating impact on the ground. signal that we are not serious enough about tackling the Likewise, our commitments to water and sanitation issue globally. projects will be cut from £176 million to about £35 million. I regret any cuts to our overseas aid budget and We are not talking about billions of pounds. These are cannot see how they deliver tangible benefits to our relatively small amounts of cash, especially in the grand national finances. I therefore hope that the Government scheme of £400 billion that we have borrowed to battle come forward with a method of restoring the budget, covid-19 and save lives in this country—which I very whether that is very quickly or more gradually over a much support. I therefore question whether the money longer period of time. In the meantime, these cuts have for these programmes could have been cut in other areas landed disproportionately and hit the most needed instead. humanitarian programmes.Whatever path the Government I have been to Bangladesh and seen for myself the choose to take, those programmes must be the first to needs of people there. They are people with very little be restored. I hope that our Ministers can soon bring or nothing who cannot rely on a generous welfare state forward exactly the way in which we are going to reinstate when things go wrong as we can here in the UK. It is the 0.7% of GNI in the very near future. easy to forget, as we live in a prosperous country, that there are people in the world who do not have access to 4.26 pm clean water. As I said, water is life itself, and so slashing Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) our capacity to provide clean water to the poorest will (Ind): It is an honour to speak in this important estimates cost lives. We must ask ourselves what we would do if debate and to follow the hon. Member for Tiverton and our children and grandchildren were in that position Honiton (Neil Parish). and reliant on the generosity of foreign Governments to provide clean water. Would we actually stand by and see The British Council works with more than 100 countries our children and grandchildren dying for lack of clean worldwide, with programmes promoting greater cultural water? We would not. understanding, and wider knowledge of the English language and of the culture of the nations of the UK. For better or worse, we have a colonial past, and in Its work in education, arts and local development has many cases the poorest nations are former colonies. We changed the lives of millions of people. Its English cannot turn our back on them now. We must help language teaching and examinations include the people in these countries and others who need it who International English Language Testing System, which are reliant on aid. This would be true at any time, but in is run jointly by the council with Cambridge Assessment the midst of a pandemic depriving people of clean English and IDP Education Ltd, and has allowed hundreds water when it may be their only defence against the of thousands of international students to pursue a virus is catastrophic. Some people may say that we are tertiary education in the UK. doing our bit by supplying vaccines to the developing We were promised that Brexit would not mean the world as part of COVAX and other schemes, which is end of UK engagement with the world, but here we see true, but mass vaccination programmes are not delivered the UK Government presiding over yet another retreat. overnight, and humans need clean water every day to Twenty office closures have already been officially survive. Likewise, cutting funding for family planning is announced by the British Council; grant in aid funding counterproductive when the population in the poorest for British Council projects in 11 countries will cease countries is already greater than their resources, including altogether,while, in another nine, grant in aid programming food and clean water. Preventing access to contraception will be delivered through offices in other countries. will cause families to spiral into even greater poverty, According to the official British Council press release putting thousands of lives at risk. on the subject, job losses across the organisation appear There is a broader problem of the signal that this to be “unavoidable”. decision sends to the rest of the world on climate Afghanistan is one of the countries affected by the action. The cuts will diminish the ability of the world’s decision. British Council projects there over the last poorest to cope with climate change, and those people decade have included training thousands of English are often the hardest hit by it. Taking the water cuts, for language teachers and promoting the revival of Afghan example, there is the context of increasing droughts. We arts. Its English for Afghans programme, which fosters need to strengthen the resilience to drought of communities training in greater English language skills in schools, in poor countries, not weaken it. This aid budget cut the civil service and among religious leaders, was invaluable also means a cut to the UK’s highly effective programme in furthering Afghan economic self-reliance and combating to prevent deforestation in Indonesia. The green economic political extremism. The British Council also runs Active growth programme focused on providing sustainable Citizens training packages in Afghan universities that livelihoods for local populations who often end up facilitate community engagement, active citizenship and working in harmful environmental practices such as youth exchanges. Young people on these courses develop 327 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 328 the British Council the British Council a wide range of skills in leadership, communication, foresee them having? How are the Government mitigating citizenship and volunteering, and address unique local the impact of the 20 British Council closures around priorities through social projects in their own communities. the world? The work of the British Council is therefore critical to building cultural understanding and international 4.32 pm partnerships between the people of Afghanistan and Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley) (Con): I rise to the wider world. Given the deep military and political address the priorities of the Foreign, Commonwealth involvement of the UK and our allies in Afghanistan and Development Office over the coming year. However, over the past two decades, and historical ties between in this debate, we must all be cognisant of the fact that the UK and Afghanistan going back over an even the unparalleled support provided by the Government longer period, this disengagement from British Council during the coronavirus pandemic has come at an immense activity constitutes nothing short of a betrayal of our cost to the taxpayer. We have set a record for peacetime commitments to the Afghan people. borrowing—a grim statistic. That high rate of borrowing Malawi will be greatly impacted by the UK Government’s meansthat,unfortunately,savingshavetobemadesomewhere. overseas development cuts. It is a country with which Let me make this clear: as the Member of Parliament Scotland has long-standing bilateral links, as does Blantyre for Rother Valley, I do not want any budget cuts to in my community. If the Government plan to maintain affect my constituents. I have been vocal about the need many existing bilateral commitments, there is a specific to level up left-behind and disadvantaged communities concern that countries such as Malawi that are small, such as my towns of Dinnington, Maltby, Thurcroft, peaceful and habitually overlooked in UK Government Swallownest and all the rest. My constituents have been aid policy, may disproportionately bear the brunt of ignored for far too long over the decades, but things are the cuts. now starting to change for the better because of the The Prime Minister, in previous remarks in this House, election of this Conservative Government. has characterised overseas development aid as a That is why the official development assistance budget “giant cashpoint in the sky”.—[Official Report, 16 June 2020; must be reduced. We should not be sending vast sums of Vol. 677, c. 670.] borrowed money abroad to foreign powers at a time when we can least afford it. I am firmly of the view that That is not the case in Malawi, where overseas development we must always look after our own first and foremost. assistance means clear water, primary education and My constituents have endured real hardship during the the most basic healthcare provision for millions of the pandemic, not to mention that Rother Valley already poorest in the world. Water, food and education—this is had some of the deepest pockets of deprivation in the not a cashpoint, or a tap that can be turned off and on country. That is where our aid money should be going as seems politically opportune 5,000 miles away. during this national emergency. I turn to Sierra Leone, another country where cuts to We are forced to cut aid because of the prevailing the British Council will be harshly felt. The British circumstances caused by the covid pandemic. Nevertheless, Council, jointly with local NGO AdvocAid, runs Justice the UK remains a world leader in international aid, Matters, a project supporting vulnerable women and delivering more than £10 billion this year alone, which girls in conflict with the law. Justice Matters provides places it as one of the G7’s biggest donors. Britain’s legal aid to women and girls, literacy training and welfare heroic contributions to the global coronavirus vaccination support to women and girls in prison, and information effort are a testament to our status. to the wider community about the legal rights of women In the light of that, we must think carefully about and girls. where to direct the Foreign Office and aid expenditure According to AdvocAid, in 2014, a third of the for the year ahead. The Government have been proactive female inmates in Sierra Leone said they had never been in co-ordinating our diplomatic, defence, trade and aid to school, while 83% had a salary of less than $1 a day. networks as part of an overarching global Britain strategy. Poverty and lack of education leads women and girls to That is vital if we are to maximise our soft power and conflict with the law, admitting guilt inadvertently or ensure value for every penny of taxpayers’ money. being forced to pay bribes because they do not understand We must complement our new approach by taking their rights. Very few can afford lawyers, minors are full advantage of our exit from the European Union rarely treated differently from adults by the courts, and and pivoting back towards the Commonwealth. I am the reasons behind crimes are rarely taken into account incredibly passionate about Britain’s re-engagement with in the legal process. the Commonwealth. The Foreign Office must spend In that light, the work of the British Council in Sierra our money on re-establishing deep links with the countries Leone is invaluable. The Prime Minister has asserted with which we have long and meaningful ties by way of many times that he considers the education of women language, shared values, legal systems, governance and and girls a personal priority for international aid in traditions. One of the many crimes of our entry into developing countries, but it is precisely that education the Common Market was our move away from the on their legal rights that these cuts will affect. Commonwealth, which has stayed by our side in times Aid should not be a tool in the Foreign Secretary’s of war and difficulty over the centuries. We abandoned toolbox as he looks to influence other countries to take and subsequently neglected the Commonwealth for more actions that benefit our own wealth, security and political than 40 years. Now is the time for us to reignite the ends. In that light, it would be good if the Minister flame and retake our position as a committed and equal would clarify that he understands the severity of these partner to our brothers and friends. decisions. Will he say by how much the overseas Of course, what the left will not tell people about the development budget will be cut in Malawi, where those Commonwealth is that we have far more in common cuts will fall, and what impact the UK Government with Singapore than Slovenia, with Australia than Austria 329 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 330 the British Council the British Council [Alexander Stafford] governance and high standards in much of the world. If we reconnect now, it will allow us to speak up for the and with Ghana than Germany. Contrary to the little persecuted anglophone community in what was formerly Englander narrative, our embracing the Commonwealth the Southern Cameroons; to assist in the fight against embodies a truly global vision—one that is ethnically Islamic extremists in east and west Africa; and to provide and religiously diverse and includes developing countries. comprehensive support to the millions of British nationals Unlike the failed French Community, which existed for in Hong Kong. Such issues must be front and centre as all the wrong reasons, the Commonwealth of nations is we pivot back towards the Commonwealth. not an anachronistic throwback but a balanced and fair As I draw my remarks to a close, I emphasise that a organisation in which every country has a voice, regardless cut in the aid budget does not mean a smaller, less of its size or wealth. Other Commonwealth countries influential Britain; it is simply fiscal common sense, are enthusiastic about their membership, and it is great allowing us to reduce our borrowing while protecting to see countries such as Rwanda and Mozambique take our constituents from the impact of the cuts. We are advantage of the opportunities presented by the political still left with a huge Foreign Office and aid budget, association of 54 diverse countries by joining us. Many which should be redirected to fully embrace the other territories are desperate to join this great unity of Commonwealth of nations. If we do that, we can spread nations, with Somaliland and South Sudan having also the benefits of global Britain from Barbados to Botswana, applied. from India to Fiji and from Kenya to Malaysia. That will be a better world for us all. Anthony Mangnall: I am delighted to hear my hon. Friend reassert the values of the Commonwealth, and I 4.39 pm totally agree, but perhaps I should point out to him the fact that these cuts are going to hit our Commonwealth Brendan O’Hara (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) [V]: The friends—that is where the money is being spent. He decision by this Government to take essential, life-saving started off by saying that we were making cuts because money away from the world’s poorest people is absolutely we had incurred such great costs; perhaps he might tell shameful. The fact that the Government of one of the the House where else cuts have been made. The only cut richest countries in the world have decided arbitrarily to that has been made in the past 13 months is to the foreign reduce the help that they give to the poorest and most aid budget. vulnerable people on the planet, particularly in the middle of a global health pandemic, simply beggars Alexander Stafford: It is always a pleasure to take an belief. It must be the final abandonment of what little intervention from my hon. Friend. He made two points. was left of the UK’s reputation for moral leadership. First, where should the cuts go? I say that the very first The Government know, and any Member, such as the place cuts should be made is to foreign aid and the last hon. Member for Rother Valley (Alexander Stafford), place they should be made is anywhere that affects the who intends to support these cuts should know, that people of Rother Valley and the people of all our seats. this is not a consequence-free decision. Taking away So, in the first place, it is correct that that is where the more than £4 billion of life-saving aid guarantees that cuts should go. tens of thousands of the world’s poorest people are On my hon. Friend’s point about the Commonwealth, going to die. Everyone should also be aware of the I completely agree. It is right that we are giving aid, and consequences of what they are signing up to, because we should direct more of that in a better way to deepen this is not like pulling the plug on the building of a new our ties with the Commonwealth. For me, this debate school. This is not putting off the construction of a new should not just be about 0.5%, 0.7% or perhaps 0.3%; it bypass because money is tight. This is not suspending should be more about where that percentage is actually the restoration of the Palace of Westminster because we going. I argue that it should go towards our friends in can no longer justify the cost. This is a decision that will countries with which we have deep historical links—to kill people. People are going to die as a direct result of the Commonwealth; to those who have stood by us in this decision, and there is absolutely no running away good times and bad through hundreds of years, rather from that reality. than to a political union that was brought about post This is also the ultimate betrayal of the thousands of the second world war in Europe. people who work in our NGOs and our charity sector— It is clear to me that the best use of Foreign Office people who strive day in and day out to alleviate suffering expenditure is investment in the Commonwealth rather and to deliver food and bring comfort to the world’s than aid spending in countries outside the Commonwealth. most marginalised communities. At a time when charities This will allow Britain to maintain its place in the such as the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, world, grow its footprint in the economies of the future Compassion UK, the wonderful Mary’s Meals from my and turbocharge global Britain post Brexit. Even more Argyll and Bute constituency, Oxfam, Plan International importantly, in the context of aid, our engagement with and so many others are being asked to do so much more the Commonwealth can make the greatest difference to with so much less, this is a kick in the teeth that they the most people in developing nations. Let me be clear neither needed nor deserved. about aid: by engaging with the Commonwealth we can I still find it utterly bewildering that the confirmation help more people and more of the poorest people. That of slashing aid for the world’spoorest was in the integrated is very important. review of security. The idea that by making the world’s The Commonwealth citizens with whom we have so poorest people even poorer we will somehow make much in common need our support, and we must now ourselves safer is an absolute nonsense.Are this Government prioritise them. Our neglect of the Commonwealth—and really asking us to believe that the best way to make the we have neglected the Commonwealth—has unfortunately people of the United Kingdom safer and more secure is seen us abdicate responsibility for encouraging good to slash vital humanitarian aid, particularly to parts of 331 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 332 the British Council the British Council the world that are already riven by conflict, war and majority of my residents do not agree with him. Secondly, famine, thereby forcing tens of millions of desperate I gently point out to him that, on average, two thirds of people to uproot themselves and their families and go in all people polled in this country very recently did not search of a better, more secure future? It is a ridiculous agree with him either. Just the other day, on GB News, notion, and they know that it is a ridiculous notion. But he used the majority view argument to support assisted what makes this betrayal of the world’s poorest utterly dying, so perhaps he might consider being consistent grotesque is that, having announced that they were with his rationale, instead of imposing his moral virtues taking away billions from those poor communities, the on the country’s majority view. Government announced that they are to spend it on increasing their stockpile of nuclear warheads. We all Anthony Mangnall: I am sorry to interrupt my hon. know that they will always find the cash for their weapons Friend. It is fine if that is his argument, but surely he of mass destruction. believes that it is right for this House to have a vote on Some might not like it, but the country has a fundamental the issue, because we are all representatives of our moral obligation to help those in what we now call the constituencies, and of the views of our constituents. developing world, not just because we can afford to help Forget the polling and allow this place to have its say. them, which is reason enough in itself, but primarily Does he not agree with that sentiment? because this country is in no small way responsible for : I might refer my hon. Friend to votes the situation in which many now find themselves. For on Brexit in previous years, when a significant number more than a century, the United Kingdom grew rich of elected Members did not represent their constituents and powerful on the back of the world’s poor. The and voted the opposite way to them. British empire invaded, conquered, divided and plundered half the world and very often left behind it an impoverished Labour will always oppose what the Government do, wasteland, so it is about time that this country woke up even if they tripled foreign aid. Having only ever averaged to the fact that it has a moral responsibility to assist a maximum spend under 0.4% of national income when those abandoned to live with the consequences of British it was in office, compared with the 0.7% that we achieved, imperialism. It should not be running away from that Labour’sprotestations are somewhat shallow,if not risible. responsibility. People will see Labour for what it is: out of touch with working-class people and totally clueless about their I thank the Backbench Business Committee for priorities. facilitating this debate, and I echo the point made by the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) at the I am concerned about some of my colleagues. They start of the debate that this is not the vote that we were are being so generous with other people’s money—a promised on the specific issue of the cuts to 0.7% foreign notable socialist behaviour, I might add. Perhaps they aid spending. I sincerely hope that the Government do can explain to my Dudley North taxpayers why we should not try to spin that it is, because we know that it is not. spend £15 billion overseas when my residents cannot find council houses and when we still have homeless We must have a vote on the cut to the foreign aid people on our streets, some of them brave veterans. budget, because every Member of this House must have the opportunity to register his or her approval, or Sarah Champion: Will the hon. Gentleman give way? otherwise, of that decision. Members cannot be allowed to hide behind crocodile tears or meaningless words of Marco Longhi: I would like to make progress, please. regret, and no longer can they hope that, by choosing to Covid has given rise to exceptional circumstances, stay silent, they will not be asked to come off the fence. and the Government were entirely right to reduce aid Everyone in this House must have the opportunity to and focus on rebuilding our country. Charity begins at go on the record and say yes or no to cutting the overseas home. That said, I do not agree with reducing the foreign aid budget; to say yes or no to the stark humanitarian aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income; I costs of the decisions they make. When that vote does would scrap the target altogether. Foreign aid should be come, no one in this House will be able to pretend that and needs to be completely reformed. A fluctuating they did not know or understand the consequences of number each year that bears no real link with need, their actions. priorities or actual outcomes is no way to plan or act Finally, this Government love to talk about global strategically. It is not how a household would budget, it Britain and the role that they see for the UK on the is not how a business would budget, and it should not world stage. If the UK decides to cut overseas aid, we be how a Government budget. Which other Government have to assume that global Britain has, in reality, become Department do we fund as a percentage of national income? drawbridge Britain. Anthony Mangnall: Will my hon. Friend give way on 4.45 pm that point? Marco Longhi (Dudley North) (Con): Foreign aid Marco Longhi: I would like to make some progress. spend has frequently been a way for politicians to compete for moral righteousness in the public eye. My Anthony Mangnall: It is on that point—I can give the Dudley residents care not for this type of posturing. answer. We committed in our manifesto in 2019 to My right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield funding research and development at 2.7% of our GDP. (Mr Mitchell)—he is no longer in the Chamber—who is We commit to NATO spending at 2% through the a near neighbour of mine, referred in his closing remarks Ministry of Defence. The list goes on. to his electorate, implying that they agree with his stance on foreign aid. I would make two points on that. Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing): Order. First, my constituency is literally just down the road Before the hon. Member for Dudley North responds to from his, and I can categorically assert that a significant that intervention, it might be helpful for the House to 333 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 334 the British Council the British Council [Madam Deputy Speaker] we cannot afford to fund overseas aid at the legal rate. We are and remain, thank God, one of the richest know that so many colleagues have decided at the last countries in the world. minute not to take part in this debate, having originally In the context of the national budget, the amount of asked to do so, that there is actually plenty of time. It is money spent on overseas aid is pitiful. I would ask my quite historic for me to say that; I would normally be hon. Friends to think again about whether we should in saying, “I urge the hon. Gentleman not to take time on fact be reducing the money that we spend on, for example, interventions”, but he is at liberty to do so. the education of young women, which the Prime Minister hailed triumphantly at the G7; whether we should cut Marco Longhi: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. funding for the provision of clean water, particularly for I will respond by saying it is not the way we fund young people who sometimes have to walk for miles to policing, education or health here at home. Surely a draw such water as is available from infected streams; or more sophisticated approach that is outcome-focused whether we should cut the funding for sanitation of a and delivers measurable change in very poor countries kind that no Member in this House would wish their by employing some of our own local and UK-based children to experience. companies is a far better approach than the arbitrary My hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and and unaccountable system that we continue to virtue-signal Malling (Tom Tugendhat), the Chairman of the Foreign about. Affairs Committee, reminded the House that we are I would ask two things of colleagues wanting to cutting the funding of our tropical diseases programme reinstate the 0.7%: let us focus efforts on achieving from £115 million to just £17 million. That tropical much better outcomes by reforming foreign aid, and, diseases programme, that life-saving programme, that while we are at it, focus on challenging the EU and other potentially pandemic-preventing programme was—I think wealthy countries that consistently fail to meet their the expression is—world class, and that is what we are own targets and do not measure up to what the UK is about to cut. certainly doing. We are also going to reduce the funding for the British Council, a source of soft power that enhances Anthony Mangnall: Will my hon. Friend give way on our reputation around the world, and for Voluntary that point? Service Overseas, which provides so much opportunity for British volunteers who wish to help those in developing Marco Longhi: No thank you. countries. Weare going to cut the international community By any measure, the UK already does far more than service programme—a programme involving very many most, both in cash terms and in areas not captured by young people from the United Kingdom who have been our foreign aid spending. Certainly my constituents know going around the world—which was instigated by my that very well. right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield when he was the Secretary of State. That is going to go. Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing): I call These programmes are trailblazers for global Britain—or Sir Roger Gale. were. They are not projects that can be turned on and off like a tap. They involve real people, real expertise, 4.52 pm real time and real effort. By cutting the funding for this Sir Roger Gale (North Thanet) (Con) [V]: Thank you year, we are probably setting back each one of those for calling me, Madam Deputy Speaker. I was taken programmes, even if the money is reinstated next year, slightly on the hop; I was expecting another colleague by five, six or seven years, because it will take time to to be called before me. May I start by congratulating the rebuild from the rubble that is left and to get those hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion) on programmes up and running again, if ever. Is this global securing this important debate? Britain? Is this really what we want? Do we really want In her opening remarks, my right hon. Friend the to break the trust that we have built up internationally Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) reminded the House for fair dealing, generosity and an understanding of that this is a debate about FCDO estimates; it is not a what our place in the world really is? As my right proxy vote for a reduction in overseas aid. We do not, as hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice and Howden my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Davis) said in a very powerful speech, these cuts are (Mr Mitchell) reminded us, normally vote on estimates, about real people. They are about life and death, and because to do so would simply be disruptive in what we are choosing to do means death for some of parliamentary terms, but we still need a meaningful those people. vote. To try to suggest that this is somehow a vote on I hope that the Government will either implement the the overseas aid issue is simply disingenuous, and it will Speaker’s instruction and allow this House of Commons not wash. tohaveavote—ameaningfulvote—onasubstantivemotion In breach of an Act of Parliament, the Government on the reduction of our overseas aid from 0.7% to are seeking to reduce our overseas aid budget from 0.5% of GNI, or give an absolute cast-iron guarantee 0.7% to 0.5%. That in itself is significant, but that figure fromtheFrontBenchtodaythatthemoneywillbereinstated is based on gross national income. The net effect of in full next year. that is that because gross national income has also fallen, it is a cut upon a cut. It is a cut in provision for 4.59 pm some of the poorest people in the world. I listened with Neale Hanvey (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) (Alba) sadness to the comments of a couple of my younger [V]: I would like to begin by paying tribute to the hon. friends in the House, who seem to think only that Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion) and to the charity begins at home and that because of the pandemic right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) 335 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 336 the British Council the British Council for keeping the pressure on this matter with the From the protection of women and girls to global Government. I thank Mr Speaker for recognising the infection control of covid, neglect of tropical diseases, importance of this debate. and clean water and hygiene across the conflict zones of I respectfully disagree with the hon. Member for Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia and the Democratic Stirling (Alyn Smith) and his remarks about how we Republic of the Congo, all are losing over half their aid would do things differently in Scotland. We may have funding. It is not a question or an issue that exists over aspirations to do things differently, but judging by this there. Global health is now a shared responsibility. It is debate and its tone, I would suggest that this place both a moral imperative and in the national interest, speaks strongly and in unison on this matter. As the something I would ask the hon. Member for Dudley right hon. Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) North (Marco Longhi) to ponder on, rather than put so eloquently illustrated, it is the Prime Minister and his forward narrow and dangerous populist views. Government who are the isolated outliers forcing this This Parliament is speaking clearly. A meaningful matter through. They clearly fear a meaningful vote in vote is of urgent importance. This is an investment in this House. tackling conflict, building prosperity, promoting good The importance of meeting a 0.7% GNI target has governance and reducing poverty, and will secure our been accepted by successive UK Governments since the own health into the future. UN target was established in 1970. It was first achieved in the UK in 2013 and the International Development 5.4 pm (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015 Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab): I express my gratitude established a statutory duty to meet this target. That is to my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Sarah something the Government are prepared to break. It is Champion) and the right hon. Member for Sutton an effective cut of up to £10 billion. Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) for campaigning on this important Significant portions of the funding cuts are targeted issue. I also pay tribute to all the organisations and againstsexualandreproductivehealthandrightsprogrammes individuals who have provided support to countries across globally,resulting in the closure of services and a disruption the globe, including Save the Children, the Red Cross, to supplies and programmes. The president of the Royal Oxfam, Global Justice Now and others. College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Mr Edward I draw the House’s attention to the British Council, Morris, called the cuts which works hard to encourage cultural, scientific, “an unconscionable attack on…women and girls”. technological and educational co-operation with Britain. The impact of these cuts is immediate. Funding for This week its CEO wrote to its Public and Commercial healthcare that was providing critical, life-saving support Services Union representative, warning that it intends has already been terminated, often with little explanation to make 15% to 20% job cuts over the next two years. to local government and NGO partners. The cuts will This is a disgrace. The programmes that the British inevitably lead to an increase in maternal and newborn Council undertakes internationally ensure global friendship mortality and morbidity. with the United Kingdom. The Government must urgently intervene to save jobs and make funding available to At a time when the most disadvantaged across the plug the shortfall in the organisation. world face the peril of poverty and covid, many countries are expanding their support, such as Canada, France, The world has faced a catastrophic pandemic and, the United States of America and others. During the unless we take an internationalist view, we will never emergency debate on 8 June, the Government were overcome this tragedy. Pulling up the drawbridge and warned that this cut would embarrass the UK at the G7 hiding away from the rest of the world is never the answer, summit and later this year at COP26. The Prime Minister but that is exactly what the Government did when they did not account for his lacklustre performance that made the political choice to abolish the Department for overshadows even this. A cut of 0.2% may sound tiny to International Development and merge it with the Foreign most, but the impact is the difference between life and and Commonwealth Office at the height of this pandemic. death for so many. At that time the Chief Secretary to DFID was an international leader on development the Treasury said the economy was doing well, so issues, and one of the best examples of global Britain. why the cut, forcing austerity on those who can least During these pandemic times it is often said that no withstand it? one is safe until everyone is safe, but the Government’s Sadly, this is well understood in my Kirkcaldy and actions speak louder than words. They have cut vital Cowdenbeath constituency and by people who rely on coronavirus research, including a project tackling the foodbanks; I echo the words of the hon. Member for variant in India, by 70%, and recent media reports have Luton North (Sarah Owen) on this point. This is coupled informed us that the Treasury delayed plans to send with the questionable achievement of the Prime Minister surplus PPE to India over a dispute regarding its allocation in the chair of the G7 summit, where less than a tenth of towards overall aid spending. the support needed is being provided in covid vaccines Alexander Stafford: The hon. Gentleman mentions and financial support. so-called cuts, but will he acknowledge the vital role this The disparity was highlighted powerfully by my hon. Government have played in delivering vaccines and Friend the Member for East Lothian (Kenny MacAskill). oxygen to countries like India? Actually, this country Eleven billion vaccines are needed; 1 billion have been has given a lot to many other countries during the promised. Fifty billion dollars is needed; $5 billion has pandemic. been promised. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury was able to point to the paragraph of policy that facilitates Navendu Mishra: This Government were one of the this cut, but can the Prime Minister, or anyone in this few to oppose the proposal from the South African and Government, set out the moral justification? Failure to Indian Governments for a TRIPS waiver that would do so reads like a dismissive ignorance of the human cost. have resulted in vaccines, medical equipment and medicines 337 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 338 the British Council the British Council [Navendu Mishra] political trading organisation. That is why we must make sure we have an aid programme that delivers for related to covid being produced licence free. That would the people, be it in Syria or any Commonwealth country. have led to much more vaccine being available, so I urge the hon. Gentleman to lobby his Front-Bench team to Mr Mitchell: My hon. Friend is already making a make sure the UK reverses its position on this important brilliant speech. Does he agree that vast amounts of our issue. We know that President Biden of the United humanitarian support and development aid do go to States has reversed his position, having initially blocked Commonwealth countries, because British aid goes above the waiver proposed by India and South Africa. The all to the places where we have a historical connection? unnecessary delays to PPE going to India have deeply negative consequences. Cutting aid will have almost no Anthony Mangnall: I totally agree. The point I am impact on the UK’s finances, but it will heighten poverty trying to make is that although we should use aid to in some parts of the world. support the Commonwealth and to enhance our ties, allowing them to see it directed as something that In addition, there has been a £48 million cut to the benefits because of our history, it is also an opportunity NHS overseas training scheme, which trains medical for us to look beyond that. staff in some of the poorest countries. The scheme works with 500 health facilities across Africa and Asia, I congratulate the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah in places that suffer a deficit of medical staff. The Champion), as it is always a pleasure to follow her in Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine would have seen her debates and to listen to her speak on a host of different NHS staff provide training to 78,000 healthcare workers issues. We have heard a number of hugely impressive in Nepal, Uganda, Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Myanmar. speeches, including from my right hon. Friends the TheUKhas820Bangladeshis,118Ethiopians,572Ugandans Members for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) and for and 1,988 Nepalis working in our NHS. Maidenhead (Mrs May), and the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for The CDC Group, which promotes privatisation and Tonbridge and Malling (Tom Tugendhat), to mention unaffordable private hospitals in the global south, is just a few. They have all stood up and spoken about the due to receive £779 million this year. It seems that cuts value of international aid from this country to others apply only to projects that support development. and what it does to motivate, save and assist. The point Disgracefully, aid spending targeted at meeting strategic wasmadeatthebeginningthattheInternationalDevelopment priorities will be cut by only 37%, and funding for the Committee has not been given the true and accurate much-criticised conflict, stability and security fund, which figures it deserves. I stood up and spoke on retaining last year was found to have supported brutal police that Committee, as I believe it has a value in scrutinising squads in Nigeria, has fallen by only 19%. our foreign aid budgets and it must be secured. If it is This multibillion pound cut to overseas development not getting the correct information, I hope we might assistance has a momentous human cost. There is no hear more about this, because it is essential that the question but that these cuts will result in thousands of Committee is given the tools to do its job. unnecessary deaths. Cutting programmes including The problem with estimates debates is that they take humanitarian aid, global health, girls’ education, water away from the reality of what we are actually talking and sanitation, food insecurity and malnutrition, and about. We are standing in this Chamber talking about sexual and reproductive health have real consequences. the vaccinations donated, the school books gifted, the The UK must return to 0.7% of GNI on ODA, under sexual violence perpetrators brought to justice, the the internationally agreed definition, and the Government deradicalisation of terrorist organisations, all of which must bring a meaningful vote to the House on this happens through our aid budget—it all happens through important decision. that 0.7% budget. So to talk about estimates takes away Finally, I echo the comments of my hon. Friend the from the reality of the extraordinary work that we do Member for Rotherham thanking all aid workers across across the country. Members may disagree with that the world and the excellent FCDO staff. They do an and suggest that their constituents are not supportive of important job in extremely challenging circumstances, it, but when we stop polling and start asking them about and they deserve our support and gratitude. international security, women’s education, vaccinations and justice for those who have committed rape in conflict 5.9 pm zones across the world, we get a very different answer from that given in the polls that are put out. Anthony Mangnall (Totnes) (Con): I should like to begin by saying that although I may disagree with my AlexanderStafford:Myhon.Friendismakingapowerful hon. Friends the Members for Rother Valley (Alexander speech, as he always does, on an issue of importance, Stafford) and for Dudley North (Marco Longhi), it is and I agree with what he says about what happens when welcome to see a debate taking place in this Chamber. we ask residents about sexual violence in conflict—people This is a small step forward to returning to normal, do want answers. But when I speak to people in Rother when we can look beyond these pandemic measures and Valley about these issues, they say,“What about the sexual have proper, right and rigorous discussion about how violenceinMaltby?WhatabouttheconflictsinDinnington—the we can reform and improve things in this country and gangs and the knifings?” We have to be realistic; there is across the world. As we have a bit of time, I thought I only so much money in the budget. If the budget is not could start with a bit of rebuttal. I listened to my hon. cut here, it will be cut somewhere else, and residents of Friend the Member for Rother Valley talk about how Rother Valley do not want it cut there. we should focus our spending in the Commonwealth, but I respectfully say to him that aid goes where it is Anthony Mangnall: With the greatest respect, the most needed. If he wants to have value for money, it policing budget is not being cut. In addition, my hon. cannot be directed specifically to a cultural, historical, Friend is trying to make the point that by cutting the 339 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 340 the British Council the British Council international aid budget he is going to see that money in leading. I ask about the message it sends to the world. Rother Valley—he is not. That money will go back into In a year in which we host the G7 and COP26, and will the Treasury. I go back to the point made by my right have a good presence at the Commonwealth Heads of hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield about Government meeting, we have the opportunity to lead how small this is in terms of Treasury percentages and by example. spending. I asked my right hon. Friend the Member for South Alexander Stafford: My hon. Friend asks what message West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) earlier what temporary it will send, but what message does it send to my would look like and he said a year. I respectfully say to constituents that overseas lives are more valuable than the Government that if they come to the Dispatch Box lives in this country? We have to be realistic about and say that it is a year I will acquiesce, I will sit down, this—[Interruption.] It is not shameful. We are talking and I will accept that a year’s cut is what needs to be about messages and I ask him: what message does it done. I would argue that many other Members would send? do so, too. Unfortunately, we have found ourselves in something of a predicament. The announcement of the Anthony Mangnall: I would respectfully say to all of cut from 0.7% to 0.5% was made off the cuff at such my hon. Friend’s constituents—I am happy to speak at rapid speed that organisations such as War Child and any association event in the future—that their lives are the HALO Trust, to name just two out of many hundreds, no less valuable. What we are doing here is taking had their budgets cut and their international programmes money from Peter to pay Paul. We must be honest about jeopardised. the value.

Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con): My hon. Christian Wakeford: I cannot speak for the people of Friend makes an important point about the speed of Rother Valley, but to me going back to the people of the cuts announcement, which is compounded by the Bury South and saying we support this says that we are cut due to the decrease in GNI. This has been a tremendous compassionate and kind, and that we keep our promises. cut affecting the most needy across the entire globe. That is something I am proud of. That is something I Like he said, if we can have a commitment that this is want to stick up for. I want to go home and be able to for one year and one year only, many, including Members tell my daughter that I did the right thing. from the 2019 intake, will sit down and back off. Anthony Mangnall: Quite right. If I had children I would be going back to say exactly the same thing—all Anthony Mangnall: That is incredibly welcome to to come, I am sure. hear. My hon. Friend is right: there has been a double whammy in the reduction. International organisations The debate is also about the British Council. I have have to deal with not only the cut itself but the overall lived in Singapore and I have worked in Nigeria. I have GNI reduction. It is in place to make sure that in good seen the value of these organisations. I have seen the years more money is available and in bad years less, value of soft power for the United Kingdom. I look thereby making the argument that we take stock of the back on 2012, a moment in which the UK exhibited its economic situation. The point was also made by my global superpower soft power. We were able to show hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Honiton that we were leading across the world. I hate that we are (Neil Parish), who made the suggestion about the WaterAid going down this route and reducing the two things that programmes. promote us in the best way. I am not against reform. I believe that we should be Navendu Mishra: Does the hon. Member agree that able to reform the ODA rules. I would love to see it using an us and them attitude is not helpful? The UK is spent in different ways that are more transparent and one of the richest countries in the world and has a accountable. Many Members have made that point. Let proud record of supporting projects across the world, us not take it down to 0.5%, but look at how we can and dividing people into us and them is not helpful at reform it. Taking it from a single calendar year to a all in this debate. multi-year funding period of three or four years would give us the opportunity to look at different options so Anthony Mangnall: The hon. Gentleman makes a we can justify it to our constituents. fantastic point, and it is one that I will end on. If we are I believe that global Britain is about four things: uncomfortable with how people view 0.7%, it is down to defence, diplomacy, trade and development. All four this House and to us as Members to explain it properly are integrated. Failure to act and to work on one and show them the true value of what Britain does in a impacts the other. Our two aircraft carriers sailing globalised world. around the world are hopefully unlikely to see conflict, but there is a humanitarian assistance vessel right there that could be used within our ODA budget. We must 5.20 pm look at the impact on those different areas. Our aid pays Lee Rowley (North East Derbyshire) (Con): Thank for our security, as I have already mentioned. It is what you, Madam Deputy Speaker,for giving me the opportunity stops terrorist organisations from across the world being to contribute to the debate. I pay particular tribute to able to flourish unencumbered. my hon. Friend the Member for Totnes (Anthony We heard many from across the House say that if we Mangnall) for the passion that he displayed in making led on this issue others would follow. They did. Many his argument just now. I imagine that he will not be European countries have followed and are now reaching terribly happy with the comments I am about to make, 0.7% targets. Canada has increased its target. America but I have the greatest amount of respect for what he has increased its spending by £16 billion. We were has just articulated. I also pay tribute to my right hon. 341 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 342 the British Council the British Council [Lee Rowley] any Government to make decisions on spending based not simply on the transient allure of consensus from Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), this usually fractured body, but also with regard to the who made a powerful speech earlier. He was the individual much less exuberant considerations of our national who got me to Africa in the first place. I remember us finances, or perhaps even to the views of those who put talking in 2008—he probably does not remember—when us in this place. That is before we even reference the we were in the eastern province of Rwanda on Project millions of people who have never, ever been reconciled Umubano. Although I am not particularly loud on this to a single arbitrary figure. subject, it is of interest to me, and it has been so ever since he had the courtesy to take me there a number of Mr Mitchell: My hon. Friend is making an interesting years ago. speech. I am not absolutely certain that he absorbed all I also pay tribute to the hon. Member for Rotherham the lessons from our visit to Rwanda, on which I (Sarah Champion), one of my near neighbours. She speaks remember that he was a tremendous colleague to have with such force on this, and I have such respect for the along. We are not delegates here; we are representatives. work that she is doing in her Select Committee— Our constituents send us here on the fine Burkean principle of exercising our judgment. When my hon. Sarah Champion: But? Friend says that the whole House seems to agree on this point, he is right: very large numbers of people in the Lee Rowley: But. The hon. Lady anticipates me, but House agree about it and the Government would not perhaps I can start with some shared principles. win a vote, I assert. Will he join me, at the very least, in I shall start my contribution today by reaffirming saying that the House should have an opportunity to some of the things that have already been spoken about vote on this important matter, on which he and I both with some eloquence—namely, that support for those in stood in the general election? need is part of what makes us human, that aid has the most enormous transformative power for those who are Lee Rowley: My right hon. Friend raises an important less fortunate than us, and that the UK has a proud point, which I know he has pursued relentlessly; I am history of offering other countries a hand up. I do not sure that he will continue to do so beyond the confines doubt the resolve of the many Members who have of my very limited contribution to today’s debate. I am argued the case for higher aid spending with energy and sure that he can take the point up with a representative clarity—and with repetitiveness, based on the last few of the Executive, and I hope that he is successful in his weeks of discussions in this place. I also accept the course. challenge from some of them today that we do not always Mr William Wragg (Hazel Grove) (Con): Will my hon. simply accept polls, we do not always accept what people Friend give way? tell us and we do not always work towards certain instincts that may be out there, but by the same token, Lee Rowley: If I may, I will make some progress, but I we would be wise to heed them at certain points. The would be delighted to give way to my hon. Friend in a debate is, if I may say so, running the risk of projecting moment. a uniform consensus that there is some kind of mandatory, Probably what makes today’s debate so frustrating almost quasi-religious, commitment to a single venerated for people out there who may be watching and who do number. not share the consensus that is generally coming across is that in certain speeches—none of which was recent, I Sarah Champion: I want to make two points. The first might add—it was as if we were arguing about whether is that we all have a manifesto pledge to 0.7%. The to end aid in its entirety. Effectively, we are arguing second is that the most recent polling shows that 53% of today about whether we are going to spend an extraordinary the population support our commitment to UK aid. amount of money on international aid or an incredible That is the evidence. amount of money on international aid. We are allowing Lee Rowley: On the hon. Lady’s second point, I hope a debate to become skewed by a skirmish over an she will accept that different polls are saying different arbitrary percentage that was agreed back in the 1950s things. I may just leave that one there. On her first point, by the World Council of Churches on a basis of which I I absolutely accept that I stood on a manifesto commitment. am still not 100% sure. There is a broad philosophical discussion to be had Anthony Mangnall: My hon. Friend is making a with every Member of Parliament within and without tremendous speech, although I happen to disagree with this building about the manifestos that they stood on, all of it. He is showing his true parliamentary skills, but some of which have been discarded more extensively by the point is that we have arbitrary numbers all over the other Members on other Benches than the particular shop when it comes to politics, from the 2% in NATO to principle that we are talking about now, on a temporary the 2.7% R&D commitment. It is a misnomer to suggest basis. As politicians, we always seek to agree to the that we have them only in foreign aid. They are therefore manifesto on which we have the greatest consensus and not something that we should shy from introducing. with which we have the greatest affinity, but that does not mean that we cannot accept challenges to it or Lee Rowley: My hon. Friend is absolutely right that that changes will not be appropriate or necessary in we have arbitrary targets everywhere; I do not doubt extraordinary circumstances. that. One reason that I sought election to this place was My concern—I say this gently and with caution—is to try to get under the skin of those arbitrary targets. that this place is becoming fixated on a single number, Some of the shibboleths that have not been challenged and while the consensus may be in place here, I hope for a number of years have aspects that we should that even if people disagree with it they will accept that perhaps look at. We might wish to retain them, but we that is not the case outside these walls. It is the duty of should never be shy of reviewing them again. 343 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 344 the British Council the British Council I am not saying this to be sharp with hon. Members, who is responding to the debate, happens to be my but it cannot be that the only approved manifestation of parliamentary neighbour and a good friend of mine. I compassion is via a single monetary figure, free from also backed his boss, the Foreign Secretary, to be leader the realities of any vague financial responsibility or of the Conservative party. I do not want to fall out with even a semblance of fiscal rectitude. That is before we either of them. even get into the points that my hon. Friend the Member Other colleagues have been far more eloquent on for Totnes quite rightly brought up about value for money. international aid than I could be, so I really want to talk I sat on the Public Accounts Committee a couple of about the British Council, which is absolutely fantastic. years ago and some very interesting reports came through Wherever I go throughout the world, I always ask to see on value for money in this area. I accept that it is a very the British Council contact. The British Council deals difficult issue to judge, but we may wish to turn to it with overseas trade and it is marvellous. It is the oldest with as much frequency and as much depth as we talk cultural relations organisation in the world, and the about this single percentage. Prime Minister and Defence Secretary have both given Anthony Mangnall: Will my hon. Friend give way on their support to the excellent work that it does. I very that point? much support the efforts of my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) as chairman of Lee Rowley: If my hon. Friend does not mind, I will the British Council all-party group. I was very pleased try to make a little more progress. to sign a cross-party letter to the Prime Minister on that issue. I do not think that righteousness should be outsourced toaninternationalsectorthatIhavebeenreallydisappointed There are so many reasons to be proud to be British—my in in recent weeks as regards this debate. All the emails goodness, I was proud to be British last night when we coming into my inbox, far from acknowledging the beat the Germans—and one of them is our soft power UK’s continuing commitment to those in need across and how we use that to help those internationally who the world, seem to be trying to create a frame that turns are less able to help themselves. The British Council the UK’s huge generosity against itself and seeks almost represents the best of Britain overseas through educational to sting us into immotive or silent acquiescence. and cultural successes. However, it is a two-sided It really must not be that virtue can be found only in relationship; it works both ways. Before the coronavirus criticism of one number owned by one country, when pandemic, as chairman of the all-party group on the that country will still spend proportionately more this Philippines, I attended a Philippines independence day year than Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, Canada, Ireland, event in Southend. There I met a talented artist who Japan, Austria, Iceland, Hungary, New Zealand, Spain, wanted to have her work displayed in the Philippines, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Poland, Slovakia, South Korea, and thanks to the British Council that was made possible. the Czech Republic, Greece, Australia or the United That is one small example of how the British Council States did in the previous year. I say that not just to helps to facilitate a sharing of the culture and history make a rhetorical point, but because it is important that between our two countries. It was also fantastic to have we understand the context within which we are debating a local Southend artist have her work displayed this important point. internationally, and just one further reason why Southend should be the next city of culture and a city. I absolutely acknowledge the strength of feeling in today’s debate from those who take a different view I and my team have also contacted the British Council from mine. I hope and am sure that hon. Members who over the years about educational links with the United do not take my view will acknowledge that people who, Kingdom. One of the most important things that this like me, do not necessarily speak as loudly or as frequently historic institution does is connect the United Kingdom on the subject, but who also feel strongly about it, also with the rest of the world through the teaching of look to such signals as what people think around the English. As a result, it provides a lifeline for people to country. I am afraid that in my view this debate is advance their career and to continue doing what they moving a little away from the people who placed us are passionate about. here. It is our job, or the job of some of us, to bring it I went on a wonderful trip to the Philippines to assist back into balance. We all want to help lift up our fellow the Philippine Nurses Association and saw at first hand man, and it is not disproportionate that some of us how the British Council and the Voluntary Service want to do that in a way that increases the likelihood of Overseas have helped many Filipino nurses by providing our being able to continue to do so in the future. affordable education. British institutions such as Voluntary Service Overseas have offered young people opportunities 5.29 pm to volunteer overseas—I was not that young when I did Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con): I pay a it, but anyway I really enjoyed it—so I ask the Government warm tribute to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah to commit to the reinstatement of international youth Champion), who is doing a superb job as Chair of the volunteering, so that, once conditions allow for safe International Development Committee. I agreed with international travel, young Brits can benefit from the much of what she said this afternoon. I also pay a warm same opportunities as their predecessors. tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton In 2014, on a trip to Egypt organised by the Inter- Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) for the way that he is leading Parliamentary Union, I met young people involved in a his campaign on international aid. British Council project to learn about their opportunities I find myself in some difficulty this afternoon, because to develop the skills that they need for the future. They the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth were especially appreciative of the opportunities to and Development Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member learn English, participate in our workshops, and visit for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) the United Kingdom. 345 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 346 the British Council the British Council [Sir David Amess] it was excellent at policy. The old Department for International Development was an excellent delivery As chairman of the all-party group on Qatar,I welcome Department, as are the Department for International the strong bilateral ties that we have with Qatar, especially Trade and the Ministry of Defence. in terms of energy, our cultural links and our economic I can well understand why a Prime Minister would partnership. Those ties demonstrate what a true partner wish to restructure our approach to foreign policy; we are with that country, and I hope that its World Cup having a Foreign Secretary who is responsible for all next year will be very successful. areas of foreign policy makes an enormous amount of I mentioned the Maldives, and I have declared my sense. But government works by having Ministers with entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. different responsibilities and having tension between The Maldives economy is effectively based on two those Ministers. A Minister—particularly a Minister at things: tourism and tuna. The coronavirus pandemic Cabinet—responsible for international development focuses has ruined the tourism industry and the 20% import their efforts on that, and the Foreign Secretary could tariffs that we impose on tuna are harshly damaging the consider the whole range of foreign policy with the economy—I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister Secretary of State for Defence, the Secretary of State might mention that, but if he does not have time, for International Trade and that Secretary of State for perhaps he could write to me about it. As chair of the International Development. Not having that seat at the all-party British-Maldives parliamentary group, I think Cabinet table, not having that dedicated Department we should be helping the sustainable line and rod-caught and not even having a dedicated Minister within the tuna industry by significantly reducing tariffs, especially Department is a mistake from the point of view of the as we hosted the G7 and will be hosting COP26 in United Kingdom, because that political tension makes Glasgow later this year. for better decision making. We must protect the British Council in order to follow the Government’s global Britain agenda. Soft power is a Sarah Champion: I am grateful to the right hon. vital component of that plan. Soft power should be at Member for the point that she is making. Does she the heart of our policy making, with a focus on international agree that there is also a trickle-down of that tension, in trade deals and tackling climate change. It therefore that we now have ambassadors who are having to make comes as a great surprise and disappointment that the cuts to programmes in the very countries where they are British Council has been forced to close in 20 countries trying to negotiate the trade deals, diplomatic relationships including Australia, after agreeing the provisional terms and complex human rights issues that this country is so of the UK-Australia free trade agreement and after the good at trying to navigate? UK hosted the G7 summit in Cornwall, which was attended by world leaders from countries affected by : I absolutely agree; that is my point. If the British Council closures, including the United States our ambassadors are responsible merely for diplomatic of America. relations, that is one thing, but if they are to be responsible It is obvious that the British Council does not have for making decisions around international development, enough funding to run programmes in every country in they should also be responsible for decisions around which it is currently present. The cuts will prove to be a defence and trade, because it is all part of one policy false economy. I therefore urge the Government to area. It is actually much healthier for government— rethink the allocation of resources to enable as many [Interruption.] The Minister looks like he wants me to countries as possible to benefit from the irreplaceable give way. Does he wish me to sit down? I will. services that the British Council provides, and to give others internationally the opportunities to learn, share James Duddridge: I cannot contain myself. Ambassadors and succeed. are responsible for the whole of Her Majesty’sGovernment. 5.36 pm Karen Bradley: My hon. Friend, who is one of my Karen Bradley (Staffordshire Moorlands) (Con): May oldest friends in this place, makes a very important point. I start by referring to my entry in the Register of Members’ However, the hon. Member for Rotherham also makes Financial Interests? I congratulate the hon. Member for the point that if ambassadors are having to make decisions Rotherham (Sarah Champion) on securing this debate on cutting programmes at the same time as developing and my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield diplomatic relations and representing every bit of HMG, (Mr Mitchell) on the fantastic contributions that he has that will make their jobs that much harder. made to this debate over many, many years. I have to My second point is about the 0.7%. I listened to my confess that I was not expecting a full seven minutes. I hon. Friend, and I have great sympathy with the fact have three points to make, although I will pad them out that he feels that he is in a den of people who disagree slightly more than I might have done in the three minutes with him. I do not actually disagree with him that that I was expecting. much. I think he would be surprised to discover that I My first point is about the way in which we conduct accept that we are in the most extraordinary times. I do foreign policy in this country. My hon. Friend the not like anything about this pandemic: I do not like the Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Tom Tugendhat), fact that this House is empty, I do not like the fact that I who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, referred to cannot see my loved ones, and I really do not like the this issue earlier. If the UK wants to have a policy-based fact that we do not have the money that we should have foreign policy that is led by the Foreign and Commonwealth and would like to have. I would much, much rather we Office, which is now the Foreign, Commonwealth and did have that money, but I accept that we do not. Development Office, it needs to include within that However, the programmes and the organisations that the trade policy and defence policy. The Foreign and rely on British aid need to know that the money will be Commonwealth Office was a very good policy Department; restored next year. I have spent significant time talking 347 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 348 the British Council the British Council to the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery. The it can get back on its feet. The price that we will pay for programmes it will need to cut if it does not have not meeting that request by the British Council is that certainty about spending next year will really damage we will see the closure of offices around the world, the work that it and the organisations that it supports including in the US, Afghanistan and other places. have spent years doing. The problem is that someone I said in respect of international aid that other countries else will move in and take that space. Someone else that will move in; there can be no doubt about the significance we may disagree with will start to move in those circles of the British Council and its offices, and about the idea and take on projects, and years and years of building up of another power moving into those offices where the relationships will be wasted. It is all part of soft power: British Council has been. Yes, the British Council sells the power that being a permanent member of the language services to the public, but the service it provides Security Council gives us; the power that being a country to the United Kingdom is about far more than just that meets our NATO commitments gives us; and the language services. The British Council is about Britain’s power that meeting the 0.7% commitment gives us. It place in the world and is perhaps the most visible part may be an arbitrary target and there may be a debate to of our soft power that anyone sees in any country they be had about whether it is the right target, but that is have visited. I was able to travel the world as a Minister not what we are debating today. We are debating whether at many levels and as a Select Committee member, and we meet the manifesto commitment and whether we are the British Council was always present, promoting Britain, going to return to that manifesto commitment. I ask my British values and British interests. I say to my hon. hon. Friend, who, as I say, is one of the greatest men Friend the Minister: please try to find a way to support that I know—he has whipped me and then I have the British Council so that we do not have to see the whipped him in the past—please to confirm that he will closure of posts. Once we have moved out and those return to the 0.7% commitment next year so that we can relationships are lost, they will never be regained; someone hold our heads up high in the world. It is imperative else will move in and we will be a poorer country for it. that, if the Government cannot give that commitment, this House has a vote on the matter. Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans): The time limit A small amount of money spent at source makes an is eight minutes. I call Sir Edward Leigh. enormous amount of difference to the people at home. We have heard talk about whether we choose between 5.46 pm people at home or people elsewhere. There is no such choice. The migrants crossing the channel from Calais Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough) (Con): It is a pleasure are getting on those unsafe boats because organised to follow my right hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire criminals have told them that there is a route to get to Moorlands (Karen Bradley) and to have watched her the United Kingdom if they do so. In spending overseas whip the Minister into submission even before he has development money, I suspect that not as much money given his speech, which I look forward to hearing because needs to be spent at source to try to deal with that he is a most effective Minister. organised criminality as we are spending trying to send From a right-wing point of view, the point that my those dinghies back. I say to my hon. Friend: let us right hon. Friend made was very effective. My constituents think about how we can make sure that we spend that in Lincolnshire are absolutely grinding their teeth at money in the right places and do what we need to do. what is happening at the channel and want the Home Office to be far more proactive. This is not the right Sarah Champion: On the right hon. Lady’s point place to talk about what the Home Office should be about the migrants in the channel, the director of the doing, but why are people coming here? These are not World Food Programme said to me, “You are removing nasty people; they are desperate people fleeing the most money from the areas in Africa where the terrorists are appalling war, poverty and deprivation. The channel is recruiting. Do you not think that they will be using the proving completely ineffective. In the second world war, exact same routes to get into the UK that the migrants we held back the Nazi hordes with the RAF—we stopped looking for work are using?” I agree with him. them, but we cannot hold people back. We are one world. If there is dire misery and poverty in the world, it Karen Bradley: I absolutely agree with the hon. Lady. will wash up on our shores. This is not an either/or. Money spent there will save money upstream. I know that the Treasury scorecard is Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con): My right very difficult to comprehend and that this is not necessarily hon. Friend says that comments about Dover are not how it works, but that relatively small amount of money applicable to this debate, but I argue that they absolutely will save enormous amounts of money at home and will are. We do not explain to the British people how this make the world a better place for all of us. money can be spent and that it does affect them directly. My final point is on the British Council. I am If we did, we would have more support for confirming disappointed by the situation that we have arrived at. I the 0.7% commitment, rather than old-fashioned views know that the Government have put an enormous about where the money has been spent—and I agree amount of money into the British Council. The British that some of it has been spent badly in the past. My Council is normally pretty much self-sustaining. Its right hon. Friend is absolutely right to focus on this language schools and language business mean that it issue, because when international development money pays for about 85% of its costs in normal times—but, as is spent correctly, it will be supported by the British I have said, we are not in normal times. Like so many people. other organisations, the British Council has not been able to deliver the services that it would have delivered Sir Edward Leigh: I am sure that is right. I accept and therefore make the income that can and needs to that if we took an opinion poll in the Gainsborough make. We are talking about money for two years so that constituency,a majority—perhaps even a strong majority— 349 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 350 the British Council the British Council [Sir Edward Leigh] he says in his constituency on this matter, and what he says to Ministers on this matter,is having a very significant would be in favour of these cuts. I accept that, but if for effect. a moment the Government explained what the money is spent on, they would find that the British people are Sir Edward Leigh: My right hon. Friend is very kind. kind and humanitarian. People in Lincolnshire often I suppose being the last Thatcherite is better than being say to me, “Why are we giving money to India? They the last Majorite. have aircraft carriers and a space programme.” I shall Actually,funnily enough, according to the latest opinion leave aside the utter poverty of hundreds of millions of polls, opinion is changing, because people are waking people in Uttar Pradesh; why are we living through this up to the fact that in the middle of a global pandemic it horrible lockdown? Why are we spying on Ministers is probably not a very good time to cut aid—all these with cameras and having a complete moral void? Because problems are now coming back to bite us. of the delta variant, which has come from where? India. Whether it is the pandemic or migrants, we cannot Navendu Mishra: Does the UK not have a special insulate ourselves from the world. That is why we have responsibility when it comes to Yemen, as a permanent an overseas aid programme. member of the Security Council but also as one of the largest suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which has Karen Bradley: A point that I wanted to make—I ran a big role to play in the Yemen conflict? out of time despite the fact that I had more than three minutes—is that actually, for many people 0.5% is the Sir Edward Leigh: The UK does have a role, and I wrong percentage as well; the amount of aid that they fully accept the point about the Commonwealth. We wish to be spent is zero. So actually the Government, by have heard that we should prioritise the Commonwealth, going from 0.7% to 0.5%, are not achieving anything in but as we have also heard, where are these cuts falling? terms of popularity. On the Commonwealth. But we cannot just direct our aid to the Commonwealth; we have to direct it where it Sir Edward Leigh: That is precisely the point that I is most needed. wanted to make. On the Thatcherite point—and this is not the By the way, I am proud of the work that we did on the humanitarian point, because many people have made Public Accounts Committee to get an estimates day the humanitarian point, which I associate myself with—I debate that actually discusses estimates. In the past, remember, in my first Parliament, listening to Enoch before our successful campaign, the one thing we were Powell. He sat over there on the Opposition Back Bench. not allowed to discuss was estimates. Indeed when one In fact, my first rebellion was to force the Government of my colleagues, the then MP for Southport, stood up into requiring workplace trade unions to hold postal and tried to discuss estimates he was ruled out of order ballots, while the Minister defended workplace ballots; by your predecessor,Mr Deputy Speaker. So we are talking but I leave that to one side. today about money, and this is precisely the point I Now, what would Enoch Powell have said on this want to come to. subject? He would not have liked the 0.7%, but he I am No. 39 on the call list. I could devote my entire would have said it was ridiculous to have an arbitrary speech to the humanitarian arguments, but I have listened limit of 0.7%, to reduce it to another arbitrary limit of to previous speeches and I associate myself with them 0.5% and then to promise to increase it back to 0.7%. entirely. I just cannot for a moment understand why we As he would have said—I cannot do the Birmingham are cutting aid to Yemen by 50%. The scenes there were accent, unlike my right hon. Friend the Member for appalling. The Chancellor very kindly paid me in the Sutton Coldfield—“It is a logical absurdity. It is a summer to go to Doddington Hall and have a very nice nonsense built on stilts. It makes no sense” that all these meal with my family under Eat Out to Help Out. Was civil servants, in the middle of a global pandemic, are that money well spent? Then I look at what is happening running around cutting all these programmes, and next in Yemen, where some poor boy goes out and his leg is year, if we believe the Government—and of course the blown off, or the father goes out and he is never seen Government would never tell an untruth to the House, again. This is dire poverty, war, deprivation. Leaving would they, so this is only a temporary cut—all these aside whether this problem washes up on our shores or programmes, after this pandemic, are going to be restored. not, do we not have a duty to these people? [Interruption.] The Minister is shaking his head. So are I so well remember talking to a woman in northern they not going to be restored? Iraq. That very thing had happened to her—one day her husband had gone out and he was never seen again. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, So of course we have very serious problems in Lincolnshire, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (James Duddridge): but not compared to what is happening in Yemen. We We will return to 0.7%, and we will do that in the most just cannot turn our back; we cannot walk down the effective way. I would hope to build back better. other side of the road. SirEdwardLeigh:When,weask—whatdoes“temporary” Mr Mitchell: My right hon. Friend mentioned his mean? Surely temporary only means temporary. constituency, where he has been and is much loved for Being helpful, I want to give the Government a way many, many years, and he says that he thinks that his out. We have the Budget coming up before the end of advocacy may or may not convince his constituents. I the year. Why cannot the Chancellor of the Exchequer have to tell him that he is the last Thatcherite—or address this issue and explain how he is going to restore possibly one of two—left in this House, a point that the the 0.7%? We live in a parliamentary democracy. I will House will award him, and I have to tell him that what leave aside the point about the manifesto. I know that 351 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 352 the British Council the British Council circumstances change, and I know that we are strapped We are also too cautious about all the expenditure we for cash, but I follow the point that this is a relatively make through the Ministry of Defence. Why were we in small amount of the total budget. However, the Minister Afghanistan? Afghanistan is one of the main recipients has now confirmed that we are going to return to 0.7%. of our aid, and in recent years we have been spending Here is one way out—I am trying to help the Prime considerable sums of money on support through our Minister. When it comes to vaccines or tropical medicine, military and the advice we offer. Those things should where there is a real problem, he could, week by week or also be taken into account to get a realistic picture of month by month, release more money for a particular just how much the Government are spending on necessary programme in addition to the 0.5%. He would get assistance abroad. enormous public credit, there would be good publicity The second issue that has been raised in the debate is for him, and gradually we could restore what is being cut. that colleagues fear a loss of influence. I would like to The Chancellor of the Exchequer could then announce, reassure them that surely this year, of all years, is when in the Budget, “We have now come out of the pandemic, we have seen a major advance in British influence. We the country is fully vaccinated, the economy is growing have just taken our full seat with a vote on the World very well again, and I can now increase this back to Trade Organisation, and we are busily signing off a 0.7%.” Or he could do the honest thing, if that is not his number of trade agreements around the world that we view, and say, “I believe this 0.7% target in a year is could not have done in previous years. The Prime arbitrary; I think it should be phased in over three Minister has just very successfully chaired the G7 and years,” or “I believe that we should preserve it in real has helped to bring together the seven most powerful terms.” He can make any argument he wants and we western democracies in terms of economic strength to will listen to it, and then we should have a vote on it and reach important agreements to improve the world outlook. either approve what he suggests or deny him. We have COP26 coming up, when I trust that British chairmanship will be astute and helpful in order to Surely, what is completely unacceptable in a agree something that many Governments in the world parliamentary democracy is for a Government to make talk a lot about, though not all of them do as much as a manifesto commitment, to make a cut and say it is we do to try and see things through. We are very much temporary, but to avoid any vote—to prevaricate—just the second most important member of NATO in terms because they think they might lose the vote and, worse, of contribution after the United States of America, and just because they think it is popular. Is it so popular? Is we are a force within NATO to make sure that it is used it the right thing to do, or should we not do the right for the good, as a force for peace. thing? On the 0.7% target, I make no secret of the fact that I 5.56 pm do not like targets like that. I did not feel at the time it went through that there was any point in trying to (Wokingham) (Con) [V]: I support the persuade Parliament because Parliament was very hooked Government’s estimate and I look forward to its passage. on such a target. The difficulty with a target like that is, I also back the Government’s judgment at this very as we have seen, that national income can change quite difficult time, when so many economies, including our rapidly in ways that people did not predict—if something own, have been badly damaged by responses to the like a pandemic strikes, in particular—and it is not pandemic. But I also understand the mood of the always possible, when we get the recovery, to build up House and I understand that a number of my hon. and the spending as quickly as the GNI, and it would be right hon. Friends whom I respect have misgivings silly to have to spend money when we do not have really about all this. I would just like to make a few remarks in good projects. the spirit of trying to build some bridges between the Nor do I like the idea of Governments passing legislation Government and their critics, who have been very wide- to bind themselves. It seems to me completely pointless. ranging in this debate. What matters is the word of the Government. If The first point I make is that I do not trust the figures. circumstances change, they may have to change, and all I think that the Government understate just how much the time that the Government control a majority, the we already do and how much we already spend. We are fact that it is in legislation does not make any difference. much more cautious about what we regard as aid The Government still have to decide whether to keep expenditure than some other countries we are compared their word or whether force majeure or force of circumstance against, even though we usually spend more than they requires some temporary or permanent change. do as a percentage. In this debate, I think lots of colleagues have all Let us take, for example, an area that colleagues have decided to duplicate and replicate one another’s speeches already mentioned. This country has received a very by saying how much they dislike any kind of cut in our large number of economic migrants and asylum seekers immediate aid programme. I would like to have heard, in recent years. In the year to March 2020, the last for from all those who are understandably enthusiastic which we have official figures, 715,000 people came to about the good that aid could do, rather more discussion live in our country, and many of them came from poor of what works best when we have limited money—as we countries that have qualified for overseas aid. We do not always will, whether the limit is 0.5% or 0.7% of our fully account, in the way that one might, for the first-year GDP—so that we can do the most good with it. We set-up costs—the housing, the public service provision, have had several years of 0.7% but we still have the the top-up benefits and the other assistance that people same list of main countries needing aid, so we know are rightfully given when they come to live with us and that this is not a simple fix, that we are one of many and we wish them to live to a reasonable standard. Surely, that we need to work with other partners around the helping people who wish to come here because they find world. We need to harness the private sector and the their own countries so disadvantageous is a very important charitable sector; it does not all have to come from part of our overseas aid. British taxpayers. 353 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 354 the British Council the British Council [John Redwood] if it asks, “Do you want to feed the world’s hungriest and support those most in need?”, I am sure that, being When we are looking at progress, we first need to a generous and kind country, we would also say yes. establish a peace. Quite a lot of the countries that need a lot of aid still do not have a peace; they have a civil Mr Ellwood: I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, war going on. That means that any particular projects and indeed I would go further and say that not only is may just be damaged or wasted because of the lack of that what we do, but it is required. that fundamental condition. It is best if there is a decent I come to this debate today to add a defence and Government who can deliver and who are not corrupt. security perspective. Hard power and soft power cannot To what extent are we allowed to try to influence be seen in isolation; they are two sides of the same coin. Governments in the right direction, because we do not If our failure in Afghanistan, where we are now essentially wish to become a neo-colonial power? giving up and going home, should teach us anything, it We need to harness the private sector more so that the is that we cannot build and maintain peace by military money that our taxpayers and other advanced countries’ means alone. taxpayers put in is multiplied several times by getting that investment in the water systems, the communications Mr Mitchell: My right hon. Friend is making a brilliant systems or the food systems that are needed, which speech on the link between defence and development. In should come more from commercial work. Above all, I the case of Yemen, we have a very complicated relationship, think our message should be that trade is often more because of course we are part of the coalition that is effective as a means of promoting economic growth and bombing that country back to the stone age, but we are prosperity than aid. We, above all, should believe that, also trying to help those caught up in the conflict. Does now that we are leading advocates of freer trade around he not think that the one thing we ought to be able to the world and back there in the WTO. Is it not much agree on is that we should not, at this stage, be taking better that we help to offer contracts to people who can food from starving people there? organise economic activity, which creates better-paid jobs and things to do, rather than just having one-off Mr Ellwood: My right hon. Friend is absolutely right, amounts of aid to ease the particular problems of not and I congratulate him on the work that he is doing. having a decent economy? There is a great example of where British leadership can This year, above all, surely is the year when Britain be seen on the international stage. Yemen requires can be truly proud of its achievements in this area, leadership. We have been there for some time and have because, thanks to our scientists, the NHS and the not utilised our relationship with the Saudis to prevent Government, we are giving to the world the cheapest them from doing what they have been doing. We could vaccine, the one non-profit vaccine—often a free vaccine, have better harnessed our friendships and capabilities in because our taxpayers are standing behind that offer. order to bring a conclusion to that particular challenge. This surely sums up the generosity of spirit of the I worked as a Minister in both the Foreign and British people, and the success of the British economy Commonwealth Office, as it then was—I was Minister and our world influence: that it will be a British vaccine for the Middle East and North Africa—and the Ministry that is so often deployed, and that it was a British of Defence, and I can confirm how siloed our Whitehall vaccine at the heart of the Prime Minister’s successful Departments still are. I concede that things are definitely negotiations at the G7 to get other rich countries to get getting better, but if global Britain is to have meaning, on with the task of vaccinating the world. exhibiting increased resolve to play a role on the international stage, it will require greater cohesion between 6.5 pm our internationalist-facing Departments, which even Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con): The today remain too siloed. Government would have us believe that the backdrop to I would go further than the Chair of the Foreign this debate is the impact of covid, with the knock-on Affairs Committee and introduce the role of a Deputy financial pressures requiring departmental budgets to Prime Minister,with the arc of responsibility to co-ordinate be cut or correspondingly slimmed. There are indeed the MOD, DFID, FCO and trade initiatives, so that unprecedented financial pressures, but the overseas aid we can develop grand strategies to tackle some of the budget has a built-in mechanism to cater for any financial global hotspots that we are engaged in. We do need to challenge, as we all know, because it reflects the GNI of expand our Whitehall bandwidth. the day. Yet here we are, the only G7 country to cut its aid budget, with dire consequences for programmes Navendu Mishra: Does the right hon. Gentleman across the world and, as a P5 nation, a huge hit to our share my view that abolishing DFID at the height of a soft power credentials. We will be leaving vacuums to be global pandemic was a backward step, and that the role filled by nations with very different agendas, or indeed of development is far too serious to be left to the now by extremist groups exploiting the lack of governance. much larger FCDO, and without a dedicated Minister The messaging has already been touched on, but I at the top table? will just repeat the point that the Government should Mr Ellwood: My biggest criticism about that is what lead the narrative, not follow a populist and dated view is done in practice to the Department and the important of ODA spending. Let us explain to the British people voice at the Cabinet table and at the National Security what this is all about. This is what we are good at—we Council. Now we have only the Foreign Secretary there, excel at it—and when we do well, other nations follow. not another voice, and that is what we have lost. Christian Wakeford: Part of the problem with judging Weabsolutely need to expand our Whitehall bandwidth by a poll is the language used. If it asks, “Do you want a to be able to recognise the current challenges to which cut in international aid?”, people will say yes. However, we could provide solutions and also the looming ones 355 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 356 the British Council the British Council that are coming over the horizon. This is the point I There is a phenomenal opportunity for British leadership hope the Minister will listen to. The real backdrop to here, made all the easier with the new US Administration, this debate that we must all recognise is where our to craft a post-Brexit international role at the very complex and dangerous world is heading. If there was moment the west is required to regroup. I urge this one welcome outcome of the G7 summit, it is the Government to listen to the voices here today in this realisation that unless the west becomes less risk-averse, Parliament and see the bigger picture, recognise the regroups and reunites, the next decade will get very bumpy scale of the threat we face, invest in the statecraft and indeed. the hard and soft power tools we need, and expand I have been consistent in my clear message to this Whitehall’s international bandwidth, for the actions House: over the next five years, the world is getting we the west choose to take over the next few years more dangerous, not less, and more complex, not less. could have implications for how the next few decades Authoritarianism is on the rise, new power bases are play out. emerging, and states are starting to rearm at an alarming rate. To compound matters, we now have the growing 6.14 pm challenge of climate change, which is already having an Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con): Like my impact on security and governance in some of the right hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire Moorlands world’s most vulnerable regions. Storms, floods and (Karen Bradley), I anticipated having three minutes droughts will affect agricultural productivity, damage and, somehow, I now have eight minutes. Unlike her, I economies and lead to mass migration, most notably have since written more notes and now have the difficulty from Africa to Europe. This goes back to the point of trying to read my own writing. about where the challenge is: it is not in Dover; it is I rise to recognise the UK’s global reputation for actually in Africa. Simply put, global security in our delivering life-saving aid, to warn of the risks resulting ever complex and confusing world is on a worrying from a reduction to the 0.7% target and to offer ideas glide path, and right now there is no grand plan to alter for maximising the UK’s support for the world’s most the current trajectory. The threat picture is greater and vulnerable through the next decade and beyond. However, more complex than during the cold war, and it requires I start by paying tribute to my hon. Friend the Member addressing. for Totnes (Anthony Mangnall), who made the important The political scientist Joe Nye introduced the term point that it is about the four aspects of defence, trade, “soft power” a decade ago. It is the ability to influence development and diplomacy all working together. Like the behaviour of others to get the outcomes we want by four wheels on a car, we cannot get to our destination attracting and co-opting their support. However, in the without all four working at the same time. spirit of Sun Tzu, who said: We need to consider the impact of development on “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without trade, the impact of development on defence and the fighting”, impact of development on diplomacy, and likewise in I argue here today that a new global soft power war or reverse. There needs to be a more holistic view of what soft war is already at play, but we in the west have yet to we can do to be a truly global Britain. wake up to its reality. Aid is a British success story. We are recognised as China is weaponising its immense soft power to global experts and have achieved incredible results. significantly advance its influence and reach, and to Since 2015, we have helped 14 million children access promote its own interpretation of the international education, and we have helped 6 million girls. When rules-based order. We are seeing this gathering apace leadership was needed to address covid-19 in poorer across Africa and Asia through its one belt, one road countries, the UK stepped forward, committing over infrastructure programmes and its gifting of 5G networks half a billion pounds and 100 million vaccine doses to and military support to ensnare dozens and dozens of the COVAX initiative. We have led the world in tackling countries into its sphere of influence. It is also securing violence against women and girls, by launching the senior leadership positions in international organisations preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative—again, such as the United Nations to neutralise any criticism I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Totnes— of its errant behaviour, and is now contributing ever and funding innovative new programmes. moresignificantChinesemilitaryforcestoUNpeacekeeping Aid spending is also an investment in our global missions. As we have heard today, it is using its Confucius reputation. It establishes us as respected and trusted centres—now over 600 across the globe—to advance its international partners, which can only help in our mission message. to secure trade deals that will benefit the constituents of This will be China’scentury,as it eventually overshadows every Member in this House, including mine in Bury and overtakes America as the dominant military,economic South. and technological superpower, yet here we are in Britain With generous and effective aid spending and a global still failing to put two and two together. For a nation diplomatic presence comes our soft power and soft that usually prides itself on its place and influence in the influence, which places the UK at the heart of critical world and its grasp of global situational awareness, I debates and gives us the legitimacy and ability to guide am genuinely baffled to understand why it is not reading international action on key global challenges such as and responding to this bigger picture. China is offering climate change. When the UK speaks on such issues, a competing authoritarian ideology and is leveraging its the world listens. colossal economic growth to undercut western competition. It is with concern, therefore, that we witness the On this current glide path, the world will splinter into slashing of aid budgets, eroding this proud legacy and, two spheres of competing influence. Now is not the ultimately, costing lives. We have made a commitment time to cut our defence budgets or our aid budgets as to ensuring 12 years of quality education for girls and, these threats increase, yet here we are doing both. as a founding member of the International Parliamentary 357 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 358 the British Council the British Council [Christian Wakeford] 6.20 pm Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP) [V]: Thank you, Network for Education, this is something of which I am Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the hon. Member for immensely proud, yet our aid cuts leave 700,000 girls Rotherham (Sarah Champion) for bringing this important without access to education. debate to the House. She is a colleague on the International We have pledged to prevent 20 million people from Development Committee and I also consider her to be a experiencing catastrophic famine, but we have cut our friend. I have listened carefully to the debate over the funding to Yemen, a country on the brink of famine, by course of today and the direction seems to be going in nearly 60%. one way, which is that these cuts are abominable. The cuts are not going unnoticed by our friends or, For millions of people throughout the world, the more importantly, our adversaries. The UN Secretary- issues that we have discussed are not a matter of political General has described the aid cuts as a “death sentence”. debate. They are a matter of life and death. After a year My right hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth of immense hardship, suffering and death in these islands East (Mr Ellwood) said that the recruiting sergeants of and across the world, it is deplorable that this Government Hezbollah, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, ISIS and other are selfishly intent on abandoning their responsibilities armed militia across the globe will be the immediate to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. beneficiaries of the cuts to the UK’s humanitarian The world’s most comprehensive study on increased programmes. China and Russia are watching, and they demand for aid since the pandemic revealed that 19 million will not hesitate to fill the vacuum we are creating and more people are now in need of humanitarian aid and destabilise more regions across the globe. the gap on reaching the sustainable development goals With an eye on the development of the UK’s new is widening. Now is the time to be stepping up, not international development strategy, I will finish with stepping away. Yet, unlike other nations throughout the three recommendations. First, let us use the strategy to world and against all logic, this UK Government believe announce a return to spending 0.7% of GNI on aid and that the correct response to this global crisis is to to signal to our G7 and G20 allies that Britain can be a prematurely end life-saving projects with their £4 billion force for good and a trusted international partner. plus-cuts to the aid budget. Secondly, let us focus our aid on where it is needed Mr Deputy Speaker, make no mistake: these cuts are most. The International Rescue Committee’s analysis a death sentence to millions of our fellow global citizens. shows that 20 countries, mostly conflict-afflicted, currently Estimates suggest that more than a million excess child host 85% of the 235 million people in need of humanitarian deaths alone could occur as a result. We have all been assistance globally. Maintaining our commitment to children and many of us have children—this is a truly spending 50% of ODA in fragile and conflict-afflicted horrifying figure and one we should all reflect upon. countries provides the greatest opportunity to drive It should shame the Prime Minister, the Foreign down humanitarian need and ensure value for taxpayers’ Secretary and this Government, but as their behaviour money. has demonstrated since they began their assault on Finally,let us unleash the power of integrating diplomacy international development by abolishing the Department and development. We are permanent members of the last year, they have scant regard for the facts and the UN Security Council, NATO, the G7, the G20 and Five consequences of their actions. They are determined to Eyes. We have a global diplomatic network. In short, we pursue this callous policy, even if that means running have clout. When we speak, the world rightly listens, but scared of a parliamentary vote and, of course, breaking our world-leading diplomacy should lead efforts to the law. reduce suffering, to foster peace in conflicts like Yemen, The FCDO spending plans give barely any detail on to remove barriers that deny humanitarian aid to those where these cuts are falling and how spending compares who need it, and to hold to account those who attack to previous years. They are trying their very best to civilians and violate international law. make scrutiny almost impossible and hide these cuts. I am proud of Britain, and I am proud of a global Charities are still in limbo as to whether their immediate Britain, especially in a post-Brexit world. I am proud of and future programmes can even go ahead. Unable to the values we stand for and the progress that we have plan properly,domestic and international NGO recruitment made through our aid spending, and I am sure I will be has been paused and skilled and experienced staff are proud of what we achieve in future years, too, as soon being laid off, losing decades of institutional memory. as we go back to 0.7%. As we recover from covid, the This is an appalling way to conduct Government and an next big thing to focus on is climate change. Again, unsustainable state of affairs. The NGO sector is a success 0.7% is fundamental to addressing climate change. story for Scotland and the UK more widely, but the UK These results will come only if we retain our aid Government are intent on trashing that. As news emerges spending. Restoring the budget is not just the right of each project either cut or cancelled, the devastating thing to do morally, it is the right thing to do for the reality of this Government’s decision becomes clearer. UK’s national interest. Let us return to 0.7% and return Let us begin with the most basic of needs: food. to doing what we do best. Malnutrition contributes to nearly half of all deaths in I close by saying that Britain keeps its promises; let us children under 5 globally, and yet this Government have do so again. In this House we often say anecdotally that opted to undermine recent G7 initiatives to prevent it is country, constituency and then party. This may not famine and laid waste to years of UK expertise by be the popular thing in the country, in my constituency imposing cuts to nutrition programmes—wait for it, or in my party, but it is the right thing to do. Mr Deputy Speaker—by up to 80%. Another obscene example of this Government’s little Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans): We now come Britain approach to the world is that despite the past to the wind-up speeches and, by video link, Chris Law. year being a stark reminder of the need to prevent 359 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 360 the British Council the British Council disease, nearly 300 million doses of medicine for the Independence campaign in 2014, I often argued that treatment of neglected diseases in Africa are at risk of voting for Scottish independence was paradoxically a expiring and being destroyed because the FCDO has vote to protect what many understood as traditional announced that it is withdrawing nearly all its funding. British values: fairness, justice and inclusion. The UK Government could not confirm that expiring As successive UK Governments have moved away medicines will be distributed urgently,rather than destroyed, from or abandoned those principles, the case for Scottish and the World Health Organisation has warned that independence to protect them has only become stronger. because of these cuts 30,000 individuals are likely to die That becomes even more apparent as the UK becomes needlessly. increasingly insular and diminishes its role in the world. Furthermore, these cuts are not only needless, but Indeed, in 2014, the Better Together campaign told they are completely incoherent. For example, there will voters in Scotland that being part of the UK ensured be almost £1 billion of cuts to the UK Government’s their place at the top table as a global leader, yet since work on preventing conflict—conflict being the very then we have seen the UK leave the EU and break source of many of the crises happening at any one time international law. Now, during a pandemic, and when across the world—yet in Yemen, where the world’s every other G7 country has increased its aid contributions, worst humanitarian disaster continues, we see a cut in they have broken their promises on international support. aid of nearly three quarters compared with 2019. In While the UK Government are abruptly ending addition, the Government have decided to slash aid to deforestation prevention projects vital to global climate Syria and, for the first time since 1991, will provide no change efforts, the Scottish Government are doubling bilateral aid whatever to Iraq. their world-leading climate justice fund. While the UK If I needed to drive the point home harder, let us Government are alone in slashing their international return to Scotland, where COP26 will be hosted. I was development spend by a third at this critical juncture shocked to learn that just weeks after the UK’s COP26 for the world, the Scottish Government are working President, the right hon. Member for Reading West (Alok with their partners worldwide and increasing their Sharma) visited Indonesia and called upon it to “move international development fund by 50%. While the Scottish forward” with plans to reach net zero carbon emissions Government fulfil their role as a good global citizen, by 2050, the Foreign Office cancelled with immediate this little Britain approach of the UK Government does effect a green growth programme designed to prevent not even blush at the evidence that millions of lives will deforestation, three years into a five-year programme. If be lost by their incoherent, unnecessary and, frankly, that is not bonkers, I do not know what is. callous cuts. This UK Government are fooling no one when they Finally, when the people of Scotland have the choice pretend that they have no other option but to reduce on their future, as they have democratically demanded spending due to economic restraints. It was a political in the recent Scottish election this year, I have no doubt choice that shows exactly where their political priorities which option they will choose. lie. Covid is affecting every single nation on Earth, and it is now that we should be pulling together through this 6.29 pm awful pandemic. Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South and Penarth) (Lab/ In September, The Times reported that the Chancellor Co-op): I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham was looking to defer billions of pounds from foreign aid (Sarah Champion), who chairs the International to pay for upgrades to British intelligence and defence Development Committee, and the Backbench Business capabilities. Without any attempt to disguise it, in the Committee for securing this debate, and all Members same month that the cut from 0.7% to 0.5% was announced, across the House who supported the application. It has a windfall was delivered for the defence budget. Money been a very good debate, with some powerful contributions that should have been spent on preventing famine, from across the House. It has been good to be back in malnutrition and needless loss of life is now being spent this place actually having a proper debate, with people on enhanced cyber-weapons. Money that should have engaging and asking questions. We hope to see more of been spent on conflict prevention is now being spent on that in this place as we go forward. AI-enabled drones. Money that should have been spent We heard powerful comments from the Chair of the on protecting our planet and marginalised communities Committee about the lack of transparency over these from the devastating effects of climate change is now cuts, their public financial illiteracy and their impact. being spent on increasing stockpiles of nuclear weapons. The former Prime Minister, the right hon. Member Last month, the Prime Minister then confirmed that for Maidenhead (Mrs May), spoke powerfully about while the fiscal situation does not allow him to maintain not looking at things in silos, how things such as modern international development spending, somehow he does slavery and girls’ education are intimately connected, deem it financially prudent to waste £200 million on a and the impact of these cuts on the UK’s clout on the new royal yacht Britannia, despite the royal family’s world stage. displeasure. Despite my writing to the Prime Minister, The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the he has still given no assurance that he will not try to hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Tom Tugendhat), claim that money from spending and on the backs of said that these cuts will undermine Britain’s bilateral the world’s poorest and most vulnerable, as MPs and ties and are a mistake when we should be making an Ministers have previously suggested. impact around the world. Despite the bluster of global Britain, the facts speak My hon. Friend the Member for Bethnal Green and for themselves. This is a UK Government who would Bow (Rushanara Ali) spoke about the impact of the rather spend money on nostalgia-driven vanity projects cuts on food insecurity when famine is on the rise, and and weapons of mass destruction than on saving human on the joint economic and health crises that the world lives. This is cold, hard and brutish. During my Spirit of faces. I will return to that point. 361 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 362 the British Council the British Council [Stephen Doughty] He said that we have to look at wider health systems globally to deliver beyond vaccines, including on issues The former International Development Secretary, the such as clean water. right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), Again, another Government Member, the right hon. made an extraordinarily powerful and persuasive speech. Member for North Thanet (Sir Roger Gale), spoke He was absolutely right to say that the Government are, incredibly powerful. He asked why on earth we are in fact, the ones rebelling—against their own manifesto cutting pandemic-preventing programmes and spoke commitments. He spoke about the absurdity of cutting about the literally life or death decisions that are now organisations such as UNICEF and UNFPA, and the being made. work on neglected tropical diseases, at a time when that My hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Navendu work is more crucial than ever. Mishra) made a typically strong speech about the job The hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay(Mr Baron) cuts at the British Council, and the hon. Member for made a powerful case about the absurd closures that the Totnes (Anthony Mangnall) gave a fantastic and incredibly British Council now faces, leaving it £10 million short; well informed speech about the practical implications of my hon. Friend the Member for Aberavon (Stephen the cuts. He rightly challenged some of his colleagues, Kinnock) spoke powerfully about that issue the other day. including the hon. Member for Rother Valley (Alexander My right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Stafford), on the impact that the will have on the Hodge Hill (Liam Byrne) talked about the incoherence Commonwealth; these cuts are going to have an impact of the cuts, and the right hon. Member for Haltemprice on Commonwealth countries and on countries that and Howden (Mr Davis) spoke about their stark impact want to join the Commonwealth, such as South Sudan. on our fellow human beings in some of the worst They will have an impact on places such as Rwanda, on humanitarian catastrophes, and said that polling shows which the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield ran a that the British public want us to support action in fantastic programme over many years, which many of those circumstances. his colleagues attended. The hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Harriett The hon. Member for Southend West (Sir David Baldwin), who is a former Minister, said that the most Amess) rightly said that the British Council represents powerful poll that would matter in this place would be some of the best of Britain—why on earth are we having a meaningful vote, as Mr Speaker and as so cutting it? And the right hon. Member for Gainsborough many Members across the House have requested. That (Sir Edward Leigh) absolutely nailed it on the head: meaningful vote is not tonight, despite what the Prime British people are kind and humanitarian. Why on Minister and the Leader of the House tried to suggest earth we would want to make cuts when we see the the other day. scenes from places such as Yemen? I have friends working The hon. Member for Mid Derbyshire (Mrs Latham) out there at the moment for the United Nations and spoke about the powerful and damaging impact that the Médecins Sans Frontières—British citizens out there on cuts will have on women, family planning, water and the frontlines, taking that action. How on earth are we sanitation, and my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol cutting such provision at this time? It is unbelievable. East (Kerry McCarthy) said that the cuts were morally The Chair of the Defence Committee, the right hon. reprehensible. Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), gave a I was proud to have my hon. Friend the Member for very powerful speech. He rightly pointed out the damage Luton North (Sarah Owen) in my team for a while. She to Britain’s strategic interests in the world. That is space made a powerful and passionate speech, making it clear that will be taken by others—our adversaries, those that poverty is political and this is about political choices— who wish this country ill and have a very different not party political choices, but choices that this House vision of how this world should be. Why on earth we are should be making on issues of such national and retreating when they are advancing is beyond me. international importance. The hon. Member for Bury South (Christian Wakeford) The former Secretary of State for Scotland, the right gave an absolutely excellent speech. hon. Member for Dumfriesshire,Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell), spoke about the impact of the cuts on Christian Wakeford: I intend to be helpful, but also to nutrition—the 80% cuts to malnutrition programmes. correct my own record: although I paid tribute to my In the other place, my noble Friend Lord Collins has hon. Friend the Member for Totnes (Anthony Mangnall), been speaking passionately about this issue for so long, I failed to pay tribute to the hon. Member for Rotherham and I know that he works with the right hon. Gentleman (Sarah Champion), not only for introducing this important on it. debate, but for all the work that she has been doing on My hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood preventing sexual violence against women across the Green (Catherine West) talked about the impact on globe. global health research. How absurd to be cutting global health research, given the benefits not just of finding a Stephen Doughty: I completely concur. Drawing on vaccine for covid, but also of the work on malaria, HIV what the hon. Gentleman said, I want to be absolutely and neglected tropical diseases. The role that British clear that the Opposition believe that global Britain can universities and British health science are playing in and must be a force for good in this world, doing our that research is now being put at risk again, and that is fair share and our moral duty but also acting in our absolutely absurd. common and national interest, particularly given the The hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil rapidly changing and volatile global power dynamics. Parish) spoke about the tiny amount that this money I am proud to have worked at the former Department represents compared with the total borrowing that we for International Development and with some of our have seen, for example, to deal with the covid pandemic. leading British humanitarian organisations. I have seen 363 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 364 the British Council the British Council the incredible work that our aid and our organisations are at risk from famine and conflict and there are some have done around the world; I pay tribute to all of truly horrific reports, yet we do not have clarity on what them. I am deeply saddened that they are now having to is happening with UK funding to Ethiopia at this scrabble around to deal with the cuts, which are being critical time. The Minister spoke the other day about introduced in such an irresponsible way. I will give two diversion of funds, but we are not clear whether UK contrasting examples. funding will be increasing in response to the demand or We have done incredibly positive work on vaccines. I decreasing. I hope that he can clarify that. welcome the incredible work of our Oxford and I note that the Minister has a Ghanaian flag on his AstraZeneca teams in developing that vaccine and the mask. What will happen to programmes in Ghana? An fact that we are delivering vaccines around the world, organisation called Tools for Self Reliance has told us although far more are needed, as we said at the time of that it is losing a three-year programme that would have the G7. However,those vaccines can be delivered effectively helped 1,000 women in Ghana, because of the cuts only when they have strong health systems behind them— being introduced by the Minister’s Department. We see when we have surveillance, when we are looking at the LGBT+ community under attack in Ghana. What genomic sequencing, and when we are supporting nurses, will happen to our human rights programmes supporting doctors and those who put those vaccines in arms marginalised communities across the world? What will around the world. Doing the one without the other is happen, for example, to the crucial replenishments on not enough. global slavery that the former Prime Minister, the right We have just done fantastic work supporting the hon. Member for Maidenhead, mentioned? I will also elections in Somaliland, which was mentioned earlier. mention the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis The Minister knows of my strong connections with and Malaria. Will we keep our commitments going forward? Somaliland; I declare my interests. There is fantastic We have heard again and again from those on both work supporting democracy and development there, sides of the House about the damage that these cuts will but I want to see it go further—I want to see a British bring, and I want to commend those who have spoken Council office opened in Hargeisa. That seems pretty out. It is always difficult to speak out against your own unlikely, given the cuts to the British Council across the Government and your own party. I have not been afraid world at a time when we should be increasing our to do that when I think we have got things wrong, as the influence in countries where we have strong historical Minister will know. But it is right to do that, and this is ties that are also of key strategic importance. Parliament at its best. That is why we need to have a The impact of the pandemic is absolutely immense, vote on these issues: these voices need to be heard. in this country and globally. Let us be clear: not just I want to talk briefly about the public financial poverty is on the rise, but all the other misery associated illiteracy of this. The Independent Commission for Aid with it. The World Health Organisation reports that Impact, set up by the right hon. Member for Sutton 70% of surveyed countries have had significant decreases Coldfield, has rightly pointed out the absurd way in in the number of routine immunisations other than for which the cuts were brought about. One paragraph from covid. Some 80 million infants are at risk of missing its report paints a perfect picture. It states: vaccinations for measles, polio and diphtheria. We will “Value for money risks were further exacerbated by the speed see 6.3 million more cases of TB, adding 1.4 million at which the Star Chambers process took place…aid-spending deaths from that terrible disease. It is likely that 50 million departments were given five to seven working days to prepare children in Pakistan and Afghanistan will now not receive proposals for the 30% budget cuts. The proposals were reviewed, revised and approved by ministers over four virtual meetings a polio vaccine. STOPAIDS has stated that 11.5 million totalling just seven hours. One of the officials we interviewed people have now had inconsistent access to crucial described it as ‘like doing a handbrake turn with an oil tanker’.” antiretroviral treatments and therapies, which has put That is not a sensible way to be handling hard-earned their lives at risk—as you know, Mr Deputy Speaker, I taxpayers’ money or the public finances of this country. do much work as chair of the all-party parliamentary Whatever we think about the amounts, that is not the group on HIV and AIDS. way we should be doing things. It is simply absurd. Gender-based violence is on the rise, with an additional We have also heard about the contradictions relating 31 million cases predicted. Some 9.7 million students to other areas of international policy, including defence, are at risk of dropping out of school, and 11 million trade and diplomacy. It seems absolutely absurd, at a girls are at risk of not coming back to school because of time when British troops are on the frontline in the covid. The UN estimates that 132 million people could Sahel working with our allies to defeat jihadist extremists, fall into food insecurity and famine. That will only be that we would cut aid from that region, which will only exacerbated by the climate crisis that we already know fall into further crisis in the months and years to come. is having an impact and is coming. That is absolutely absurd. For those reasons, not one of the other G7 nations Lastly, I want to turn to the British Council. It has has decreased its official development assistance. In rightly been referred to as one of the most vital components fact, most are increasing their spending, including France, of UK soft power, working in over 100 countries and Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and Finland. The hon. reaching 80 million people a year with arts, culture and Member for North East Derbyshire (Lee Rowley) gave education programmes. For much of the world, the a long list of countries; I could give a long list of British Council provides the first direct relationship countries that are doing the exact opposite of what we with this country and with our values, our culture and are doing at the moment and that look aghast at it. our language. It attracts students, workers, future business Let us look at one of the situations we face. The leaders and even future leaders. That represents incredible Minister knows of the very serious situation in Ethiopia, soft power, and incredible relationships and partnerships. which I have raised with him. There have been some The hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay spoke very volatile developments in the past few days. Millions powerfully about this, and he has also said in the media 365 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 366 the British Council the British Council [Stephen Doughty] FCO-DFID, where I had an office at one end of Whitehall to do part of the job and another at the other end of that reducing the British Council’s international presence Whitehall to do the other part of the job, and spent and retreating on the global stage will do damage to our most of the time wandering between the two or in the soft power,which is not compatible with the Government’s House of Commons for votes. Now I have seen the foreign policy priorities as set out in the integrated FCDO together, and it is a model I prefer, because I can review. I urge the Government to think again. draw on all the issues and complexity and make the I want to conclude by asking the Minister a few tough decisions. They are incredibly tough and serious crucial questions. He says that we are going to reverse decisions that are not taken lightly and take an immense this and go back to 0.7%. Well, when are we going to do amount of time. A number of colleagues mentioned the that? Answer that question, Minister. When will we get time process being too small or too quick. None of the transparency on the individual cuts to individual timescales I saw, or the flippancy with which they programmes in individual countries? We have put down indicated decisions were taken, reflects the way we took parliamentary question after parliamentary question, decisions in Whitehall, let alone in-country and thematically. but they have been completely blocked by Ministers The UK, looking back, has met the target of 0.7% of refusing to answer and refusing to give clarity. Many GNI on ODA every year since 2013, so it is with great countries and organisations are unable to plan or to caution that we fall short of that target now, but no think forward because the Government are not clear other country can match that record. I am proud of about what is happening. that. I know there has been some debate over whether My hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, 0.7% or 0.5% is right, what is ODA-able or what is Edgbaston (Preet Kaur Gill), the shadow International DAC-able, but the Government are committed to getting Trade Secretary,has written today to the Foreign Secretary back to 0.7%. There has been debate over how many asking for clarity on a whole series of measures and on times one can have hypothecated expenditure or a when that information will be made available to the House. percentage limit. The default, clearly, should be not to When will we have that meaningful vote that the Speaker run everything on a percentage basis, but we have made rightly called for and that Members across the House a commitment that helps to encourage our compatriots have called for today? It is crucial that we have that vote around the world to get to that point. We should be so that the House can have its say. proud of the fact that in the G7, comparing GNI, we In conclusion, let us be clear that this is a double are in the top three. We are doing much better than our whammy.Our aid would have gone down anyway because American colleagues, by way of example. it is a percentage, so, as the economy shrank, the Right at the outset, before I get into the meat of my amount we were giving would have been reduced. But speech, I would like to talk about when more information the Government have doubled down on that; they want is on the way. There has been some criticism of the to go even further and do even more damage. This is Government for not giving more information, although morally wrong, and it is financially illiterate. It is damaging recognition that it is good that we are now debating to our soft power reputation while others are on the estimates on estimates day. The annual report for the rise. It is reversing at a critical time for the world, and it integrated Department will come out in September. is out of step with the House, with those on the That will have all the financial information up to the Government’s own side and with the public, according end of March. In addition, it will give a forward look to to the most recent polls. Britain is and can be so much 2021-22. I was a little disappointed that the hon. Member better than this. This is one of the things that could for Rotherham felt that we had not given her all the unite us in this House and unite us as a country at a information in her Committee. I am more than happy time when critical threats and challenges are facing the to come to the Committee again. I know the Foreign world and facing all human beings, whether they are Secretary and a number of other Ministers have been at British or from other countries. I urge the Government the Committee. to think again on these cuts. 6.43 pm Sarah Champion: It is always a delight to have the Minister at the Committee, but what we are actually The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, looking for is the hard data. Wewant a proper breakdown Commonwealth and Development Affairs (James Duddridge): of where the money is being spent: the countries, the This has been a passionate and informed debate with projects, the priorities. Can he give me assurances that more than 38 Members speaking. I am grateful to the the document coming out in September will have that hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion) for very granular detail? We are all charged to scrutinise it, introducing the debate and for her work with the Backbench but we are unable to do that with the data that is being Business Committee and the Liaison Committee to given. attach all the right documents. I know that many Members of the House are passionate about development and passionate about 0.7%—myself included, which Members James Duddridge: I will look over that document carefully. may find surprising, given the defence that I will go on Clearly, I am not writing it myself. I always find the to make. I think we are all extremely proud of the UK’s annual report to be very fulsome and would intend that leadership historically on development and on everything it is fulsome, if not more fulsome, given the transition of we have done. the two Departments. I am very open to that. I started my career as a lending banker in the developing We should also remember the numbers. A couple of world. I have done two tours of duty, if we can call Members referred to £4.5 billion as a rounding error. I them that, on the DFID Committee, coming back for understand the point they are making in relation to the more. I have served on these issues in a non-integrated deficit of £300 billion that we are running. It is a smaller FCO across a number of areas, and in an integrated number, but it is a massively significant number. 367 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 368 the British Council the British Council There have been a number of comments on polling. out where we spend the money. Yes, we should get We are not led by polling. I was unaware of some of the humanitarian access and we need to deliver that access—I polling that Members have talked about. Governments made reference to that in an earlier debate in this place should not be led by polling, but I am conscious that as —but bringing peace and security to that country is the Members of Parliament we should be in touch with our most critical thing, which helps the fusion with diplomacy. constituents. A number of Members have said unpopular things on both sides of the argument, although surprisingly Stephen Doughty rose— one said we should not be populist. I thought that was rather electorally successful, but people on both sides of James Duddridge: I am not going to give way yet, but the argument described their points of view as being I will come back to the hon. Gentleman if there is time. populist. We are ahead of the US, Japan, Canada and Our fifth priority was science and technology. The Italy, so we should hold our head high, although I sixth one was open societies and conflict resolution, appreciate that most speakers in the House want us to which drives some of these problems. All too often we do even more. spend our money on problems that could have been As Minister for Africa, I am glad to say we will be solved early on. The final priority is economic development spending over half our bilateral aid budget in the African and growing GDP per capita in the developing world so continent, focusing on key issues. Rather than going to that they pay tax and get functioning systems as we just Africa, I thought it would be useful to explain the would have. In that light, we are supporting the continental process the Foreign Secretary and his Ministers took. free trade area, which will drive growth in countries, The Foreign Secretary outlined seven priorities to the and we are expanding our diplomatic network. House on 26 November. Underlying all of them—or My hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and overarching them—is the aim of reducing poverty. First, Malling (Tom Tugendhat), who chairs the Foreign Affairs there is a focus on climate and biodiversity, particularly Committee, mentioned Niger, Chad and Djibouti, all of because of COP26. There was a focus on a flagship which I will be hoping to visit in the near future, and a target of £11.6 billion of international aid on international number of people mentioned the large number of climate finance. Our second priority is global health multilateral bodies we are and will continue to be pre- security, for obvious reasons, given the pandemic. A lot eminent in. of our programmes have been repurposed towards covid, The British Council is the second leg of this debate. although we focus on a number of other areas, preventable Weare strongly committed to the British Council. Wehave deaths of mothers, newborn babies and children— allocated more than £600 million since the pandemic to Patrick Grady: Will the Minister give way? secure its future, which includes a 27% increase on funding this year. I know hon. Members wanted more, but in the James Duddridge: I will, but I am not going to be very context of an aid cut the British Council has done generous in giving way, because I am conscious of the incredibly well out of the settlement, because of the value time. people see in it—we have seen that across the board. Let me address some more specific comments. My Patrick Grady: I understand that. The Minister was right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) bringing us back to the point I made in my speech about talked about the linkages. One thing an integrated the Government’s expenditure on covid-related activities. Department allows is for us to look at the linkages The Prime Minister has said that some of the vaccine between modern slavery and girls’ education, which is donations and so on are additional to current aid flows. the example she chose. She criticised us for operating in If the Minister cannot answer at the Dispatch Box now, silos, but, again, bringing together the Departments has I would appreciate a detailed response on exactly how helped. A number of Members expressed concerns about money or in-kind support that is being provided to tackle a loss of expertise; actually, changes to the total operating covid in developing countries is to be accounted for. costs ratio—a bit of a technicality—mean that we can Will it be counted as ODA towards the target or not? do more in-house, which should help. James Duddridge: The early announcements were An hon. Member asked about our staff in Abercrombie partof existingODA—theyarerepurposing.The100million House; we will be increasing the number of staff in doses are classified as ODA and will be in addition to Abercrombie House and in Scotland. the £10 billion ODA point that we had. So the most My hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and recent money is additionality, although my right hon. Malling criticised us for making admirals ambassadors Friend the Member for Wokingham (John Redwood) and honourable consuls captains. I get his point, but we made the strong point that there are a lot of areas that are not merging with the Ministry of Defence. I could we do not count, partly because of the rules. talk about some of the best people in my team—for My hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire example, the director general, Africa was an economist, (Mrs Latham) talked of girls’ education, and we are focused on aid, was an ambassador and is now back increasing our pledge to the Global Partnership for here doing a cross-Whitehall job. I could go on with Education by 15%, to £430 million, which is our largest many examples of people across Whitehall. pledge ever. Our G7 partners promised £2.7 billion to The right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill this cause, and the Prime Minister is hosting the global (Liam Byrne) asked us to support the special drawing education summit with Kenyatta here in the UK in July. rights. I have spoken to the right hon. Gentleman about Our fourth priority is humanitarian preparedness the matter and I have said openly that we are lobbying and response, where we will spend more than £900 million, for that at World Bank-IMF meetings. We support the although my opposite number, the hon. Member for recycling of SDRs to the developing world. The right Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty) rightly hon. Gentleman also mentioned IDA replenishment, raises concerns about places such as Ethiopia and working which we support and are working on. 369 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 Official Development Assistance and 370 the British Council the British Council [James Duddridge] are facing the repercussions—although one could look at the results of recent by-elections—but the very poorest The hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon in the world. We should not be doing this. (Layla Moran), who is no longer in her place, mentioned We need to provide clarity. We need clarity for the funding for a specific project and felt there would be NGOs that have received FCDO funding in the past. adverse effects if it was cancelled because of a new Contrary to what the Minister said, they are being told variant. I would very much like more information on by webinars and by junior Ministers, and they are being that from her. given a week to wrap up their projects. Many of the My right hon. Friend the Member for South West examples are on the public record, so I am more than Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) is an ex-Minister and clearly happy to share them with the Minister, because it is understands the dynamics of having to make difficult shocking. decisions, particularly in respect of balancing aid issues This House needs clarity on what the Government’s with education and law and order. He asked about the priorities really are, because we understand the seven logistics of COVAX; I would love to draw on his resource, priorities but unfortunately the Government keep going but we are also working with Africa CDC. against them. As many Members have argued passionately, My hon. Friend the Member for Rother Valley we need the Government to understand that defence, (Alexander Stafford) offered an equally passionate but diplomacy, development and trade are all interlinked, slightly different view from that expressed by the hon. and that weakening development weakens all those things. Member for Rotherham, but it was good to see them I end by saying that there are threats to this country, both get praise. unfortunately, but a threat such as terrorism is resolved My hon. Friend the Member for North East Derbyshire not by bullets but by full tummies and economic potential. (Lee Rowley) made a very thoughtful speech that challenged That is what concerns me: by weakening development everyone. we are weakening this country’s security. As ever, my hon. Friend the Member for Southend West (Sir David Amess) made very good points. Given Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans): As a former his penchant for publicity and flair, I have no doubt member of the International Development Committee, that he will be on the front page of the Southend Echo may I say that it was some of the most valuable work tomorrow, not me. that I have done over my 29 years as a Member of Parliament? I have really enjoyed the debate this evening. The least said about the speech by my right hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire Moorlands (Karen We will have the Dispatch Boxes cleaned during the Bradley) the better, really; certain things should stay in Adjournment debate to save a bit of time. I know the private. Minister will not touch the Dispatch Box until then. My right hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth Question deferred (Standing Order No. 54). East (Mr Ellwood) made a deeply thoughtful speech that he said was from the defence perspective but actually 7 pm ranged much more widely beyond that. The Deputy Speaker put the deferred Questions (Standing I heard an impressive speech from my hon. Friend the Order No. 54). Member for Bury South (Christian Wakeford), whom I have not heard speak before. He went from 10 minutes DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION to eight minutes to three minutes and back to eight Resolved, minutes. That, for the year ending with 31 March 2022, for expenditure I heard my first speech from an Alba Member of by the Department for Education: Parliament. I noted down initially that the speech from (1) further resources, not exceeding £53,229,742,000 be authorised the hon. Member for East Lothian (Kenny MacAskill) for use for current purposes as set out in HC 14 of Session was kind, thoughtful and well informed; by the end I 2021-22, put “ranting”. But it was all the better for it and when in (2) further resources, not exceeding £16,078,449,000 be authorised future I see his name on the annunciator, I am going to for use for capital purposes as so set out, and rush into the Chamber. (3) a further sum, not exceeding £56,969,129,000 be granted to Her Majesty to be issued by the Treasury out of the Consolidated Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans): Let us have the Fund and applied for expenditure on the use of resources authorised final word from Sarah Champion. by Parliament.

6.57 pm MINISTRY OF HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND Sarah Champion: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker; it LOCAL GOVERNMENT is always wonderful to have the last word. Resolved, I thank everybody for their passionate contributions That, for the year ending with 31 March 2022, for expenditure to this debate. This is truly a cross-party issue and I by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: hope the Government are listening very clearly to the (1) further resources, not exceeding £15,676,146,000 be authorised loud plea that we are making. for use for current purposes as set out in HC 14 of Session 2021-22, This debate is not actually about 0.7%; it is about (2) further resources, not exceeding £2,820,587,000 be authorised how we see ourselves and how we present Britain to the for use for capital purposes as so set out, and world. I am proud that we have a strong history of (3) a further sum, not exceeding £16,461,164,000 be granted to development in this country and it pains me that, piece Her Majesty to be issued by the Treasury out of the Consolidated by piece, that is crumbling away with the decisions the Fund and applied for expenditure on the use of resources authorised Government are making. It is not the Government who by Parliament. 371 Official Development Assistance and 30 JUNE 2021 372 the British Council FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH AND that year; and to appropriate the supply authorised for DEVELOPMENT OFFICE that year by this Act and by the Supply and Appropriation Resolved, (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2021. That, for the year ending with 31 March 2022, for expenditure Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: tomorrow, and to be printed (Bill 137). (1) further resources, not exceeding £2,516,113,000 be authorised for use for current purposes as set out in HC 14 of Session 2021-22, Business without Debate (2) further resources, not exceeding £739,069,000 be authorised for use for capital purposes as so set out, and DELEGATED LEGISLATION (3) a further sum, not exceeding £3,725,498,000 be granted to Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Her Majesty to be issued by the Treasury out of the Consolidated Order No. 118(6)), Fund and applied for expenditure on the use of resources authorised by Parliament. EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION (CRIMINAL LAW) The Deputy Speaker then put the Question on the That the draft Criminal Justice (Electronic Commerce) outstanding Estimates (Standing Order No. 55). (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021, which were laid before this House on 27 May, be approved.—(David Rutley.) Question agreed to. MAIN ESTIMATES 2021-22 Resolved, PETITION That, for the year ending with 31 March 2022: (1) further resources, not exceeding £338,997,108,000 be authorised Outer London driving charges for use for current purposes as set out in HC 1360, HC 1371 and HC 1381 of Session 2019-21, and HC 13, HC 14, HC 15, and 7.2 pm HC 16 of Session 2021-22, (2) further resources, not exceeding £39,918,334,000 be authorised Gareth Johnson (Dartford) (Con): I am grateful to be for use for capital purposes as so set out, and able to present a petition on behalf of my constituents (3) a further sum, not exceeding £293,257,362,000 be granted at Stonehill Woods Park, a park home site in my to Her Majesty to be issued by the Treasury out of the Consolidated constituency of Dartford, who will be profoundly impacted Fund and applied for expenditure on the use of resources authorised on should the London congestion charge move to Outer by Parliament.—(.) London. Ordered, That a Bill be brought in upon the foregoing The petition states: Resolutions relating to Main Estimates 2021-2022; The petition of residents of the United Kingdom, That the Chairman of Ways and Means, the Chancellor Declares that consideration should be given to stopping the of the Exchequer,Steve Barclay,John Glen, Kemi Badenoch Mayor of London imposing charges for driving in Outer London; and Jesse Norman bring in the Bill. notes that if the Mayor of London imposes these charges, residents of the constituency of Dartford will be forced to pay a £3.50 fee each time they drive in Outer London. SUPPLY AND APPROPRIATION (MAIN ESTIMATES)BILL The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons Presentation and First Reading urge the Government to consider stopping the Mayor of London Jesse Norman accordingly presented a Bill to authorise from imposing charges on driving in Outer London. the use of resources for the year ending with 31 March And the petitioners remain, etc. 2022; to authorise both the issue of sums out of the [P002670] Consolidated Fund and the application of income for 373 30 JUNE 2021 Financial Conduct Authority and 374 Blackmore Bond plc Financial Conduct Authority and My concerns cover not just the Financial Conduct Blackmore Bond plc Authority but other regulators, such as Companies House, the Insolvency Service, the Financial Reporting Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House Council and the professional bodies that regulate the do now adjourn.—(David Rutley.) audit of limited companies. Of those, only the FCA falls directly under the remit of the Treasury, so that is Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans): This is when what I will focus on tonight, but I will continue to apply the Dispatch Box on the Government side will be for debates so that the part played by other regulators sanitised. I ask the Minister not to touch it until it has can be examined. been sanitised. JimShannon(Strangford)(DUP):Willthehon.Gentleman 7.3 pm give way?

Peter Grant (Glenrothes) (SNP): Before we adjourn, I Peter Grant: I think the sky would fall down if I did wish to draw the attention of the House to the collapse not give way to the hon. Gentleman. last year of Blackmore Bond plc and in particular to look at what the Financial Conduct Authority did, Jim Shannon: I am sure the sky will not fall down, but what it could have done, and what it failed to do to I appreciate the hon. Gentleman’s giving way. prevent this. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that financial Blackmore Bond plc was incorporated in July 2016, devastations such as the Blackmore Bond scandal have went into administration in May 2020, and has since the potential to be avoided if there is proper scrutiny by gone into liquidation. Between October 2016 and November regulatory authorities, which the hon. Member for Thirsk 2018, it raised £46 million in loans, known as mini-bonds, and Malton (Kevin Hollinrake) referred to? Does he almost all of it from small-scale individual investors. also acknowledge that, often, that work starts with us in They were repeatedly told that their investment was this House making legislative change? guaranteed to be paid back on time with regular interest payments. By the time the joint administrators had Peter Grant: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely correct. disentangled the company’sfinancial affairs, it was obvious Ultimately, the regulator is us. If we highlight deficiencies that none of that £46 million was left to repay the bond in the system, we must try to get them put right. That is holders. Their “guaranteed” investment of £46 million partly why I was so keen to secure this debate. had been reduced to nothing. As the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin Obviously, primary responsibility for that must lie Hollinrake) mentioned, in March 2017, the Financial with the company’s directors, Phillip Nunn and Patrick Conduct Authority received information from a very McCreesh, who were also the joint owners not only of reliable, experienced financial services professional that Blackmore Bond but of about two dozen related companies. a company called Amyma Ltd was using high-pressure I will disclose some information later that may help sales techniques to target individuals to persuade them Members to understand just how culpable I believe to invest in Blackmore Bond. The source, a Mr Paul those two are. However, whether their conduct is found, Carlier, described in detail what he had seen and heard, in due course, to be criminal, civilly unlawful or just and explained exactly why he was convinced that it was downright despicable, the scandal yet again raises serious illegal. He made a point of sending his concerns directly questions about the regulatory framework that allowed to the then chief executive of the Financial Conduct Nunn and McCreesh to persuade people to put money Authority, among others. As a mark of gratitude, the they could not afford to lose into high-risk investments FCA wrote back and said that it was aware of the where losing everything was always a possibility. situation and it was being passed on to the appropriate In fact, an experienced investment adviser, looking at department. the promotional material the company sent out, could It was the end of 2019 before there was any obvious only conclude that losing everything was not only a sign that the FCA had done anything. To be fair to it, possibility but almost inevitable. That is probably why when it acted, it did not hold back. It banned outright the directors of Blackmore Bond did not approach the sale of mini-bonds to the kinds of investors whom investment houses or experienced investors; they deliberately Blackmore Bond had been deliberately targeting. If the targeted people they thought would be an easy touch. FCA had done that earlier, it could have prevented up to £26 million of the losses eventually suffered by Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk and Malton) (Con): The Blackmore’s victims. hon. Gentleman mentions the regulatory framework, and I am sure that he will go on to say whether he feels The FCA has said that the sale of these kinds of there were also shortcomings from the regulator itself investments was an unregulated activity, that Blackmore in this case. The FCA’s attention was drawn to the Bond plc was not registered or approved by the FCA boiler-room tactics of Blackmore Bond and the fact for any regulated activity, and therefore that the whole that it was pretty much a Ponzi scheme back in March thing was beyond its scope. That is just not good 2017, yet three years later the company was still operating. enough. What the FCA is effectively saying is that it It is simply unacceptable that the FCA should have had the legal power to ban the sale of these mini-bonds taken that approach and not been more proactive. absolutely but could do nothing to stop one rogue company selling them to one particularly targeted group Peter Grant: For the second time in a few days, the of vulnerable investors. I simply do not buy that. hon. Gentleman has managed to read my notes a couple While the sale of these high-risk bonds to investors of paragraphs ahead of me. I am going to come on to who wanted low-risk investments was allowed to carry that. on in an unregulated free-for-all, the promotion of 375 Financial Conduct Authority and 30 JUNE 2021 Financial Conduct Authority and 376 Blackmore Bond plc Blackmore Bond plc those same bonds is a regulated activity. The FCA’s On page 4 it says: website says that all adverts and promotions for financial “Blackmore Bond is part of The Blackmore Group”— services or products that bit is correct— “must be fair, clear and not misleading”. “a multi-channel investment group with a proven track record.” Blackmore Bond’s promotional materials failed all those The Blackmore Group was only incorporated in February tests—something I will return to soon. Again, it took 2016; it cannot possibly have had a proven track record the FCA far too long to do anything, and when it did by October 2016. It certainly could not have realised the something, it did not do enough. £22 million in profits and property development that is The FCA will claim that at some point during 2019, it claimed in the same document. was able to get Amyma’s website taken down. It seemed On page 4 we are told that less keen to be reminded that in August 2019 Paul “The Blackmore Group” Carlier had to tell the FCA that the website was back up has again. It may be just coincidental that a few weeks after “assets under management of £25 million”. Blackmore Bond went into administration, the director and sole shareholder of Amyma placed that company So how come The Blackmore Group’s accounts for into voluntary liquidation, having first reduced the 2016, signed by the directors, tell us that the total value company’s assets from £316,000 to nil in the space of of their assets was £390,000, and that after allowing for 18 months, meaning that the creditors of Amyma, creditors and other liabilities, the total value of the including Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, would Blackmore Group at 2016 was £2,281? How can that not see a penny of the £188,000 they were owed. It have created assets under management of £25 million? appears that Blackmore Bond really can pick its professional Finally, on page 18, the directors promised: and business advisers very carefully. “There are no fees or charges”— Coming back to the promotional materials, though, completelyuntrue.Page24of theinformationmemorandum under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets devotes over half a page to explaining why the company Act 2000, any financial promotion must either be issued will have to pay fees. They say that they will pay fees by an FCA-authorised company or have its contents essentially for the marketing of bonds and for investor approved by such a company. There are exemptions, but relations, and that those fees will not exceed 20% of I have no indication whatever that any of those exemptions total bond value. They then entered into an agreement comes close to applying to Blackmore Bond. So if with Surge Financial Services Ltd—a company well known Blackmore Bond issued financial promotions that had to those who have an interest in financial misdealings—that not been approved by an FCA-registered firm, that was they would pay it exactly 20% of the total bond value. an offence under the Financial Services and Markets What the directors forgot to mention in any promotional Act and the FCA should have been dealing with it. literature was that they were also going to pay themselves The company issued its mini-bonds in six ways. For a management fee.During 2017, the directors of Blackmore each one it issued an “information memorandum”, Bond plc chose to pay £1.4 million of management fees which appears, as far as I can tell, to have been approved to the Blackmore Group Ltd, of which they again were by an FCA-registered firm. But that was not the only the sole shareholders, the sole directors and the sole marketing it did. My constituent, who has probably lost beneficiaries. Why did they choose to conceal that £40,000, provided me with a copy of a separate document information from this document, and from the information that he received. It is dated 3 October 2016—the same memorandum that was sent out to persuade people to date as the information memorandum for the first series buy their bonds? Effectively, the directors were making of mini-bonds. The FCA has confirmed to me that it sure that their cut was cleaned out of Blackmore Bond meets its definition of a financial promotion. It was plc’s accounts as soon as—sometimes before—it hit the therefore an offence that it was circulated without being bank account, so that whatever happened to that company, approved by an authorised firm, and there is nothing in their money would be saved and the poor investors this document to suggest that it was ever approved by would be left with nothing. an authorised firm. The FCA is not convinced about Blackmore Group does not of course have to publish that. Its view is that it “cannot categorically say” whether a profit and loss account, and even the very sketchy the document was or was not lawful when it was circulated. financial statements it does publish are not audited, so But if that is the case, surely, knowing what it knows it is anyone’s guess what Mr McCreesh and Mr Nunn now about the operation of Blackmore Bond, if it did with that £1.4 million, and that, as I say, was only up “cannot categorically say” that it was not a criminal to December 2017. offence to send it out to potential investors, it should be During my investigations into this affair, I received a investigating it. copy of a chain of emails between one bondholder and Then we come on to the requirement for this and any Patrick McCreesh, who, as I say, with Phillip Nunn, other financial promotion to be fair, clear and not owns and runs the entire operation. The bondholder is misleading. I am aware of the time, so I can only give a not a constituent of mine. He was happy for me to few examples of statements in the document that are quote at length from his emails. He is happy for me to either blatantly false or extremely misleading. On page 5 give his full name, but I have chosen not to identify him it tells bondholders that their money will be backed by entirely, but his name is John—and it genuinely is John. “100% asset-backed security”. Not true; it was never John’sinvestment was with another Blackmore company, the intention that the bondholders would even be Blackmore Estates Ltd. The bond was due to be repaid guaranteed first call on all the assets, never mind that in January 2020, but by March 2019 John had got there was never a time, after the first series of bonds was worried, because he had not heard anything from issued, when Blackmore Bond plc ever held enough Blackmore Estates for a while, and he wanted to know assets to repay the value of the bonds it had sold. what had happened to his money. Patrick McCreesh 377 Financial Conduct Authority and 30 JUNE 2021 Financial Conduct Authority and 378 Blackmore Bond plc Blackmore Bond plc [Peter Grant] Conduct Authority was not the only regulator that failed because it did not have the powers, failed because advised him that Blackmore Estates was now part of it did not use the powers or possibly failed because it Blackmore Bond plc, and set out to persuade him not did not have the resources to deal with the amount of to claim back the investment he was legally entitled to financial misdealing that is going on just now. But one in January 2020, but to reinvest it in Blackmore Bond plc. way or another, for the sake of the next generation of There were numerous email exchanges, but by 16 August Johns, the Financial Conduct Authority and the other John was really getting worried because his online account regulators have to get their act together, and they have with Blackmore did not seem to show anything. There to do it quickly. was no indication whether he had any money left at all. He then wrote: 7.19 pm “Patrick, I have entrusted you with my military retirement The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen): fund, my only savings. Unlike others I cannot afford to live without this money. You have had my investment since 2015 and I I congratulate the hon. Member for Glenrothes (Peter am yet to receive a single penny back. If things are going downhill Grant) on securing this debate. I also pay tribute to the why would you call me personally and persuade me to re-invest hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) and my only a few months ago?” hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin That referred to a telephone conversation they had in Hollinrake) for their contributions. I extend my sympathies about April 2019. to the Blackmore Bond investors. The hon. Member for Glenrothes set out the distress that has been caused to Three times further to that between August 2019 and those many individuals, some of whom are his constituents. January 2020 John reminded Patrick McCreesh in the I am painfully aware of their very challenging situation most poignant terms that this was all he had. It was a through my own conversations and correspondence, pension he had got by serving with distinction in Her and this evening we have heard more of those troubling Majesty’s forces. Patrick McCreesh knew that John accounts. Given these difficult circumstances, it is only could not afford to lose the money, yet he deliberately right that I explain the reasoning behind the Government’s set out to entice him to leave the money with McCreesh, course of action and some of the decisions that we have and not to take back the money he was entitled to, but made so far. I will also touch on the conduct of the to put it into a company that by the summer of 2019 FCA, the independent regulator. Patrick McCreesh and Phillip Nunn knew had no future. They had not published audited accounts for some Let me first remind the House of the background to time, but they had prepared draft accounts that showed this situation. As Members will be aware, Blackmore that, in the first two years of its existence, one third of Bond was an unregulated firm established in 2016. the bondholders’ entire money had disappeared. By Between 2016 and 2018, it issued non-transferable debt July 2019, Nunn and McCreesh knew the business was securities, otherwise known as mini-bonds, to retail dying. McCreesh still went out and deliberately targeted investors. It raised £46 million, involving approximately this poor gentleman to fleece him of what McCreesh 2,800 UK investors, to be used in property development knew was all he had. projects. Blackmore stopped making coupon payments in 2019 and administrators were appointed on 22 April As I say, I have pages and pages from the email last year. exchanges between John and Patrick McCreesh in relation to, as I said earlier, whether the conduct was criminal, The orientation of most of the hon. Gentleman’s civilly unlawful or simply despicable. I am happy to remarks was about the failures of the FCA, but I want share the remnants of my speech with anyone who to try to address some of his other specific points. He wants to look at it. It makes it perfectly clear of the asked about the way that Blackmore hid behind other behaviour certainly of one of those two directors that regulated firms such as Amyma. It is true that although to describe it as despicable would be excessively charitable several other firms were involved in the distribution of to Mr McCreesh, and I have no indication that Mr Nunn Blackmore bonds, some of which were authorised by would have been any better. the FCA, the Blackmore bond itself was not regulated. Amyma was not directly authorised by the FCA. It was John will not ever get his military pension back, and an appointed representative of another authorised firm, there are 3,000 other Johns out there. They were all Equity For Growth (Securities) Ltd, between July 2018 taken in by two individuals with a track record of and September 2019, when its status was terminated. dodgy financial dealing, but who are still free to go and The FCA intervened to take down Amyma’s website set themselves up as directors of a different company following further investigation. Similarly, as a result of and start all over again. That will not be by selling or steps taken by the FCA, Northern Provident Investments, mis-selling mini-bonds to people like John, because that an FCA-authorised firm, withdrew its approval of is now illegal, but they will find another way. Until the Blackmore’s promotional materials, meaning that its Financial Conduct Authority and other regulators scare bonds could no longer be marketed. This is clearly a them out of the way, there will be another generation of very complex area, but ultimately the FCA cannot be Johns, and in 50 years from now or 100 years from now, said to have the same set of responsibilities towards our successors will be in the successor to this Parliament unauthorised firms engaged in unregulated activities. bemoaning the fact that billions of pounds have been taken out of the pockets of hard-working people and Peter Grant: The Minister gave the same dates on used to fund a luxury lifestyle for charlatans, crooks Amyma as me—between 2018 and 2019. Did it not and conmen. strike him, as it struck me, that Amyma was an appointed The Financial Conduct Authority was not the most representative of another company, but the concerns culpable party in this. Nunn and McCreesh were, and about it arose in 2017, before it appeared to be an they have to be called to account somehow.The Financial appointed representative of anybody? Does he not agree 379 Financial Conduct Authority and 30 JUNE 2021 Financial Conduct Authority and 380 Blackmore Bond plc Blackmore Bond plc that there is something to be looked at there and that scrutiny of that legislative vehicle. We do need to make the Financial Conduct Authority should be asking questions sure that, overall, including through the Department about it? for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s online advertising review, we come out at the right place in dealing with John Glen: I have set out the record as the FCA has these significant challenges for consumers. presented it. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will As well as introducing new legislation to protect wish to continue correspondence with the FCA on savers, it is right that our regulator also closely examines some of those unresolved matters. However, I do make its own operations, to ensure that it can protect consumers the distinction between the different responsibilities as effectively as possible. As a result, the Government that the FCA has with regard to the different actors in welcome the FCA’s ongoing transformation programme, this case. which is introducing reforms that will fundamentally It is only right that we do our utmost to minimise the change the way it works. The programme will help the chance of episodes like Blackmore Bond taking place in regulator become more efficient and effective by, among future, so I want to turn to the regulation of mini-bonds other things, enhancing its use of technology in order to and the steps we are taking to safeguard consumers, make interventions earlier, which clearly is desirable. which was a key focus of the hon. Gentleman’s remarks. It is heartening to see that significant steps have I want to be clear to the House that the Government are already been taken. Those include important structural committed to ensuring that the financial services sector changes within the organisation, as well as the appointment is well regulated and consumers are adequately protected. of the FCA’s first chief data information and intelligence That is why in April we launched a consultation that officer. I particularly welcome this focus on improving includes proposals to bring the issuance of mini-bonds the FCA’s use of data and analytics, which will improve into regulation. This follows the action taken by the the efficiency and speed with which the regulator can FCA to ban the promotion of high-risk mini-bonds. act. This work is the culmination of a review into the These are serious matters, and we have spoken about regulation of mini-bonds that I announced in May 2019, the number of our constituents who have been adversely and it delivers on one of the recommendations of Dame affected. I regularly meet the FCA’s chief executive, Elizabeth Gloster’s recent report. The consultation closes Nikhil Rathi, to discuss the transformation programme next month, in July, after which the Government hope and monitor progress. There can be no complacency. to bring forward plans to legislate in the autumn. This is a complex area where financial services are The hon. Member for Glenrothes also referred to the evolving all the time, as are fraudulent activities. My financial promotions regime, and I think that underlying hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin that was a concern about what the Government are Hollinrake) mentioned the innovation announced today doing to improve the efficacy of the regime. We continue by Google, which is a welcome step, but we will need to to keep the legislative framework underpinning the look at these matters and at the experience through regulation of financial promotions under review,including different cases, such as the Blackmore Bond, in order to whether it is suitable for the digital age. The Government get this right. have set out our intention to bring forward legislation I close by reiterating my deep sympathies to all those to create a regulatory gateway for authorised firms who have suffered as a result of the Blackmore scheme. approving the promotion of unauthorised firms. That As a Government, we recognise that financial services change is designed to strengthen the regime by ensuring are constantly evolving and the regulatory system must, that the firms able to approve financial promotions are therefore, be ready to respond. As I have highlighted limited to those with the relevant expertise to do so. The this evening, we are committed to a process of continuous FCA will be able to better identify when a financial improvement in all dimensions to ensure our regulations promotion has breached the restriction and take action benefit both UK consumers and the wider economy. accordingly. Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans): The Speaker Kevin Hollinrake: The Minister is doing a lot to close started the day with some wonderful warm words in down opportunities for these scams, but there is a tribute to Ian Davis on his retirement after long and further way that we could take this forward, which we dedicated service here in Parliament. On behalf of the have discussed. Google has today said that it will ensure Chairman of Ways and Means, the First Deputy Chairman that all firms advertising on its platform are regulated and myself, I wish Ian well on his well-deserved retirement firms. We could require that of all platforms and all and thank him. Because of the skill he demonstrated on firms that provide an internet channel, for example a daily basis in Parliament, he made the work we do through the online harms Bill, so that all internet advertising from this Chair so much easier. We wish you well, Ian. in this area is regulated. Thank you for everything you have done. Question put and agreed to. John Glen: I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. He speaks with some authority on these matters. There 7.30 pm is a process that will continue, as he knows, through the House adjourned.

43WH 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 44WH EU Review In opening the debate, I want to bring into the light Westminster Hall examples of the troubling findings cited in the report, share wider analysis and critique of the review itself, Wednesday 30 June 2021 which casts a yet longer shadow, and demonstrate that we are not alone in our challenge to the Palestinian Authority. On a personal level, I should note that I am a [DAME ANGELA EAGLE in the Chair] teacher by profession, and for many years before coming to this place I worked as a school inspector, scrutinising Palestinian School Textbooks: the curriculum and evaluating learning. I should also EU Review note that I visited the region a number of years ago with Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Order, the Conservative Friends of Israel and had the opportunity 25 February). to speak with both Israelis and Palestinians. [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] The EU review rests on an analysis of a sample of 156 textbooks and teacher guides published between 9.25 am 2017 and 2019 by the Palestinian Ministry of Education Dame Angela Eagle (in the Chair): I remind hon. and, later, a further 18 that were released online in 2020. Members that there have been changes to the normal The review seeks to establish whether textbooks meet practice in order to support the new hybrid arrangements. international UNESCO standards, UNESCO’s mission Timings of debates have been amended to allow technical being arrangements to be made for the next debate. There will “to contribute to the building of a culture of peace”. be suspensions between debates. The EU report clearly identifies evidence of anti-Jewish I remind Members participating, physically or virtually, racism within the curriculum. It says of a chapter in one that they must arrive for the start of a debate in Westminster textbook that it Hall and are expected to remain for the entire debate. I “sends the message that the Jews as a collective are dangerous and also remind Members participating virtually that they deceptive, and demonises them. It generates feelings of hatred must leave their camera on for the duration of the towards Jews and…must be characterised as anti-Semitic.” debate and that they will be visible at all times, both to Of that particular reference, the report’s authors note one another and to us in the Boothroyd Room. If that a 2019 revision—the exchange of a photo—certainly Members attending virtually have any technical problems, does not de-escalate the messaging. they should email the Westminster Hall Clerks’ email address. Members attending physically should clean The report identifies examples of terrorists glorified their spaces before using them and before leaving the as role models, most notably Dalal Mughrabi, who was room. I remind Members that Mr Speaker has stated responsible for the murder of 38 Israelis in one of the that masks should be worn in Westminster Hall. country’s worst ever terror attacks. The report highlights maps of a territorially whole Palestine as an imagined 9.26 am homeland that negates the existence of the state of Israel—a denial of reality. The report finds that one Caroline Ansell (Eastbourne) (Con): I beg to move, history textbook features a doctored copy of a landmark That this House has considered the EU Review into Palestinian letter sent by Yasser Arafat to his Israeli counterpart school textbooks. during the Oslo peace process, with Arafat’s commitment It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, to peaceful co-existence free from violence and all other Dame Angela. It is a privilege to speak in this place, and acts that endanger peace and stability removed. I do so today with a keen sense of responsibility. Very All subjects in the curriculum at all levels lend themselves recently, yet more Palestinian and Israeli lives were lost and pivot to the conflict, whether it is around the to conflict and citizens left traumatised. The ceasefire environment and pollution, prepositions, illiteracy, or has held, mercifully, but in the words of Mahatma graphical visualisations or pie charts in maths. At first Gandhi, glance, there appears to be positive change and an “If we wish to create a lasting peace, we must begin with the increased focus on human rights coverage. There is a children.” recognition that human rights are a universal notion, Children’s education is a long-term, strategic first frontline but there is no carry-through or discussion of the rights for all parties and all agendas. As far back as Aristotle, of Israelis. It is used only as a prism for understanding that has been understood. He said: violations and where most examples are carried out by “Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the Israeli protagonists. man.” The report states that what is problematic is the In the context of this debate, my right hon. Friend phrasing, the Member for Chipping Barnet () first raised the alarm about radicalisation in the Palestinian “which implies systematic violations of children‘s rights reaching curriculum in the European Parliament, 20 years ago. all the way to torture and murder, and this has the potential to dehumanise the (Israeli) ‘other’.” Last year, a debate in this House on the same subject highlighted shocking examples in the educational materials It goes on: in use by British-funded teachers in Palestinian Authority “Above all, the textbooks fail to engage with the question of schools. The answer to this, we were told then, would be whether violence carried out by Palestinian actors might equally found in the EU review—the long-awaited work of the constitute a violation of human rights.” Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research. Textbooks call for tolerance, mercy, forgiveness and Ministers publicly vowed to take action if the report justice, but they are not applied to Israel and the Israeli- found evidence of material that incites violence. The report Palestinian conflict. The position of the international on that review has just been published, and it does. community is considered unfair because it sides with 45WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 46WH EU Review EU Review [Caroline Ansell] On the 2020 claims, the report suggests positive editing and improvement in the most recently published textbooks, the “Zionist occupier” by keeping quiet about its crimes. but are these criticisms put forward? Are these phantom At the end of a lesson on children’s rights, pupils are changes? Are they based on books that reportedly are asked in an exercise to monitor and list Zionist violations not in the curriculum, or on books that do not appear against children in Palestine by following news pages or on the Palestinian Authority’s official Education Ministry social media, and then read them to classmates. online portal? Is the scale and scope of the review Observations noted in the report indicate that the sufficiently robust? For example, 15% relates to the peace process has in fact gone backwards or been coverage of the 2020-21 textbooks. downgraded since 2014. The report states: Notwithstanding the discordant finding of the report, “In the entire body of textbooks examined for this Report…the as mentioned by the right hon. Member for Orkney and depiction of peaceful attempts to resolve the conflict is limited to Shetland (Mr Carmichael), last week, following the a few pages”. completion of the EU review, the Foreign Office issued The unilateral disengagement of the occupation of Gaza a statement acknowledging that anti-Israel content remains. in 2015 is pitched as a positive development, but, critically, The UK is not alone in reaching that conclusion. Norway without mentioning Israel. has already cut its funding and the Biden Administration The report’sfindings on material are deeply problematic, are now making aid conditional on the removal of but there are also problems with the report itself. Glaring incitement of antisemitism from educational materials. omissions, phantom changes, the scale of the review and the seeming mismatch between the review’sconclusions Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con): My hon. and the evidence on which it rests are all in the frame. Friend makes a particular point about Norway reducing its funding and the US completely removing its funding, Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD): but does she agree that removing our funding is probably The hon. Lady is right to highlight the deficiencies of not the right way to go and that we should instead ask the material, which are outlined comprehensively and in for the reforms that we really need to see, to make sure a very balanced way in the Georg Eckert report, but that every child in the Palestinian Authority area gets a does she accept that the overall conclusion of the report meaningful education? is that, “the textbooks adhere to UNESCO standards and adopt criteria Caroline Ansell: I thank my hon. Friend for his excellent that are prominent in international education discourse, including question, and I concur. Education is absolutely at the a strong focus on human rights”? heart of this process; it is mission-critical to establishing If she is inviting the House to accept the material that a peaceful resolution in the region. Change is possible she quotes, should she not also invite the House to where there is political will and leadership. From Tunisia accept the conclusions of the authors of the report? and Egypt through to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, there is a clear trend across the region Caroline Ansell: I thank the right hon. Gentleman for for improving curricula through the removal of anti-Israel his question, which strikes at the heart of the point I and racist narratives, and instead promoting peace and was making: although there is increased coverage and co-existence. There is a better way. focus on human rights, that does not extend to the Positive change could also be inspired through Israelis. Actually, the very point that I rested on was engagement with the International Fund for Israeli- that the conclusion rests on a report that offers up, in its Palestinian Peace. This project, which has widespread body, example after example that contradict those cross-party support here and in the US, is exactly the UNESCO values. We need to understand that and sort of programme that the UK could also support if it challenge it. wished to deliver on its goal of a lasting and meaningful peaceful two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. I (Preseli ) (Con): My have seen at first hand the value of peaceful co-existence hon. Friend is making a really important point. To projects; the day-to-day interactions that they afford underline it, is it not the case that when we read the Israelis and Palestinians are invaluable. Projects such as report—the executive summary, the main body of the Seeds of Hope, Hands of Peace and Hand In Hand are report and the conclusions—it appears that there is a all remarkable projects that work through education to disconnect between what the executive summary says change lives and create positive interactions. and the conclusions and the real evidence, which is contained deep in the body of the report? That is the I look forward to the rest of the debate and to concern and that is what we should be discussing today. hearing from the Minister, for whom I have some specific questions. What assessment has the Department made Caroline Ansell: I concur entirely. What is required is of the review? Does he recognise or share the concerns a full reading of the body of evidence, because the expressed over its shortcomings? Does he believe that executive summary does not seem to reflect that evidence. the Palestinian Authority’s curriculum, as presented, In fact, it must be contested that the textbooks adhere supports or harms the UK’s long-standing goal of to the UNESCO standards when they simultaneously securing lasting peace? Given the promise of action, espouse a narrative of resistance to Israel and display what new and different steps are being considered? antagonism towards it. How can the report’s conclusion Thus far, raising concerns has failed to elicit the change be reconciled with the extensive evidence within the we need. Nothing perpetuates conflict as much as seeding body of the report? it in generation after generation of children and young There are other issues with the report. A wider analysis people. highlights glaring omissions—or apparent omissions. The report as a whole is clear: the Palestinian curriculum The justification of the Munich Olympics terrorist attack remains deeply problematic. It is my sincere hope that as an attack on Zionist interests abroad is not covered. the UK Government and their international partners 47WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 48WH EU Review EU Review will use the review as the catalyst for change. As things I feel strongly that our country and Government stand, British taxpayers have been directly funding the must do everything we can to try to stop the incitement teaching of a curriculum that actively undermines the of violence among children and to head towards a peaceful two-state solution that the Government strive two-state solution, as the hon. Lady said in her opening to support. Surely, in the light of the violence of recent statement, but I firmly believe that, rather than textbooks, months, there must be renewed urgency in our resolve taken out of context, the biggest issue is the reality of to promote peaceful co-existence, and that must focus Palestinian children’s daily lives. on the curriculum and textbooks. As the report authors This year, up to 66 Palestinian children have been state, textbooks are particularly relevant in conflict killed in Gaza, with 600 wounded. Palestinian children “where discourses have considerable potential to contribute to have been beaten up and arrested in the west bank, and violent escalation or conflict transformation”. they still endure midnight raids, interrogation, detention As John F. Kennedy said: and military trial. They go to school under threat from “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best Israeli settlers, and 53 Palestinian schools in the west hope for the future.” bank are subject to threats of demolition. As the hon. Lady said, those measures are also funded by the British Dame Angela Eagle (in the Chair): In order to get Government through EU funds. I believe they have far everybody in, I am not going to impose a time limit at more impact on the reality of inciting violence among the moment, but I will call the Front Benchers from Palestinian children. They need to be addressed urgently 10.23 am. If colleagues bear in mind that allows four to by our Government in their conversations and in the five minutes each and try to keep to that, I will be most pressure they bring to bear to end the 54-year occupation. grateful. That is what will bring peace in the region, and that is what will bring peace for Palestinian children and Israeli 9.41 am children. Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central) (Lab) [V]: Thank you, Dame Angela. It is a pleasure to serve under your 9.46 am chairmanship. I thank the hon. Member for Eastbourne Mary Robinson (Cheadle) (Con): I thank my hon. (Caroline Ansell) for bringing this debate on the important Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Caroline Ansell) topic of Palestinian textbooks. Let me start by saying for securing this important debate. Like her, I visited that I condemn any incitement to violence, whether of Israel with the Conservative Friends of Israel and spoke Palestinian children, Israeli children, or any children in to Israelis and Palestinians on this and many other issues. the world. I condemn antisemitism and anti-Arab The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians last Palestinian hate speech. month demonstrated just how important it is that we The research for the review started in September 2019, promote de-escalation, reject violence and inflammatory and the textbooks were published between 2017 and rhetoric, and encourage moderate leaders who are willing 2019, so the report it is looking at a picture of several to be credible partners for peace in the region. Although years ago, and the picture it paints is complex. I agree the recent EU report on Palestinian textbooks recognises with the hon. Lady that there is conflicting evidence in that some improvements have been made, it shows that the report, but its conclusion is that the Palestinian the Palestinian Authority still has some way to go to live Authority have shown a commitment to improving the up to those goals. Both the 2019-20 curriculum and the quality of textbooks, and notes that in recent textbooks textbooks of the most recent school year are riddled things have improved. That needs to be placed on the with antisemitism, glorification of terrorism as heroic record. struggle, and negation of the state of Israel, including There has been much discussion of this issue, including in maps that erase Israel’s presence; references to the in debates in the Chamber. In that context, use was Oslo accords have been removed. made of a report by IMPACT-se—the Institute for This is not the first investigation into Palestinian Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School textbooks, and the report serves only to confirm what Education—but that is a completely discredited we have known for some time about the Palestinian organisation. Former UK Minister Alistair Burt said in curriculum. The contention by the authors of the EU a written answer on 12 September 2018: report that the curriculum meets UNESCO standards “Our assessment is that the IMPACT-se report was not objective and that improvements were seen in the 2020 editions is in its findings and lacked methodological rigour. For example, false; close reading of the main body of the report some claims were made on the basis of partial or subjective proves as much. When arguing that the textbooks have reading of the text, some findings are presented out of context.” improved, the EU report cites a particularly egregious Overall, IMPACT-se’s report is noted as generalising example of incitement that has been removed, in which and exaggerating. fourth-grade pupils are asked to calculate the numbers There is no doubt that there is room for improvement, of martyrs, including suicide bombers, from the first but there is also room for improvement in Israeli schools. and second intifadas. On the face of it, that would be a That is the nub of the problem. I recently saw footage welcome change, but the reviewers show that it has been on social media from a religious school in Israel where replaced by a maths question about Israel stealing land children taking part in a question and answer session from Palestinians. That is not an improvement, and the were caught saying that in 10 years’ time, the al-Aqsa reviewers concede that they were unable to verify that it mosque would not be there, a temple would be built on is even in circulation in hard-copy textbooks. It turns the site, and the only Arabs surviving would be slaves. out that the maths question about terrorists is still in We have to look at this picture in the round and from use, as confirmed by the PA’sofficial Ministry of Education both sides of the argument. It is fair to say there is room portal online. Such content is indefensible, and I struggle for improvement in the education of children, within to see how it benefits the Palestinian population, including both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. its children. 49WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 50WH EU Review EU Review Chris Green (Bolton West) (Con): Wecould understand concluded were problematic and wrong. The report also it if, in the history curriculum or other elements of the found instances of antisemitism—that has been curriculum, contentious issues were presented in a way acknowledged—but found that others had, in fact, been that was unfavourable to Israel. That would be removed, which represents the progress to which the understandable, albeit unwelcome. But to get such things hon. Member for Cheadle (Mary Robinson) referred. into the maths curriculum indicates a conscious will However, I say to the hon. Member for Eastbourne and and effort to do so. Does my hon. Friend agree? others that if we accept the report and the bona fides and independence of the Georg Eckert Institute, we do Mary Robinson: I do agree. We must remember that not do great service by picking and choosing those young minds are very absorbent and they tend to take parts of the report that we like. The report’s overall on board and trust what they are taught in school. conclusion, having examined extensively the material Members who have asked questions over the past that was made available to the institute, was that the four years have been told to wait for the publication of materials of the Palestinian Authority did conform to this report and assured that this is an important issue, UNESCO standards. That is important. I would hope which is why we are having this debate. I hope that the that nobody who has read that report would say that Minister will acknowledge that, with the release of the the materials were beyond reproach, but the conclusion report, the Government’s long-standing stance on this reached by the institute through its independent analysis issue may require some reassessment. should not be dismissed so lightly. I am, however, grateful and thankful that the report One of my great frustrations about this debate, as has provoked an international discussion about linking with others about Israel-Palestine, is what I generally aid to the PA and UNRWA—which runs a number of call what-aboutery: when someone says, “Here’ssomething schools in the west bank and Gaza and uses the same bad that was done by one side,” and somebody else pops curriculum as the PA—to the removal of antisemitic up and says, “Well, what about the other side?” I am incitement from the Palestinian curriculum. It is important going to resist the temptation to indulge in what-aboutery, to highlight that linkage. The United States has said but I want to put on the record my concern that there that it will do this for its aid to UNRWA—it will are instances of that, and there has not been the same delink—and the European Commissioner responsible rigorous analysis of educational standards within Israel. for aid to the PA and UNRWA has said that the EU It is often said, and other analyses have highlighted, should look at doing so for its funding to the PA. In the that maps often include the lands of the west bank as light of this report, it may be time for this country to part of Israel as a whole, rather than the 1967 borders, look again at our aid to the PA, ensure that we do not which are generally regarded internationally as the ones fund the curriculum that is in place while also encouraging to adhere to. the PA to reform their curriculum in a more positive and constructive manner. If we are to make a difference in this debate, it has to The events of the past month have underscored how be out of a genuine concern for the education of young far we will have to go to heal the divisions in the region people and children in Palestine today. It is a sobering and put a permanent stop to the death and destruction. fact that a 15-year-old in Gaza will have endured five The need to tackle Hamas in particular is as clear as major wars, as well as several others, in their lifetime. ever,but a lasting peace depends on a Palestinian Authority Civil society groups have to run training programmes who take seriously their commitment to co-existing for Palestinian children on explosive remnants of war. alongside Israel. We have to encourage the PA to Just think of that: if hon. Members sent their children demonstrate that this is taking place not just with words to school in Gaza, part of what they would be taught, but at all levels of society, including education. I therefore regardless of what is in the curriculum, is how to deal hope that Ministers will take this report and build on its with exploded and unexploded ordinances. That is the efforts to promote moderate, pragmatic Palestinian day-to-day lived experience of children in Gaza. leadership, working with the PAto improve their textbooks Just this week, the Save the Children Fund issued its and curriculum. However, they must also ensure that report on the impact of home demolition on Palestinian our aid money is not funding an existing curriculum children, titled “Hope under the rubble”. I hope that that is morally objectionable and runs against our and the Minister has a copy of it, and that if he has not read all peace-loving people’s aspirations for the region. it yet, he soon will. As the hon. Member for Cheadle rightly said, young children absorb their lived experience, 9.51 am and their education goes well beyond what they see in Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD): the classroom. As ever, it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Let me give a few key findings from that report. Some Dame Angela. I also congratulate the hon. Member for 80% of children feel abandoned by the world and have Eastbourne (Caroline Ansell) on having secured this lost faith in the ability of anyone, from their parents to debate. I think that she, like I—and, I suspect and hope, authorities and the international community, to protect everybody in this debate—holds the view that we would them and their rights. Some 78% of older children said ultimately wish to see a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. they feel hopeless when they think about the future. I gently suggest to her and others that if we are ever to Some younger children told the Save the Children Fund achieve that, the role of this country has to be limited. that they often take their toys to school out of fear that For us simply to take one side or another in that debate they might lose them in the rubble during the day. Some just serves to make things worse: it does not help us 70% of children reported feeling socially isolated, with move towards that two-state solution. no connection with their communities and land after I say that because I am slightly concerned that the losing their home. Some 60% of children reported that hon. Lady seemed quite happy to take various examples their education had been jeopardised or interrupted from the Georg Eckert Institute report that it had following the demolition. 51WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 52WH EU Review EU Review If we really are concerned about the impact on young attacks on Israeli citizens have been undertaken by Palestinians, I say to the hon. Member for Eastbourne, Palestinians as young as 11. Along with his 14-year-old and in particular to the Minister, that we should be cousin, a young boy from East Jerusalem’s Shuafat considering that many Palestinian children may soon be neighbourhood stabbed a light-rail security guard in fortunate to have any schools at all in which to have November 2015. Once detained, he recounted how he textbooks, because the hard fact is that no fewer than wanted to “die as a martyr”, while his cousin said: 53 Palestinian schools are slated for demolition by the “I wanted to kill the Jews who are torturing us.” Israeli Government. If there are no schools, frankly the We are united in this place in our shared search for content of textbooks becomes pretty academic. peace in this troubled region, and halting the indoctrination of Palestinian children from these deplorable textbooks Dame Angela Eagle (in the Chair): I am sorry to say must be a central pillar of that process. that I am introducing a time limit of three minutes so that we can get everybody into the debate and leave time 10.1 am for the Front-Bench speeches. Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith) (Lab): It is a pleasure 9.58 pm to be under your chairship, Dame Angela. As the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) John Howell (Henley) (Con): Thank you, Dame Angela, says, I am sure that everybody here wishes to see a for your permission to leave this debate early to attend two-state solution. We may have different routes to that. another meeting. I draw the House’s attention to my I would like to see immediate recognition of the Palestinian entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. It state, adherence to international law by all parties—Israel, is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Hamas and the Palestinian Authority—and, above all, Angela. the end to the occupation. The teaching of Palestinian children to hate Israel The textbooks have an important role to play in that. and Jews and the incitement of violence within the They are part of educating the next generation. The Palestinian Authority’sofficial curriculum are unacceptable report generally comes to positive conclusions, saying and are having and will have extraordinary real-life that consequences on Palestinians and Israelis today and in “the textbooks adhere to UNESCO standards and adopt criteria the future. At least 31 Palestinian schools are named that are prominent in international education discourse, including after terrorists, and three after Nazi collaborators. They a strong focus on human rights…they express a narrative of teach young Palestinian children that such actions are resistance within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict honourable and will be rewarded with respect and glory. and…they display an antagonism towards Israel.” In addition, children are taught about Newton’s second It adds: law through textbook images of a boy aiming a slingshot “The Israeli opponent is portrayed as aggressive and hostile. at an Israeli soldier. The language is however, for the most part, objective in tone and The EU report contends that the presence of national avoids inflammatory expressions.” resistance fighters masked by a traditional keffiyeh There are regrettable passages. The report notes that scarf one textbook has antisemitic motifs, but that is one out “suggests that the liberation of Palestine might be achievable of 156 examined and it has been addressed by the 2020 through violent resistance.” analysis. The Palestinian Minister for Education has It concedes that these images present “highly escalatory said that any recommendations in the report will be potential”. Addressing concerns about the prevalence implemented. of references to jihad across the curriculum, the EU What I see here is that yes, there are problems and report also finds: issues, but there is a willingness to address them and it “One in eight references to jiha¯d in Social Studies…relates to would be wrong and counterproductive to exaggerate the ongoing conflict in the Middle East: ‘the Palestinian freedom them. We should be building bridges. There are faults struggle as jiha¯d’.” on both sides. The issue of maps has been mentioned. Another textbook, “Islamic Education”, In the same way as it is clearly wrong not to include “contains a whole lesson on jiha¯d in the context of military Israel on maps in Palestinian textbooks, it is wrong for fighting.” many in Israel to show the non-existence of the Palestinian Those alarming examples have a tangible effect on state. Senior members of the Government, including Palestinian children. Students at UNRWA schools have the Prime Minister of Israel, do not appear to believe in been quoted as saying things such as: that and view the west bank as Judea and Samaria. We do not know about Israeli textbooks, but we do know “I am ready to stab a Jew and drive over them”, that textbooks in East Jerusalem have been doctored by and: the Israelis, including the removal of entire chapters on “I am prepared to be a suicide bomber”. regional and Palestinian history, because they have They have also said that everyone needs to attack the control there. Jews until there will not be one left in the land, and Above all, there is an inequality of arms. What the called the Jews liars and dogs. Israelis have been able to do to the Palestinians over The words in these textbooks must have no place in 53 years of military occupation, with 650,000 Israelis in an UNRWA school, nor in a peaceful future for the illegal settlements, and many other things during this middle east. Sadly we have seen, all too painfully, how crisis, needs to be addressed. That is the real root of the this belligerent rhetoric has even led children to commit problem that has to be dealt with. Yes, of course we acts of violence and terror. In the last five years, Palestinian need to see children in Israel and Palestine being educated minors have been involved in as many as 116 terror so that they are brought together and not set apart, but attacks, which killed five Israelis and injured dozens. let us not cherry-pick support. Let us take the best out Stone and Molotov cocktails, stabbings and shooting of this and go forward. 53WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 54WH EU Review EU Review 10.4 am of the debate, and will do so at some length. I am unashamedly a member of Friends of Israel. I have Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) (Con): It is a been a member during my time here at Westminster but pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Angela. also in my former role in the Assembly back home. I I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne strongly support them and will speak from their point (Caroline Ansell) on securing this important and timely of view. debate. For years, Members from both sides of the House As many Members have stated, the findings of the have raised concerns about problematic examples of GEI review on Palestinian textbooks are damaging. what is being taught in Palestinian schools and how The analysis of 156 textbooks and 16 teacher guides that fosters a culture of hate and violence and works published between 2017 and 2019 by the Palestinian against the aims of many Governments around the Ministry of Education is thorough and detailed. The world who support a viable two-state solution in the information is there—the secret is in the title—and the middle east. I remember a debate early last year when evidential base is quite clear. Eight out 10 sections my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet of the executive summary—from “Compliance with (Theresa Villiers) referred to the fact that she had first the principles of global citizenship education”, to started raising concerns about the Palestinian curriculum “Representations of violence differ according to when she was a Member of the European Parliament subjects”—offer an authoritative assessment of Palestinian 20 years ago. It is not only British parliamentarians; education. parliamentarians all across Europe, including in Sweden While the report informs, it does not come as any and Germany, and the United States have raised similar surprise to me. On countless occasions, these issues have concerns. There are serious and real issues to address. been raised here and in the main Chamber, and Ministers I have sat down with different Ministers and officials have consistently refuted any suggestion that UK aid over the years to talk about these issues, and at different funds have been used to support incitement and violence. times the responses have ranged from trying to downplay Most of those assertions offered by former Ministers the seriousness of some of the examples that we raised, did not convince then; they certainly do not convince to suggesting that the problem was historical and had me now. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development been fixed, or was in the process of being fixed, to Office has also left itself wide open to question through suggesting that, because the UK Government do not implication. fund educational materials directly—we only fund the On countless occasions, the link between generous salaries of Palestinian teachers—it is somehow less of a UK aid funds and payments to terrorists has been problem for us to be concerned about. Each time, it felt denied. Even when the FCDO claimed it was paying the like we were being put on the back foot. salaries of some 85,000 named Palestinian civil servants The review we are debating was supposed to be the listed through the EU’sPEGASE system, with no evidence critical moment when an objective look could be taken that such a list existed, it has yet to justify such claims as and the UK Government, in partnership with other to why UK aid directed funds elsewhere without being Governments around the world, could take a strong sanctioned. and unified approach. The contents of the report are We have a bilateral aid program to the Palestinian problematic, as has been said, and I am pleased that Authority—I understand that—and a team of highly Members with different viewpoints on this subject agree paid former civil servants. However,education for children that there are problematic examples. is critical, and there are books that denigrate Israel, The Minister is very experienced and knowledgeable acknowledging human rights for others, but seemingly and is deeply committed, as I hope we all are, to not for Israel. While some have withdrawn funding, I humanitarian support around the world. I want to hear believe that funding should be conditional on the change from him a clear message about what the Government that should be brought about. As Iran, Hezbollah in intend to do now. For years, when Palestinian Authority Palestine and other terrorist groups try to achieve their Ministers have reassured us and suggested that we annihilation of Israel, I instead stand with Israel against should move along and that there is nothing to see, we that terrorism—against the evil targeting of Israel. have wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. The Palestinian textbooks are part of that evil and must be truth is that there is something to see, and we need a addressed today. clear and well-defined position from the Government about what we intend to say and do with our friends in I ask the Minister these questions very quickly. What the Palestinian Authority. does it say about the ability of this institution to hold the Government to account? What does it say about the I support a strong aid budget. Now is not the moment Ministers who have steadfastly stood in Westminster to open up the 0.7% issue. However, I put on the record Hall and the main Chamber denying that such links that, at a time when we are making deep cuts to important existed? Was it through mere incompetence on the part humanitarian programmes overseas, we are protecting of civil servants who passed what we now know were funding for the Palestinian public sector. If we are misleading answers to various Ministers at the Dispatch going to do that, surely we should demand the highest Box? Why was there an inability to spot and call out the possible standards, to really foster that culture of tolerance incitement, antisemitism and hatred of the Palestinian and respect and to work against hate and violence, curriculum between 2017 and 2019? which risks dragging that region back into old cycles. The motive appears to be ensuring a continual flow 10.7 am of money, even with the knowledge that the way in Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): I thank the hon. which the payment of UK aid was being carried out Member for Eastbourne (Caroline Ansell) for setting breached the rules contained within the memorandum the scene so well. I am going to speak exactly to the title of understanding between the Palestinian Authority 55WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 56WH EU Review EU Review and the UK Government. I certainly look forward to on her excellent opening speech. Like her, I am a strong the Minister’s response. I hope that he can answer the supporter of a two-state solution, which is exactly why I questions. believe that we must take urgent action now to address the issue of extremism in the Palestinian school curriculum 10.11 am that the EU review so damningly documents. Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con) [V]: I congratulate I refer Members to my entry in the Register of my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Caroline Members’ Financial Interests, as I visited Israel and the Ansell) on securing the debate, and draw the House’s west bank just over a year ago. I was struck by the work attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ being done on the ground to make peace a reality. I was Financial Interests, particularly as chair of the all-party fortunate enough to visit the brilliant MATI, which Britain-Israel parliamentary group and as an officer of provides life-changing support to Palestinian entrepreneurs Conservative Friends of Israel. in East Jerusalem and exemplifies exactly what we should I have been raising these issues in relation to Palestinian be doing to support Israelis and Palestinians by working textbooks on behalf of my constituents for many years. together to create positive social change in the middle It has become abundantly clear that the children of the east. It is absolutely contemptible that such vital work is Palestinian territories have been cruelly let down by undermined by the Palestinian school curriculum, which those who have responsibility for their education. As we has such a prolific acceptance of and support for violence, have heard, there are extensive examples within the EU antisemitism and the rejection of peace. report that the Palestinian curriculum is deeply flawed The report concludes shockingly that textbooks refer and, sadly, rife with material that passes hatred and to violence against Israelis, including civilians, and acts prejudice on to the new generation of young people. of heroic struggle, as part of a narrative of resistance. That just exacerbates the conflict and must not continue. One textbook for year 8 pupils presents the wounding, The curriculum is deeply problematic. It is exacerbated or even killing, of the opponent in a positive light. It is by the fact that the educational resources are essentially striking to observe that the state of Israel is rarely the same as those used by the United Nations Relief mentioned by name. The EU report actually outlines and Works Agency.Last year, we gave around £20 million how Israelis are consistently referred to in a pejorative to fund Palestinian teachers’ salaries, and £63.6 million way. Elsewhere, it details one antisemitic exercise in to UNRWAto support the education of 320,000 children which students learn that “the Jews” desecrated the in 370 schools. In January this year, it was discovered tombs of Muslims. That was altered for the 2020 edition. that the additional educational material produced and The report fails to mention, however, that the words published by UNRWA for schools in the west bank and “the Jews” was replaced with the equally offensive and Gaza, and distributed to the Palestinian children to aid inflammatory “the Zionist occupation”. home learning during covid, glorified terrorism and This Government have a proud record of taking incited violence against Israel. Those supplementary decisive action to tackle antisemitism wherever and resources—three in Gaza and one in the west bank—were whenever it occurs. The UK’s recent decision not to even more extreme than the official PA curriculum, and attend the notorious Durban conference is a welcome again in breach of the UN values. and important announcement. The Government also UNRWA has tried to defend the existence of that deserve praise for their untiring efforts to promote the so-called “inappropriate” material, saying that it was adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance “mistakenly” distributed to students at the beginning of Alliance definition of antisemitism across the UK. There the coronavirus pandemic. It has been widely available appears to be a blind spot, however. The Palestinian now for more than eight months. The UK was joined by Authority’s promotion of antisemitic ideas, which I Germany and Norway in expressing concerns, while have identified, goes largely unchecked—that is indefensible. our allies Australia and Canada launched investigations. If we know one thing about fighting prejudice, it is that Subsequently, the US Secretary of State has confirmed it must be stamped out everywhere and immediately, no that the Biden Administration’s renewal of funding for ifs, no buts. Will the Minister explain why his Department UNRWA is conditional on its making “very necessary has failed to take action on the curriculum for two full reforms”. decades? How does he plan to tackle that issue? Will he Despite that, further accusations have been made commit to supporting the International Fund for Israeli- about the material that has been available. In one exercise, Palestinian Peace, to ensure that projects such as the pupils in the ninth grade were taught to condemn one I described can continue to expand and deliver Arab-Israeli peace and normalisation initiatives and to real-life change? claim that they serve only to weaken the resolve of Let us not lose sight of a two-state solution. It is Palestinians. It goes without saying that that is in direct essential that we do not lose another generation to contravention of the UN values. In the light of that, I conflict. If it is right that we are stamping out antisemitism ask our Minister what the Government will do to in the UK, how can we fund it abroad? pressurise UNRWA into pursuing those very necessary reforms. Does he agree that UNRWAhas a responsibility to nurture young Palestinian minds, rather than feed 10.17 am them with the poison of hatred and violent ideology? Chris Green (Bolton West) (Con): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Caroline Ansell) 10.14 am on securing this important debate. It is a particular Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con): It is a pleasure pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Bury to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Angela. I South (Christian Wakeford), who captured so many of congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne the important issues, including a particularly important (Caroline Ansell) on securing this important debate and reference to rejecting the Durban conference and its agenda. 57WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 58WH EU Review EU Review [Chris Green] not remain like that if the next generation of children and young people, both Palestinian and Israeli, grow up A quote from the beginning of the Georg Eckert to believe that peace is possible and desirable. For that Institute’s report captures the importance of the issue: shift to happen, it is vital that children in the region are “School textbooks play a crucial role as transmitters and taught about their history and heritage in a way that is indicators of the hegemonic knowledge that a society deems truthful and neutral, and does not stoke hatred of the appropriate for teaching to the next generation, particularly when other side. … it comes to topics relating to peace and conflict ‘for millions of Yet sadly, we see that the opposite is happening. The people they are the first, and often the only, books that they read’.” findings of the EU review point to what is being taught If the material is a source of information that people in schools as a major contributing factor to the ongoing will take with them through the rest of their lives, it is so conflict. There cannot possibly be progress when young important to get it right from the beginning, so that minds in the Palestinian territories are being infected by those problems, failings and introduced concerns are poisonous ideology and children are being taught to not there. The evidence in the report is clear that in the hate their Israeli neighbours. The review indisputably textbooks, as well as in the teaching guides, those substantiates the level of extremist ideas in the Palestinian materials should be characterised as antisemitic. They Authority school curriculum, with abhorrent glorification delegitimise and deny the state of Israel. As my hon. of terrorists and violence. Friend the Member for Henley (John Howell) highlighted, It does not have to be that way. An independent room can be found in the mathematics curriculum to textbook monitoring organisation has found that textbooks promote or highlight the use of slingshots—that is elsewhere in the region have been changing in a positive absolutely extraordinary, and it is not by accident, but direction. There has been a move across the middle east by design. It is toxic and runs through so many of the and north Africa towards a more progressive, peace-driven materials. narrative, details of which I would set out if I had time. That division cuts through generations: as one generation These changes are not perfect, but they are a clear step learns, so will the next. We have to find ways and in the right direction. So why are young Palestinian mechanisms to cut that out immediately.Wehave influence minds continuing to being poisoned with the rhetoric of and the ability to apply pressure on the Palestinians. My violence, division and hatred? This situation is prolonged right hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire as long as Governments around the world continue to (Stephen Crabb) really captured what we can do and tolerate it by failing to hold the Palestinian Authority to how this debate can and should have an impact. account. In the UK, it is time to fully recognise this We used to talk about being an aid superpower. Aid issue and say enough is enough. Wounds do not heal if ought to bring influence. It ought to help to persuade they are constantly reopened. We must give children the and be a mechanism for trying to convince our friends chance of peace. around the world, but other players too, that receiving it is contingent upon the correction of these materials, 10.23 am because they are wrong. Indeed, I think everyone speaking Brendan O’Hara (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) [V]: It is today has said that they are wrong and need changing, pleasure to see you in the Chair for this morning’s so I urge my hon. Friend the Minister to make a clear debate, Dame Angela. statement about how he will use aid to correct these failings. As many hon. Members have said, this is not the first time that this issue has been discussed in the House. In 10.20 am the past 20 years, there have been accusations of widespread antisemitism and incitement to violence and hatred Miriam Cates (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Con) contained in Palestinian school textbooks. They have [V]: I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for been repeatedly raised by pressure groups and politicians, Eastbourne (Caroline Ansell) on securing today’simportant so it was right that the European Union, being debate and refer Members to my entry in the Register of understandably vigilant, should ask the independent Members’ Financial Interests. Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research Two years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Israel to carry out a study of the issue. and the west bank, and I can honestly say it was one of Despite highlighting some legitimate areas of concern, the most inspirational weeks of my life. The character the Eckert report says that, while still not perfect, the of the people and the richness of the culture left a deep changes recently made to the curriculum show that the and positive impression on me. But despite all that is Palestinian Authority are heading in the right direction, truly wonderful about both Israelis and Palestinians, and the report significantly tempers some of the wilder one cannot escape the reality of the tensions and conflicts accusations and allegations that we have heard from that are ongoing. During the recent escalation of violence certain quarters about the PAroutinely using the curriculum in the region, we even saw the consequences of to incite violence and hatred or promote antisemitism. inflammatory rhetoric on the streets of the UK, as the Indeed, as the right hon. Member for Orkney and Jewish community faced a deplorable rise in antisemitic Shetland (Mr Carmichael) said, the Eckert report concludes attacks as a result of events occurring thousands of that miles away in another country. “the textbooks adhere to UNESCO standards and adopt criteria We must look at what is fuelling the hatred and that are prominent in international education discourse, including division between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. a strong focus on human rights”. Why has this conflict continued for so long, throughout In terms of antisemitism, the report specifically mentions the generations? One does not have to take a particular two examples, both of which were deemed to be and side in the conflict to see that there are some fairly were rightly condemned as antisemitic. They should considerable barriers to a peace settlement, but it need never have been there, and it is absolutely right that 59WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 60WH EU Review EU Review both have now been positively altered as the report says, Yet, immediately on publication of the Georg Eckert or removed completely from the latest editions of the Institute’s lengthy and nuanced report last week, books—a fact recognised by the Georg Eckert Institute. IMPACT-se was straight out of the blocks, telling anyone Let me be clear: we in the SNP believe that wherever who would listen that the report supported its claim antisemitism is found, it must be called out and condemned that absolutely and unequivocally.There must be zero tolerance “the Palestinian Authority systematically incites…a million children of antisemitism and we must all be vigilant in guarding to antisemitism, hate and violence every school day.” against it. Although not complacent in any way, I am reassured that in the context of Palestinian school It is a ridiculous analysis of a serious report and one textbooks, the Eckert report says that, while there is that probably tells us more about IMPACT-se and how recognition of the long-standing political and military it operates than anything else. Although it is perfectly conflict, antisemitism does not seem to be as widespread legitimate to disagree with the findings of the Eckert as was first feared, there are signs of improvement and report—I am sure that all sides will find plenty to argue it does not appear to be the endemic problem that some about—what is not acceptable is to deliberately distort would have us believe. and twist what the report says. I find it deeply concerning As I said, the Eckert report does identify other areas that such a brazenly partisan group is still being listened of concern, but when addressing whether the textbooks to and is still able to find such an unquestioning audience. are guilty of promoting or glorifying violence, it says I hope that when the Minister replies to the debate, he that although there are “escalatory” examples in the will reassure the House that the UK Government still textbooks, it did not find that, in the context of a region consider IMPACT-se not to be a trusted source of where, for the best part of a century, there has been reliable information and, its having been so discredited active armed conflict, the depiction of the “other side” for the inaccuracies and inadequacies in its research, no in the school textbooks as an aggressor or as violent UK Government funding will go towards that group. necessarily equated to that igniting hatred. Indeed, the report goes on to say that it is important to acknowledge We have heard many times this morning that anti- that such indicators are generally very rare and that Palestinian groups have been raising in the contents of there are also numerous instances of the school textbooks these books for years. As the Eckert report makes clear, calling for tolerance, mercy, forgiveness and justice. there are areas of legitimate concern and some important As we have heard, one of the main sources of the changes are needed. However, attempts to portray allegations is the Israeli organisation IMPACT-se, the Palestinians as somehow uniquely hateful and violent Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance are utterly nonsensical. Ironically, those making them in School Education, a self-described have been engaging in exactly the same sort of demonisation “research, policy and advocacy organization”, and distortion that they allege of the Palestinian textbooks. whose main aim appears to be to lobby parliamentarians We could go through the Eckert report line by line, and media outlets across Europe and the United States arguing over every last dot and comma but, as other to, I would argue, exaggerate and amplify these claims Members have said this morning, there is a much bigger in order to get them on to the political agenda—rather picture here: the continued illegal occupation of Palestine, successfully, it would appear. Let us be in no doubt which is now in its sixth decade. I just wish that those about IMPACT-se. On page 15 of the Eckert report, it parliamentarians most vocal about the content of says that IMPACT-se research is Palestinian children’s school textbooks were as vocal “marked by generalising and exaggerated conclusions based on about the destruction of Palestinian children’s schools. methodological shortcomings.” It recommends that any future IMPACT-se investigation I have seen the ruins of a Palestinian school. I have be based on a walked among the rubble of the demolished school “comprehensive examination of the textbooks, contextualising buildings of the Bedouin village of Abu Nuwar. I have the specific passages” seen the pain, the fear, and the devastation that the that it uses, as well as recognising those elements within demolition of a school causes for an already weak, poor the textbooks that and defenceless community. I cannot help but wonder “promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.” where the outrage on the Benches opposite is when Of course, as we have heard, IMPACT-se has form. Palestinian schools are demolished by the Israeli army The shortcomings of its methodology and its lack of in order to make way for more illegal settlements? Why objectivity have been commented on before in this are they so silent when Palestinian children are being House. As recently as September 2017 in a written killed, beaten, arrested and detained without trial? Often answer, the ever honest and hugely respected former their homes are being bulldozed. Where is the condemnation Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said that the and outrage about the 66 Palestinian children who were Government were sufficiently concerned at what an killed, or the 600 who were injured during the bombardment earlier IMPACT-se report had alleged about Palestinian of Gaza? Where are the debates and demands for action textbooks to decide to meet with it to discuss its findings. about the 141 schools in Gaza that were damaged, or However, the UK Government in 2017 concluded that the 53 schools in the west bank that have been earmarked the IMPACT-se report was not objective in its findings for demolition? and its methodology lacked rigour, before observing Perhaps we would pay greater heed to the howls of that protest from the Benches opposite about the content of “some claims were made on the basis of a partial or subjective Palestinian children’s schoolbooks if they were equally reading of the text” vociferous in calling out the outrageous human rights and abuses that those same Palestinian schoolchildren face “some findings are presented out of context”. every single day of their young lives. 61WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 62WH EU Review EU Review 10.32 am but that the universal idea of human rights is Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab): It is a pleasure to “not carried through to a discussion of the rights of Israelis”. serve under your chairpersonship, Dame Angela. I, too, The textbooks rightly support international conventions am pleased that today’s debate has been secured and with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but in congratulate the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Caroline many cases they unfortunately adopt what can only be Ansell) on doing so. described as a one-sided representation of Israel. In fact, the term “Israel” is seldom used. We see more Even though this is a European Union review,Members regularly the use of the terms “Zionist” and “Zionist across the House have been asking questions for some occupation”, which are frequently found in the textbooks time about what was happening with it and why it was examined. What is also worrying is the unsatisfactory delayed for so long. Indeed, I have asked parliamentary way in which Israel, and the renunciation of terror, is questions myself. It is right that questions have been dealt with. asked, because the UK Government fund much of the Palestinian National Authority’s educational work. That The report says there was a good discussion of the funding might not pay for the textbooks themselves, but peace process in the middle east in a textbook for it pays the salaries of up to 39,000 civil servants on the year 10. It traced a number of statements and declarations west bank, including 33,000 Ministry of Education and since 1977 that indicated the steps taken towards the Higher Education civil servants and teachers. recognition of Israel and the renunciation of violence and terrorism by the Palestine Liberation Organisation. It is also right that we are concerned about the The recognition of Israel’s right to exist in peace and content of educational material. I speak as a former security is documented clearly in the letters from Yasser teacher and educationalist myself when I say that education Arafat to Yitzhak Rabin, to which the textbooks refer. is vital in helping to inculcate understanding in children Although that is a good example, it stands in contrast of the world in which they live, the values that should to the questioning of the legitimacy of the state of define their future lives, and their participation in society. Israel, which is expressed in other passages and textbooks. It is important to realise, however,that formal educational Although there are accurate and positive references textbooks are only one of the influences on children in to Jewish people historically and contemporaneously, the Occupied Palestinian Territories. there are also disturbing references that can only be To truly understand what Palestinian children are described as antisemitic. The report also found disturbing subjected to, one must understand the repressive and references to the concept of jihad. The report noted unfair nature of the Israeli military occupation and the that the term is rarely connected to the current Palestinian- impact of the Israeli military detention system on young Israeli conflict, but that there were instances where the Palestinian people. I strongly urge Members to read the term was used, which can lead only to a potential excellent report by Save the Children, and also the escalation. report to which the right hon. Member for Orkney and The report also found that references to violence were Shetland (Mr Carmichael) for Orkney and Shetland treated differently, depending on who or what was being referred, which clearly shows the impact that demolitions described. In the report’s words, textbooks in the Arabic and evictions have on Palestinian children. language Today, however, we are discussing the EU report. It is “contain emotionally leading depictions of Israeli violence that a detailed report, and I believe it is objective in its tend to dehumanise the Israeli adversary”. approach. That is what I would expect from an expert, Not only is this approach dominant when it comes to specialist institution such as the Eckert Institute. The covering conflict; it is also the case when discussing the report is nearly 200 pages long, and it paints a complex British mandate. Throughout the textbook for history, picture of the content of educational material. However, geography and social studies, the Israeli opponent is the report’s executive summary indicates that it is possible portrayed as aggressive and hostile. That is surely wrong, to define and identify three overarching features. The if we are concerned about movements towards peace first is that and realising our long-standing commitment to a two-state “the textbooks adhere to UNESCO standards and adopt criteria solution for Israel and Palestine. that are prominent in international educational discourse, including I have to say that I am mildly encouraged by the a strong focus on human rights.” paragraph in the report that states that, after initial Secondly, the report says the textbooks completion, an overview was conducted comparing 18 more “express a narrative of resistance within the context of the recent textbooks, which showed real measures of Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. improvement. In the newer textbooks, there was an Thirdly, the examples that the report has analysed increase in the representation of women and Christians “display an antagonism towards Israel”. and a reduction of the text and images that had the ability to cause escalatory potential, including the removal Those are the essential conclusions of the report. of antisemitic content in several points of the narrative. In its examination of the textbooks and other educational The report also refers to other improvements and material, the institute found that there was extensive modifications. coverage of global citizenship education. Throughout Despite those changes, there is still cause for concern. the textbooks, calls for tolerance, mercy, forgiveness The question is: how do the Government respond? The and justice are to be found. There are positive examples UK Government have a memorandum of understanding of progressive representations of various social, cultural with the Palestinian Authority that says that the PA and religious groups living together. These include a must adhere to the principles of non-violence and respect diversity of skin colour, gender and physical abilities. for human rights. Under the MOU, the Department The report says that the textbooks for International Development—now the Foreign, “affirm the importance of human rights in general”, Commonwealth and Development Office—is required 63WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 64WH EU Review EU Review to take action when the PA is not adhering to those be able to say definitively to colleagues, “This is something principles. In December 2018, DFID stated that it that happened in the past, and these are the 10 things expects textbooks we’re going to do that solve the problem,” but I will “to be academically rigorous and they must not incite racial hopefully give an indication of some of the changes. hatred or violence under any circumstances.” I know the Government have a regular dialogue with Christian Wakeford: I recognise that changes to the the Palestinian Authority, but I ask the Minister to curriculum will be immensely difficult, but what hope make it abundantly clear that the significant issues that does the Minister have that we will see changes when this report has highlighted must be addressed quickly. the Palestinian Prime Minister has vowed to continue Furthermore, will he indicate whether he will initiate an the printing of the textbooks, and to pay for them with ongoing review so that the content of textbooks is water, telephone and electricity bills if that is what it monitored and evaluated regularly? takes?

10.41 am James Duddridge: I am not sighted on that statement, but I am naturally an optimist. The report talks of the The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, progress made as well as some of the very real and Commonwealth and Development Affairs (James Duddridge): unacceptable problems that remain. It is great to be back in Westminster Hall. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Caroline Reflecting on the report, the Georg Eckert Institute is Ansell) for securing this debate, for her work in support a specialist organisation that looks at textbook analysis. of peace and stability in the region, and for the knowledge It was instructed to undertake a robust and impartial that she brings as a teacher, a school inspector and an review of the contents of those textbooks. Hon. Members excellent parliamentarian. She teed up an excellent debate. have talked of the period being 2017 to 2019. My hon. Friend the Member for Bury South (Christian Wakeford) The right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland said that there was nothing more up to date. Some bits (Mr Carmichael) asked for a balanced debate. I did were more up to date. A smaller sample of textbooks think that a debate with the words “EU” and “Palestine” from the most recent academic year was included, but in the title was unlikely to be balanced, and was much they were principally from 2017 to 2019. more likely to be polarising, but I have been pleasantly surprised by the speeches that were balanced, and those The aim was to provide a comprehensive and objective that were not were balanced out by one another. basis for the dialogue with the Palestinian Authority and to promote quality education, addressing the issues There have been a number of contributions, and, like of incitement. There has generally been an acceptance my hon. Friend the Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge of the value of education—we heard historic quotes (Miriam Cates), who spoke virtually, most if not all from a number of Members—and of the power of Members have been to the region. I visited it as part of getting it right, but part of that is getting the textbooks the International Development Committee, as the junior right. It is positive that the textbooks analysed were Member of the Conservative MPs on that Committee. found to adhere to UNESCO guidelines on human Unfortunately, one of those Members had to leave—he rights and generally to promote political pluralism and was offered a job by the Labour party and went to the cultural,socialandreligiousvaluesthatsupportco-existence. Lords—and the other has recently left the Conservative However, it is very clear from the examples used today party, joined the Labour party and hopes to go to the that there are concerns. My hon. Friends the Members Lords, so I seem to be the last man standing from that for Cheadle (Mary Robinson) and for Henley (John little delegation. Howell) voiced concerns specifically about maths textbooks The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, and the issue of the use of maps, which I am sure the my right hon. Friend the Member for Braintree (James Minister for the Middle East will want to review in Cleverly), would have loved to be here to take part in more detail and perhaps discuss with colleagues. this debate. He apologises that he cannot do that as he is elsewhere on ministerial duties. It is a pleasure for me to There is an acceptance that the report found that respond. I will discuss all the issues with him when he there continues to be anti-Israel, antisemitic comment returns to the Department, and with officials. in those textbooks. That clearly is not acceptable to the House or to the Government. The UK Government The Government welcome the publication of this continue to have zero tolerance for incitement to hatred report, which has taken some time. My right hon. and antisemitism in all forms. I thank hon. Members Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Stephen who referred to the Durban conference as an example Crabb) says that I may downplay this issue—well, I will of that. not. He says that I may say that the issue is fixed—I will not. He says that I will pray in aid the fact that we fund Mr Carmichael: Can the Minister confirm that the the teachers, not the books, and I will do that. I will Government accept the conclusions of the report, as come to the issues that he and others raised about well as the full analysis? conditionality later in my speech. We urged our European partners to publish these James Duddridge: I hesitate only because I have not findings, and I am happy that they have done so. It has gone through the conclusions forensically, but we agree been a long time coming. I suspect there will be more with the broad thrust of the report that there has been debates on this subject. There have been many before. progress and there are still areas where progress needs Hon. Members referred to my right hon. Friend the to be made. If the right hon. Gentleman has a concern Member for Chipping Barnet (Theresa Villiers). Sorry—I over any particular conclusions, on which he particularly was going to say Chipping Norton; I have spent far too wants to press the Minister, I urge him to speak to the much time there, as other colleagues have recently. This Minister for the Middle East directly, or to raise it by debate is part of the process, not the end of it. I will not way of secondary intervention. 65WH Palestinian School Textbooks: 30 JUNE 2021 Palestinian School Textbooks: 66WH EU Review EU Review Mr Carmichael: It is simply the conclusion that I put 10.52 am to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Caroline Ansell). The overall conclusion was that the materials conformed Caroline Ansell: This has been an interesting debate. to the UNESCO standards. Many perspectives have been brought forward and there has been challenge. I thank the Minister for affirming James Duddridge: Overall, yes, but there were examples that the UK taxpayer funds teachers, but teachers are where they did not. We agree with the thrust absolutely. delivering lessons and exercises based on the very textbooks The hon. Member for Caerphilly (Wayne David), that are of concern. To separate teachers from their who is very experienced in these matters as a former teaching materials is to try to separate bone from marrow. Minister and MEP, asked us to continue the regular The textbooks underpin the curriculum. They reflect its dialogue and raise this issue specifically. The Minister aims and objectives. They are more far-reaching than a for the Middle East raised it with the Palestinian Education mere teaching aid or prop. They are incredibly important. Minister, to whom the hon. Member for Hammersmith I am pleased that there was not a formal acceptance (Andy Slaughter) referred, on 5 May.The Foreign Secretary as such of the conclusion of the report, because while also raised it with the Palestinian Foreign Minister on the report finds “generally” or “overall”, if we are to 26 May. Hopefully that gives an indication of how maintain a position of zero tolerance, we cannot tolerate active the Government are. It is particularly important the evidence brought forward by this esteemed institute— as part of our commitment to education overall. evidence that reflects antisemitism and hatred of Jews I put on the record, as others have done, that the and does not provide the understanding or the opportunity Government do not—I repeat, do not—fund textbooks to reflect and learn to the youngest generation in Palestine. in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, but, as hon. This youngest generation are the leaders of tomorrow. Members have referred to, we do provide money for They are the teachers of tomorrow. They are the teachers. peacemakers we need to look to. My hon. Friend the Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Miriam Cates) Wayne David: I was wondering about the issue of made an excellent point. She said it is vital that peace is monitoring the textbooks. We are discussing a European seen not just as possible, but as desirable. Currently, it is Union report. I imagine such reports will not be as not seen at all. Unless and until that is part of the accessible by us in the future. Are the Government education experience of Palestinian children, there will going to carry out any monitoring of Palestinian textbooks? be a ghost train. James Duddridge: I shall not bite at the EU point, but on the broader and serious point, there clearly needs to Andy Slaughter: I am slightly confused about what be ongoing work—this is not the end of the process, the hon. Lady is saying now and what she said in her with some clear conclusions that are going to put an opening speech. She relies on evidence within the report, end to the matter. That may be through our EU partners. but she seems to find the report on the whole unsatisfactory. We work with other international partners. We work Which is it? Does she accept the report or not? with the UN, the Americans and we will continue to work with the EU. Caroline Ansell: I find the report conflicting. I find it I reassure the House that teachers are carefully vetted. difficult to reconcile. In the body of the report, and in Our money to support education and health went into a the words of the esteemed institute, there is example specially dedicated bank account. It is only paid to after example of inciting hatred, as recognised by Members. individuals who have gone through the vetting process It talks about how through the EU mechanism. I note the point of the hon. Member for Caerphilly about the future, but we “Jews as a collective are dangerous and deceptive”. are still contributing to the EU budget as part of the How can that be reconciled with a conclusion that says transition, so can quite reasonably expect to participate the curriculum meets standards? It clearly does not. as a more direct and historic partner, as well as a Zero tolerance is the position of the Government, and partner in the broadest sense. that must be our aspiration for the Palestinian curriculum. Each payment is independently audited to make sure Question put and agreed to. it goes to the intended recipients. Although I do not want to negate the points made about textbooks, it is Resolved, the teachers who are absolutely crucial. That this House has considered the EU Review into Palestinian We remain committed to a two-state solution. Making school textbooks. sure that children are educated in the best way is very much part of that. The contrary is also the case. There is a real risk, if children are not educated in an inclusive 10.55 am way, that it will make life worse. Sitting suspended. 67WH 30 JUNE 2021 Trans-Pennine Railway 68WH

Trans-Pennine Railway that Bradford and the north face. I have had promises, but no action. Time and again, I have asked Ministers to confirm that the Northern Powerhouse Rail would 11 am get the go-ahead and that it would include Bradford, Dame Angela Eagle (in the Chair): I remind hon. not pass it by. Time and again Ministers have responded Members that there have been changes to normal practice with warm words, but nothing concrete. Let us have no in order to support the new hybrid arrangements. I more shallow promises. must also remind Members participating virtually that We need action more than ever before. Instead of the they must leave their cameras on for the duration of the commitment required to address the inequality at hand debate and that they will be visible at all times—both to and reap the benefits of investment to change it, we each other and to us in the Boothroyd Room. have seen prevarication, fudge and delay. Earlier this Judith Cummins (Bradford South) (Lab) [V]: I beg to year, the Department for Transport told Transport for move, the North that it must delay submission of its strategic That this House has considered the trans-Pennine route upgrade outline case for Northern Powerhouse Rail until after and Northern Powerhouse. the Government had published their integrated rail It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, plan. This kicking of the can down the road, coming Dame Angela. I am sorry that I am unable to attend after the National Infrastructure Commission raised this important debate in person, but I am self-isolating. questions about what can and cannot be afforded in the current national rail budget, does little to engender The trans-Pennine route upgrade and Northern either confidence or trust. First expected by the end of Powerhouse Rail are two crucial transport infrastructure 2020, the integrated rail plan remains a mystery. projects for the north of England. The latter is vital to the economic prosperity of Bradford and my constituents As details of the DfT’sthinking about the trans-Pennine in Bradford South, as well as the wider region and the route upgrade now emerge, there is clear cause for nation as a whole. I raise these matters today amid fears concern that the Government are contemplating not a that that important high-speed rail project is set to be levelling up, but a levelling down of rail infrastructure cut back, bypassing Bradford altogether, but the work investment in the north. Today, we must have the truth for a diluted version of Northern Powerhouse Rail is about the Government’sobligation to tackle the imbalance being prepared by the Government under the guise of of this nation’s north-south economic inequality and the trans-Pennine route upgrade and the smokescreen their commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail, because of the National Infrastructure Commission. the two are inextricably linked. A report seen by the Yorkshire Post newspaper revealed Northern Powerhouse Rail is the very essence of the Government’s thinking. Documents for the trans- levelling up. It is not about trains: it is about people. It is Pennine route upgrade setting out development and about unlocking potential, attracting investment and capacity improvements for NPR between Ravensbourne creating jobs. It is a catalyst for a regional and national and Dewsbury are among the key elements of that economic boost: integration, rather than fragmentation, scheme. I am not arguing against the trans-Pennine of the great cities and economic powerhouses of the route upgrade—far from it: the modernisation of the north. To put it bluntly, upgrading existing lines will not existing cross-Pennine rail route is long overdue and fulfil the manifesto promises that the Government made desperately needed. It has been on and off the Government’s or provide the transformational improvement that the agenda—upgraded, downgraded, paused and rethought north needs and which our nation needs the north to at regular intervals—and I am pleased that it might at make, too. last get the green light to go ahead. But that must be as Transport for the North, England’s first sub-national well as, not instead of, Northern Powerhouse Rail. transport body,said that its preferred Northern Powerhouse I suppose I should not be surprised by the revealing Rail network will of the Government’s intentions; after all, this has become “deliver close to £5bn in economic benefit, by helping the North an all too familiar pattern when it comes to investment operate as a single economic unit, and £14.4bn in gross value in transport infrastructure spending outside London added (GVA) by 2060. It will create a net gain of 74,000 new jobs and the south-east. I am, however, outraged and, frankly, in the North, and over 57,000 new jobs across the UK as a whole.” incredulous—outraged that yet again the Government The preferred route for Northern Powerhouse Rail—the plan to short-change the north and think they can get one that delivers the greatest economic boost to the region, away with it, and incredulous at such short-sightedness. as set out by Transport for the North with the backing The transport infrastructure of the north has endured of northern leaders and both the West Yorkshire and South decades of under-investment and generations of unfulfilled Yorkshire metro Mayors—includes a city centre stop in economic opportunity as a consequence, and yet the Bradford, which is currently the largest UK city without potential of the north of England to deliver not just for a main line station. Bradford is the UK’s youngest itself but to provide a national uplift is unparalleled. city, and its fifth biggest. It is home to more than half The north is home to seven of the UK’s 20 largest cities, a million people and 17,000 businesses,and has £10.5 billion and Bradford is one of them. Despite the short distances in its economy. It was PwC’s most improved city in between them, the economic interaction of those cities 2019, and was listed among The Sunday Times’s best has been restricted. With £343 billion in economic places to do business. It has a strong manufacturing output, eight of the UK’s top research institutions and base, especially in my constituency of Bradford South. 27 universities, the potential of the north is right there It has high business start-up rates, and it is among the for all to see. UK’s top exporters. However, its capacity for growth is Time and again in this House I have raised the constrained by poor connectivity. Analysis by Transport north-south economic imbalance in our country. Time for the North of a Bradford city centre stop on Northern and again I have had acknowledgment of the problems Powerhouse Rail points to additional gross value added 69WH Trans-Pennine Railway30 JUNE 2021 Trans-Pennine Railway 70WH

[Judith Cummins] definitely a commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail and a huge investment in railways in the north, so I was across the Bradford district of £2.9 billion per year in more reassured. today’s money by 2060. That is equivalent to increasing It is quite understandable that the Treasury should the size of the local economy by a third. look carefully at where we spend taxpayers’ money. On The reduction in journey times between Bradford the face of it, why do we need two railways running and key cities in the north and the UK would be across the Pennines? It is a fair question to ask. Having transformational, enabling a journey from Bradford to spoken to the Chancellor before he took that role, I Leeds to take seven minutes. Currently, that journey know he was always committed to east-west rail links takes 20 minutes, between two cities that are about eight across the north. I do not think for a minute that miles apart as the crow flies. It would be possible to get Northern Powerhouse Rail is under threat. The Minister from Bradford to Manchester in 22 minutes—it currently will no doubt reflect on that when he makes his comments. takes an hour—and from Bradford to Liverpool in The key is the agglomeration effect, as economists 50 minutes; it currently takes two hours. call it. It is a critical mass, which is what we need. It Across the wider regions, the proposal would put brings 10 million people together, in exactly the way around 10 million people and more than a quarter of a that London has 10 million people together who are million businesses within 90 minutes of four or more highly connected. It shows the economic opportunity northern cities. Northern Powerhouse Rail will also based on that. As the hon. Lady set out, cities such as support carbon-free and sustainable travel, contributing Bradford would be left behind without it. Bradford to the net zero carbon goals of not just northern cities, cannot be connected into the rest of the north without but the whole of the UK. One of the largest city-to-city Northern Powerhouse Rail. journey to work flows in the country is between Bradford Key to it are all those young IT-savvy people connected and Leeds, mostly by car. At scale, Northern Powerhouse so easily to places such as Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Rail supports a 400% increase in rail travel and takes Hull, York and many others. That makes perfect sense 64,000 car trips per day off the road. and it is vital we get that agglomeration effect. I know Done properly, Northern Powerhouse Rail will create Bradford quite well, and its city centre is in desperate an integrated urban area larger than Birmingham, linking need of investment. A shiny brand new station in the Bradford and Leeds to form a coherent economic unit, middle of Bradford would attract lots of other private with a labour market of more than 1.3 million people, sector investment, which is critical. We have seen the and more than 600,000 jobs.Done poorly and half-heartedly investment at King’s Cross and St Pancras and all the or—as increasingly seems to be the Government’saim—on investment that came off the back of that. That is what the cheap, with the very least they can get away with, it would happen to Bradford. That is critical investment, would fail to support the economic and societal advances and not just for Bradford—there are similar arguments we require. for Hull, Liverpool, York, Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds. This is an important and welcome debate, and I Northern Powerhouse Rail is a game-changer for the am interested to hear what the Minister has to say from north and Bradford: a key part of rebalancing the economy his perspective. I know he is a massive champion of and the country. A watered-down version would expose investment in rail in the north. the reality of the Government’sreal commitment to levelling up. Put simply, it is not acceptable. In west Yorkshire on Monday, when asked about Northern Powerhouse Rail, 11.14 am the Prime Minister said that he could not give The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Andrew “chapter and verse on exactly where the stops are going to be”. Stephenson): I congratulate the hon. Member for Bradford That response from a Prime Minister who famously South (Judith Cummins) on securing this important does not do detail, though he does do populism, suggests debate. I am sure we all agree that investing in rail that a decision has been reached and it is not going to across the north of England and improving connectivity be popular. The Prime Minister told the reporter that between all communities is vital. he would have to get back to her. I ask the Minister, I reiterate the Government’s commitment to levelling who has responsibility for Northern Powerhouse Rail up the north of England as we build back better from the and the trans-Pennine route upgrade,to give our Parliament pandemic, delivering real, tangible improvements for today the detail that the Prime Minister this week people across the region. That is one of the Government’s committed to provide to a journalist. It is time for the top priorities. The Government are committed to enabling Government to level with the people and the cities of the north to reap the benefits of record levels of investment the north. They are either going to deliver in full on in our rail services. The trans-Pennine route upgrade Northern Powerhouse Rail or they are not. Which is it and Northern Powerhouse Rail are just two of many to be, Minister? infrastructure projects that will better connect communities across the north of England. The integrated rail plan will soon outline exactly how these major rail projects, 11.11 am alongside HS2 phase 2b and other transformational Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk and Malton) (Con): I thank projects, will work together to deliver the reliable train the hon. Member for Bradford South (Judith Cummins) services that passengers need and deserve. for leading this important debate. She set the scene very However, we are not waiting for the integrated rail well. I, too, was concerned when I read newspaper reports plan to get on with investing in, and delivering significant about the potential downgrade—that is, an upgrade of improvements to, transport across the north of England. the trans-Pennine route as it exists rather than a new route. Building on our £29 billion investment in northern The hon. Lady quoted part of the newspaper interview transport since 2010, we recently announced £15 million with the Prime Minister; he also said that there is for two new stations outside Leeds, at White Rose and 71WH Trans-Pennine Railway30 JUNE 2021 Trans-Pennine Railway 72WH

Thorpe Park, providing a springboard for regeneration, the integrated rail plan, which will allow more rapid housing growth and economic activity and jobs in the alignment around single-route options for NPR and an surrounding area. We announced a further £317 million accelerated delivery timetable that will allow us to get of funding for the trans-Pennine route upgrade, which I spades in the ground and realise benefits for communities will talk more about shortly, and more than £1.2 billion across the north of England sooner than was previously from the transforming cities fund to improve connectivity seen as possible. across the north. In addition, we are investing £137 million As for the content of the integrated rail plan and the in the Hope Valley line to improve capacity and connectivity recommended way forward for the NPR programme, between Manchester and Sheffield, and £34 million has final decisions are yet to be made and Ministers continue been pledged to rapidly progress plans to reopen the to look very closely at the evidence, including that Northumberland line, which closed to passengers in provided by Transport for the North and leaders from 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts. the north and midlands. Indeed, my right hon. Friend Transforming railways in the north will significantly the Secretary of State and I have met northern leaders— impact national infrastructure by releasing capacity, including those from Leeds, Bradford and Manchester— improving journey times and reducing our carbon footprint. and leaders from the midlands several times this year to The trans-Pennine route upgrade is a multi-billion pound discuss their priorities for investment in rail infrastructure programme and is expected to be the largest investment and in the integrated rail plan. in our existing rail network over the next five years. It I myself have met Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe on aims to tackle the problems that rail passengers experience three occasions this year and I know that my officials today by delivering a step change in the performance have had much engagement with her officers in both and reliability of this key east-west rail artery, enhancing Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Combined journeys for passengers and providing opportunities for Authority. I am grateful for their ongoing constructive the growing population up until the 2040s. Funding of engagement. We have had productive discussions on £589 million was announced in July 2020, enabling design understanding the evidence base that is being presented. and development work to continue and delivering extensive That applies to all Northern Powerhouse Rail corridors, reliability,capacity and journey time improvements between including Bradford and the Manchester-to-Leeds NPR Manchester and York via Huddersfield and Leeds. corridor. The Government recognise the importance of An extra £317 million investment into the programme improving rail connectivity to Bradford—for the local was announced in May. The bulk of this funding will community, for passengers and for the regeneration commence early works, including electrification and opportunities that it could bring. upgrades between York and Church Fenton, one of the busiest stretches of track in the north of England, as Robbie Moore (Keighley) (Con): On that point, I part of delivering a more reliable and resilient railway really emphasise my support for having a station stop for passengers. This funding, which has already been in Bradford, because of the absolute benefits it would committed, will see the programme progress rapidly have for my constituency of Keighley; as the MP for a into the next phase, with early benefits delivered for neighbouring constituency, the Minister will be well passengers as early as 2025. The Department continues aware of those. However, this process is not just about to work through the design and development phases of things such as the NPR; it is also about the Skipton-to- the programme. A further update to the business case, Colne railway line, which he will also be very familiar to make recommendations for the next stage of works, with, and opening up the links between the east and west. is due in the coming months. Andrew Stephenson: Wonderful—I welcome the I turn to the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme, contribution from my constituency neighbour, who otherwise known as HS3, and to the recent media reports represents Keighley. I am happy to say that I completely cited by my hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and agree with him about the importance of Bradford, not Malton (Kevin Hollinrake) and the hon. Member for only to the whole north of England but as an integral Bradford South, which inaccurately speculated about part of our rail network. I will not comment on the the Government’s commitment to NPR and that money Skipton-to-Colne line; I have a vested interest, because has been reappropriated from the Northern Powerhouse it goes through my constituency. I will leave that one Rail programme to finance HS2. I am pleased to say there, but he makes a very strong case for the reopening that those claims are categorically untrue. The Government of that railway line. remain absolutely committed to the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme, which represents a further opportunity We would all agree that Bradford is a vibrant city to invest in northern communities, to level up the economy, with plenty to contribute to the wider development of and most importantly, to improve connectivity and the north. Combining the local economies of Manchester reliability between key northern hubs, allowing the north and Leeds, it has an important role to play in creating to reach its full strategic and economic potential both at an economic powerhouse to rival anywhere else in the home and abroad. country. The integrated rail plan will outline the investment There remain a range of options that are under blueprint and the delivery profile for a host of major rail robust evaluation as part of NPR. That is why, when projects in the midlands and the north over subsequent the Prime Minister visited west Yorkshire earlier this decades, including the NPR programme, the trans-Pennine week, as the hon. Member for Bradford South mentioned, route upgrade and HS2 phase 2b. Once it has been he did not talk about specifics. But he did say, as my published, the Department for Transport will work hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton mentioned, closely with Transport for the North to finalise a strategic “There is definitely a commitment to Northern Powerhouse outline case for the NPR programme that is consistent Rail, and a huge investment in railways in the North.” with the policy and funding framework established by That speaks very clearly to the Government’scommitment. 73WH Trans-Pennine Railway30 JUNE 2021 Trans-Pennine Railway 74WH

[Andrew Stephenson] As I say,it is important that we continue the negotiations and carry on reflecting on all the evidence. We must also Ensuring that investment in Northern Powerhouse consider what the National Infrastructure Commission Rail benefits the widest possible range of places is the said in the “Rail Needs assessment for the Midlands and responsibility of Ministers; we take it very seriously, the North”, the advice from Transport for the North, the which will be reflected in our decision making. As I views of northern and midlands leaders and the have mentioned previously, the integrated rail plan will Government’s own analysis before making any final set out how major projects across the north and the decisions. midlands will be sequenced and delivered, and it is the Growing economies and levelling up the north and Government’s ambition that the benefits of Northern the midlands are at the heart of what we are trying to Powerhouse Rail and HS2 phase 2b are delivered to achieve. That is why I am also happy to confirm that communities and passengers in the north more quickly. Ministers from both the Ministry for Housing, I am aware that hon. Members and local leaders from Communities and Local Government and the Treasury across the midlands and the north are eagerly awaiting have been closely involved in drawing up the integrated the publication of the integrated rail plan. Let me rail plan. This process is not just about building railways assure my hon. Friends that we are making good progress but about taking a holistic view of how to capitalise on and intend to publish it soon. our investment, and how to help boost regional economies. Kevin Hollinrake: I, too, am eagerly awaiting the I hope that I have convinced the hon. Member for integrated railway plan. The Minister said it will be Bradford South and my hon. Friends the Members for published “soon”, but could he be more specific? Thirsk and Malton and for Keighley (Robbie Moore) of the Government’s commitment to both Northern Andrew Stephenson: As somebody who served in the Powerhouse Rail and the trans-Pennine route upgrade, Government Whips’ Office for two years, I think I will and to delivering the benefits of these transformational stick with the language of “soon”. However,it is definitely rail investments to passengers and communities in the our commitment to have the integrated rail plan published. north more quickly. Decisions on these schemes will be The one thing I would say, though, from having had set out in the integrated rail plan, which we intend conversations with many leaders across the north of to publish soon, but in the meantime we are already England, is that many of them have said that they would getting on with levelling up the country and delivering rather we get the right answers and the right solutions investment and improvements to transport across the rather than rushing things. This plan will set an investment north of England. framework for decades, so we have to get it right— Question put and agreed to. and if that requires a little more to-ing and fro-ing and a little more negotiation, I think that is a price worth paying. Nevertheless, we are very keen make the 11.26 am announcement soon. Sitting suspended. 75WH 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 76WH Education Support Children from Low-Income Families: pandemic, forcing him, unfortunately, to resign. As one Education Support Sloughheadteacher,commentingonGovernmentbehaviour on education, noted: “Communication is last minute, it’s ill thought-out and it [MR PHILIP HOLLOBONE in the Chair] hasn’t included our voice in the whole process.” Schools have had to cope with all that in the space of 2.30 pm just over a year. It would be almost comical if the Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): I remind hon. impact of this incompetence was not on our children’s Members that there have been some changes to normal futures. Each delayed or poor decision has resulted in practice in order to support the new hybrid arrangements. worse outcomes for a generation of schoolchildren who Timings of debates have been amended to allow technical have been left to suffer. The impact of these decisions is arrangements to be made for the next debate. There will real, and the consequences are even more severe for also be suspensions between each debate. those who were already disadvantaged and come from low-income families. I remind Members participating physically and virtually that they must arrive at the start of debates in Westminster The most recent figures show that since October 2020 Hall. Members are expected to remain for the entire the number of pupils eligible for free school meals has debate. I remind Members participating virtually that they increased by over 100,000. At the same time, support must leave their camera on for the duration of the debate, and funding for such pupils has fallen, with the Government and that they will be visible at all times both to each moving eligibility for pupil premium support back from other and to us here in the Boothroyd Room. If Members January to October. Schools, which have already been attending virtually have any technical problems,they should left bruised by cuts to their resources since 2010, therefore emailtheWestminsterHallclerks,atwestminsterhallclerks@ miss out on additional funding for any child who began parliament.uk. claiming free school meals after 1 October 2020, leaving Members attending physically should clean their spaces them short-changed to the tune of millions. before they use them and as they leave the room. As the Lawrence report proved last year, children on I would also like to remind Members that Mr Speaker free school meals are already at an economic and has stated that masks should be worn in Westminster Hall educational disadvantage. That factor has a real and profound impact on pupil attainment across all ethnicities. 2.31 pm In 2019, just 25% of pupils who had been eligible for free school meals, or who had been in care or adopted Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab): I beg from care, received grades 9 to 5 in GCSE English and to move, maths, compared with 50% of other pupils. After brutal That this House has considered support for the education of cuts and the cynical moving of deadlines, is it any children from low-income families. surprise that disadvantaged schoolchildren are struggling? It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, One Slough parent who lost their job and was reliant Mr Hollobone. I rise to speak on this issue as a parent on food vouchers expressed their turmoil to me, saying: and, like all of us here today, as someone who wants the best for our schoolchildren, and to ensure that they “My daughter has been left out by the very government that are not limited by their background or their parents’ we rely on to keep us and our loved ones safe.” income. Instead of investing to ensure that families in Slough I stand in awe of the incredible work teachers, school have adequate support to ensure that their children are staff, parents and early years practitioners have put in clothed, fed, and can attend school, the Government over the past 15 months to ensure that children in school have continued to cut the support on which they rely so do not miss out. They have adapted to social distancing heavily. The move from legacy benefits to universal measures in classrooms, regular testing and isolation credit means that just half of the children in the poorest periods, all while ensuring that children feel safe and fifth of our population are able to get free school meals. can learn. Sadly, we have not seen the same commitment Sadly, this Government seem intent on savings, rather from the Government. than on investing the potential of future generations. In common with almost all other Government While that neglect of our poorest families continues, Departments in their response to the pandemic, there the gap between them and their peers widens. In my has been a catalogue of Conservative failures in education, constituency of Slough, the learning gap between including school closures without an effective plan for disadvantaged pupils and their classmates is 2.4 months distance learning; a promise to primary schools that for early years, almost six months in primary schools, they would return before the summer holidays last year, and in our secondary schools it has reached more than then backtracking on that promise; and preventing 11 months. Those tragic facts were set in motion way families from accessing food vouchers during school before the onset of the pandemic, and we have yet to see holidays, only to do a screeching U-turn after outrage the long-term impact that the pandemic may have on and condemnation from across our nation. How could our children. Researchers from the Education Policy we forget the exams fiasco for both A-level and GCSE Institute have identified that the increasing proportion students, leaving thousands distressed about their future? of disadvantaged children who are in persistent poverty In addition, the Conservatives presided over legal action has contributed to the lack of progress in narrowing the to force schools to stay open, only to shut them weeks learning gap. later; in their catch-up plan, they provided less than Ensuring that parents get the proper financial support £1 per day when children were out of school; and they that they deserve is essential to children’s attainment ignored the advice from the expert adviser, Sir Kevan and achievements in later life. A Slough mother contacted Collins, to allow children to properly recover from the me recently to attest to that. She was living on just 77WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 78WH Education Support Education Support [Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi] from their education. Why does this matter? It matters because those who were the furthest behind before the £120 a month and was unable to properly feed or clothe pandemic have fallen even further behind their peers her children. She was desperate for empathy from the during the lockdowns, with every click widening the Government and adequate support to better the lives of attainment gap. Sir Kevan Collins has indicated that in her family. If children experience difficulties at home, September, 200,000 children will make the transfer from they are in no position to be ready to learn. primary to secondary school unable to meet their reading We must give children the resources to thrive, not age or target. leave them to struggle through a pandemic, like the The Minister and her colleagues have regularly pointed thousands who were unable to get the devices that they to the Government’s tech roll-out—the Secretary of needed to access their schooling when the Government’s State for Education did so yet again in the answer to laptop allocation promise was slashed by 80%. Back in today’surgent question—but that roll-out was so ineffective January, Labour’s calls to get every child online fell on that almost a year after schools first closed, the deaf ears. As I mentioned earlier, 100,000 pupils have Daily had to run an emergency campaign to secure more not returned to school full-time following schools reopening. Mail laptops for the children who were being failed by this All along, there has been no plan for the education of Government. Before the Minister points to the success the most vulnerable in our society. of the roll-out, may I remind her of the utterly damning I am a great believer in the power of education, and National Audit Office conclusion that the Department in Slough we have some of the best schools in the for Education did not even aim to provide equipment to country. Without support from the Government in what all the children who lacked it? Meanwhile, the latest has undoubtedly been the most difficult time for education data reveals that 80,224 of the devices provided in the and disadvantaged families in recent years,the opportunities roll-out arrived after schools had reopened in March. that a good education can deliver are being missed. We should be realistic about the dire and lasting impact With hundreds of thousands of school pupils now that continued Government inaction will have. A Royal isolating, the problem of the digital divide has clearly not Society report suggests that the impact of school closures gone away. In my constituency, the children in year 6 at on 13 cohorts of students has the potential to affect a Saint Mark’s Primary School have all been off school quarter of the entire workforce for the next 50 years, from Friday because of coronavirus, but 23 of them are and disadvantaged pupils are particularly at risk of still without the kit and connectivity required to log in falling into poverty. and learn from home. How does the Minister expect It is possible to turn the tide with a properly funded these pupils to join their classmates in remote learning? catch-up plan, not one that will reach just 8% of pupils, The answer is simple: they will not; they will simply fall less than half of whom are on free school meals. We even further behind. need action proportionate to the serious times ahead to ensure that children from low-income families do not We know that it is not just Mitcham that is affected. miss out even more and to improve the outcomes of The front page of today unsurprisingly future generations, ensuring that they are better off reveals that youngsters in the most disadvantaged areas than their predecessors and that they can access and are almost twice as likely to be forced to self-isolate as achieve their ambitions, not be held back. The Government their peers in wealthier areas. However, these children are will never improve the prospects of our nation by also the most likely to be on the wrong side of the digital leaving disadvantaged children behind divide, with 8% of children aged between five and 15 not having access at home to a desktop computer, Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): The debate can laptop or notebook that is connected to the internet. I last until 4 pm. I am obliged to call the Front-Bench ask the Minister in her winding-up speech to specifically spokespeople no later than 3.27 pm and the guideline address what support is available for the children in limits are 10 minutes for the Scottish National party, year 6 at Saint Mark’s today, and indeed for any children 10 minutes for Her Majesty’s Opposition and 10 minutes who are self-isolating and who do not have the kit or for the Minister. Then the mover of the motion will connectivity required to log in and learn from home. have three minutes to sum up the debate at the end. But This is not just a problem for the 10 days of self-isolation. until 3.27 pm, we are in Back-Bench time and our first The days of pen and paper are long gone and the contributor will be Siobhain McDonagh. technological age that we now live in is here to stay. Homework, research, resources, catch-up—so much is 2.39 pm now online. The consequence for children on the wrong Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab): side of the digital divide is that they are now even more Thank you, Mr Hollobone, for calling me to speak. I disadvantaged than before. Today’s debate is on support congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Slough for the education of children from low-income families, (Mr Dhesi) on securing this incredibly important debate. and I am calling for every child entitled to free school Right now, there are 385,500 pupils off school and meals to have internet access and an adequate device at isolating because of coronavirus, some of them for the home. Free school meals may not be a complete measure second, third or even fourth time. That means weeks of of need, but I believe it is the best measure we have. This lost learning after their already missing months of would be a huge step forward in closing the digital school through the lockdowns. For many of these children, divide across our schools.Social mobility,levelling up—call being sent home means a return to remote learning, it whatever you want, but surely the pandemic has joining their isolating classmates behind a computer taught us that no child should miss out on their education screen, but children on the wrong side of the digital in our tech-reliant society simply because they are on divide will be isolated not just from their classroom but the wrong side of the digital divide. 79WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 80WH Education Support Education Support 2.45 pm It was not “white privilege” that cut youth services by 73% since 2010; that was the Government. It was not “white Claudia Webbe (Leicester East) (Ind): It is a pleasure privilege” that cut school funding per pupil by 9%; that to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I was the Government. It was not “white privilege” that congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Slough closed more than 750 youth centres, more than 800 libraries (Mr Dhesi) on securing this hugely important debate. and more than 1,000 Sure Start centres; that was the Government. It was not “white privilege” that scrapped Time and again, children and young people have educational maintenance allowance and maintenance been failed by this Government. The UK is one of the grants, and trebled tuition fees; that was the Government. world’s richest economies, but 4.3 million children and It was not “white privilege” that announced a catch-up young people are growing up trapped in poverty, with funding package that is a tenth of what the Government’s 30% of children, or nine pupils in every classroom of own education adviser said is necessary to make up for 30, having to combat hunger and stress before they even the disruption of the coronavirus; that was the Government. arrive at school. In my constituency, nearly half of The Government’sneglect of children and young people children—almost one in every two pupils in every school— is a generational betrayal, yet they are now determined suffer from poverty. That is a damning indictment of to distract from the rampant racial and class inequality this Government’s failure to provide a stable foundation that their policies have exacerbated with a trumped-up for our children and young people to flourish. Poverty culture war that is designed to stoke the flames of has a lasting damaging impact on the life chances of division. We must oppose this damaging agenda and children and intensifies systematic inequalities. fight for a future in which all children receive the tools This has only worsened during the pandemic. A to build a happy and secure life. recent National Education Union member survey found that more than half of respondents have seen an increase 2.51 pm in child poverty at their school or college since March 2020. The Resolution Foundation predicts that by the Rachel Hopkins (Luton South) (Lab): It is a pleasure next general election, 730,000 more children and young to serve under your chairship, Mr Hollobone.I congratulate people will be caught in poverty’s vicious cycle. Poverty my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) on is holding too many children and young people back, securing today’s important debate. limiting their life chances and creating barriers to their Over the past decade, the Conservative Government accessing education. A recent survey found that three have inflicted the largest cut to school funding in 40 years. quarters of teachers said their students had demonstrated As a result, they are failing to tackle poverty and ensure fatigue or poor concentration in school as a result of that a quality education is accessible to all. According poverty.Shockingly, more than half of surveyed teachers to End Child Poverty, 37% of children in my constituency said their students had experienced hunger or ill health are living in poverty—the Government should be ashamed because of poverty, while more than a third said their that that figure has increased by 3% since 2014—and students had been bullied as a result of it. Children this is having a real impact on their learning. In 2019, a accessing free school meals are also 28% less likely to National Education Union survey found that more leave school with five GCSEs graded A* to C than their than three quarters of respondents stated that their peers from wealthier households.The coronavirus pandemic students had demonstrated fatigue or poor concentration. has increased the pressure facing families on low incomes. That is because of poverty. A fifth of UK schools have set up a local food bank The fact is that the Government are failing children since March 2020, while 25% of teachers report personally from disadvantaged backgrounds. Children eligible for providing food and snacks to their pupils to ensure that free school meals are 28% less likely to leave school with they have eaten during the school day. five A* to C GCSE grades than their wealthier peers. It is vital that we recognise how young people of all Before the pandemic, the estimated learning gap in ethnicities have repeatedly been failed by this Government. Luton between disadvantaged students and their peers That is why I was deeply alarmed by the report published in early years was three months; in primary school, last week by the Education Committee, which used it was seven months, and in secondary school it was selective data to support a preconceived and divisive 17 months. The pandemic has exacerbated inequality conclusion that attempts to pit working-class communities and the attainment gap. against each other. It is true that poor white children By the end of the pandemic, and as a result of the struggle academically, which requires urgent focus, yet lockdowns, most children across the UK will have missed the Education Committee’s decision to attribute that to more than half a year of in-person schooling. We know use of the term “white privilege”, rather than a decade that lost learning disproportionately impacted children of Conservative cuts to the services that children and from disadvantaged backgrounds who did not have the young people rely on, obscures the reality of how class necessary digital equipment or study space for remote and race intersect in our education system. One only learning. It was the Government’sresponsibility to prevent has to look further to see that racial disparities exist disadvantaged young people from suffering digital exclusion across educational attainment, school discipline and due to the restrictions. Instead, excellent charities such university admissions. Poverty disproportionately impacts as Luton Learning Link had to step in to make up for children and young people of black African, Caribbean their failure to distribute enough digital devices. and Asian backgrounds, 46% of whom are trapped in Learning from home has also increased the economic poverty.Instead of attempting to create unhelpful divides burden on low-income families. Additional outgoings, among children based on their race, we must honestly such as high bills for electricity or mobile data, have hit accept that children from all working-class backgrounds families at the same time as economic insecurity in the have been badly let down by decades of neglect. labour market has increased. In Luton, as a consequence 81WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 82WH Education Support Education Support [Rachel Hopkins] 2.56 pm Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): Thank you, of the pandemic and the particular impact on the Mr Hollobone. You are always very kind, and I appreciate aviation and hospitality industries, the claimant count your kind thoughts. First of all, may I say how pleased I has increased from about the national average to the am to make a contribution to this debate, and that I fifth-highest in the country,and the proportion of children congratulate the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) receiving free school meals has increased from 21% to on having secured it? He is a very active MP in this House. 27%. Those children deserve to have the same education Certainly when it comes to questions in the Chamber or as those in wealthy families. debates in Westminster Hall, he is always there, so I Tackling the educational attainment gap as part of wanted to come along and support this debate and my our recovery must be the Government’s top priority. No Opposition colleagues. child should be left behind, but the Government’s current As a father, I feel very strongly about this issue. My measly offer will not provide the ambitious recovery boys are now young men in their 20s and early 30s, that is needed. Although others have spoken about the and the education of my own children was always very level of funding required, I will focus my remarks on important to me. We as parents know that we would where the funding should be allocated. do all we can to see our children succeed, because that is what parents do: we want to see our children do well. Children’s ability and confidence in spoken language We want to see them settled and in a job, and we want is the bedrock of their learning and social and emotional them to have happy lives. I am very fortunate that my wellbeing. The pandemic has had a disproportionate three boys have achieved that, although I must give impact on oracy—speaking well. A report by the all-party credit to my wife Sandra for the rearing of the children parliamentary group on oracy found that two thirds of and the supervision of their education. I was not there primary teachers and nearly half of secondary teachers often enough to have the input that I should have had, say that school closures have undermined the spoken but certainly my wife was. language development of their most disadvantaged students, Although circumstances can sometimes get in the compared with one in five teachers saying that it impacted way of this happening, it is crucial that as policy makers their most advanced pupils. in this House, we do all that we can to support those An increased focus on oracy is an opportunity to families who are struggling. The education of children accelerate the academic progress of children from should be a priority for us, and we should not forget disadvantaged backgrounds. The Education Endowment about low-income families—that is what this is about. I Foundation states that always think that my job—I believe that others subscribe to this as well—is to look out for those who have no one “pupils who participate in oral language interventions make approximately five months’ additional progress over the course of to look out for them. In this House, we bring forward a year”, issues on behalf of our constituents in such a way that the Government can perhaps respond and help in all rising to six months for students from disadvantaged the ways we would like them to, and take additional backgrounds. I have seen examples of this, such as the steps to make our constituents’ lives easier. As the impact of the Level Trust’s SMASH summer scheme on Minister knows, I am pleased to see her in her place: she building the confidence and creativity of children in has a deep and sincere interest in this subject, and I am Luton, and I was lucky enough to give out those awards very confident that she will be forthcoming with the last summer. Alongside a comprehensive strategy to responses that my Opposition colleagues hope to receive. fund schools properly and expand support services, I understand that the Minister does not have Labour’s education recovery plan would contribute to responsibility for Northern Ireland, and therefore any developing children’s oracy by expanding school facilities comments I make are not for her to respond to, but I to deliver breakfast clubs and after-school activities, want to add to this debate a perspective on life in from arts and sports to book clubs, board games, learning Northern Ireland, and perhaps reinforce and replicate through play and communicating. the issues to which hon. Ladies and Gentlemen have Expanding access to creative education for children already referred. I want to highlight the struggles that from low-income backgrounds would also help to reduce many have faced, especially in my constituency of the attainment gap. Creative subjects can improve a Strangford. Over the duration of the covid-19 pandemic, young person’scognitive abilities by up to 17%, supporting those struggles have been at an all-time high. I am very their development in other subjects, such as English and fortunate to have the former Education Minister Peter Weir maths. Young people who do not have access to arts in my constituency back home, so I have been able to and culture are disadvantaged both economically and work alongside him to try to address some of these educationally. The arts should not only be for privileged issues, but it has been difficult throughout the covid-19 young people from wealthy families, so will the Minister pandemic to know how to respond and know what the explain in her closing remarks how the Government right things to do are. intend to fully integrate oracy into all stages and phases I want to highlight some of the things that the of education to help close the educational attainment community has done to help, in partnership with others. gap, and whether she agrees that the Government should Many residents have contacted me about the struggles urgently invest in improving access to creative education, of at-home education, a feeling of helplessness because in order to contribute to reducing that gap? of lack of income, and the pressures of having to stay at home either because they have to self-isolate or because the rules mean that they are not able to got out as often Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): It would not be a as they would like. I am not quite sure whether that Westminster Hall debate without Strangford’s finest, is a sign that not enough has been done. I think that Jim Shannon. the Education Minister back home probably did try to 83WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 84WH Education Support Education Support respond wisely,ever knowing that the covid-19 coronavirus In the financial year 2020-21, more than 1.5 million and how to respond to it was a complete unknown. emergency food bank parcels were distributed across However, the education of the children of our nation the United Kingdom—48,000 of those in Northern should be at the forefront of our priorities. Ireland. The Trussell Trust, which works through the I acknowledge the work that has already been done Thriving Life Church in Newtownards, has done incredible by the Departments for Education here on the mainland work. It has worked very closely with my office throughout and back in Northern Ireland. Free school meals and the pandemic to provide food parcels, as well as other uniform grants have been instrumental in helping parents. assistance. It also does debt assistance and has a clothes More than 1.4 million children in England are eligible bank and a toy bank. Do you know what that shows for FSMs. We have to give credit where it is due, and I me, Mr Hollobone? It shows me that the crisis of the give credit to the Education Departments for the things covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has brought out the good that they have done correctly. I also gently encourage in people. That is what I have noticed. I can see the them to address other things in the same way. They have negatives and the problems, but I also see the positives, allowed for additional nutritional meals for pupils during and the positives are that good people came together. school time. I am very pleased to say that that has been The churches, community groups and Government bodies extended in Northern Ireland until Easter 2022. We are came together, and collectively they were instrumental taking it into next year back home, which is an indication in ensuring that assistance for struggling low-income of the importance we attach to the issue. families was available. Notably, most were struggling financially because of the pressures of furlough and job I would like to make hon. Members aware of the losses. I want to put on the record my thanks to the work done by my colleague back home, former Education Thriving Life Church food bank for all it has done. Minister Peter Weir MLA. He introduced the “A Fair Start”report, which examined the links between educational It is crucial that action is taken to maintain a level of underachievement and socioeconomic background. The support for the education of children from low-income Chair of the Education Committee referred to that families, whether it is through free school meals or issue last week when discussing his Committee’s report, underachievement strategies. The children of this nation which I was very impressed with. I am sorry but I are the future. I say that as a grandfather of five. It is a cannot remember the name of his constituency—I referred good generation to deal with because at 7 o’clock at to him yesterday in the education debate. night you can give them back and not have them for the rest of the night, which is probably an advantage. At Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): Harlow. different periods in our lives we have children and then grandchildren. I have become very conscious of the Jim Shannon: Thank you for reminding me, future in the past few years as the grandchildren have Mr Hollobone. I was just trying to remember that while come along. We want them to succeed and to have the on my feet. The right hon. Member for Harlow opportunities that my boys had. I want them to have (Robert Halfon) has grasped the issue. We have that opportunities for the future as well. Weare really privileged problem in Northern Ireland and it is very clear that it to have the job here in this place to plan strategies and has become a problem for education here as well. I lobby Government and Ministers to ensure that these thank him for raising it. things can happen. In today’s Education questions in the Chamber, it I again thank the hon. Member for Slough for initiating was encouraging to hear the Secretary of State thank this debate. I very much look forward to engaging with the former Education Minister Peter Weir for his work Ministers and Members on further action that we can back home, and to hear that the Secretary of State take to improve the education of our young people. As I has a good, strong relationship with the regional and said earlier, they are our future and we have to do our devolved Administrations—in particular with my colleague best for them. Peter Weir. “A Fair Start” wholeheartedly engages with teachers 3.5 pm and pupils to focus on early education, while maximising the potential for all pupils across Northern Ireland. A Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) (SNP) [V]: It recent report has shown that £180 million will be needed is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, to tackle underachievement in Northern Ireland over Mr Hollobone. I congratulate the hon. Member for the next five years. I know that the Minister cannot Slough (Mr Dhesi) on securing today’s very important respond to that, but money for education is given out debate. I know that in parts of the UK children are still across the United Kingdom and we get a part of that in school for another few weeks. In Scotland our children through the Barnett consequentials.It is vital that additional are already on summer holiday. Many of the issues we funds are allocated to the devolved nations in order to are discussing today apply not just to the UK but to the tackle this issue, as there is little more important than world at the moment. I believe that the pandemic has the future of our children. hit children and young people hardest of all, particularly I praise the work of our local food banks, an issue when we look at food inadequacies and things such as that other hon. Members have also mentioned. I have a limited access to technology in order to undertake their wonderful working relationship with the food bank in digital learning. my constituency,which has been instrumental in supporting We need to look at how advantage has made a low-income families who are going through difficulty. difference. The attainment gap exists everywhere between They tell me that the first Trussell Trust food bank in advantaged and more disadvantaged children. Do we Northern Ireland was in Newtownards in my constituency treat the symptoms or try to cure it? Countries that have and that it has received more referrals than any other in more radical, socially just policies have seen the attainment Northern Ireland. gap narrow, and that is what we should look at. It is pretty 85WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 86WH Education Support Education Support [Carol Monaghan] had their benefits capped, with those households losing, on average, £2,600 a year. Just over 4,000 of the households sad that it took a footballer,the fabulous Marcus Rashford, included lone parents and children. The Scottish to press the Government into taking more action for Government will tackle that head-on with the Scottish children’s free school meals. child payment. That is a world-leading payment, but we We have heard about various concerns this afternoon. are going further because it will be doubled to £20 a The hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden week for every eligible child. These are major steps, and (Siobhain McDonagh) talked about the Ofcom report steps that the UK Government should be mirroring. Of and specifically about accessing digital technology and course,the universal credit uplift, which has been an absolute broadband. Even when young people have the kit, if lifeline, must be kept in place. Removing that will wipe they cannot afford the broadband connection there will out much of the benefit that the Scottish Government still be problems. Unfortunately, we are hearing that are putting in place with the Scottish child payment. many children did not have the kit that they needed to The Scottish Government have acted quickly to provide start with. Earlier in this Session, I was pleased to support the learning tools and access to technology, but we need the Bill promoted by the hon. Member for Bristol the UK Government to do more, so I have a few North West (Darren Jones) seeking social tariff for questions for the Minister. First, I would like to hear broadband, because that is what we need to be looking what discussions she has had in her Department about at. We need to be considering broadband as an essential a social broadband tariff, because that would be service to every single home. If people cannot afford it, transformational for children who are learning at home— something has to be put in place to ensure that they can. not just in pandemic times, but in other times. I would The hon. Members for Leicester East (Claudia Webbe) like to hear about discussions she might have had with and for Luton South (Rachel Hopkins) talked about the Treasury about retaining the universal credit uplift, specific issues with child poverty in their constituencies which has been a lifeline for parents and families. Finally, and how they had seen that increase during the pandemic. I would like to hear what plans she has to mirror the Certainly I can join them in that, because in Glasgow Scottish child payment, which is going to go up to £20 a North West and across Glasgow, we also saw some of week per eligible family. the issues with child poverty being made more acute. I will speak more about that in a moment. And we had, 3.15 pm of course, the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab): It is talking about his ambitions for his children as a parent pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. and, now, as a grandparent. He gave a lot of credit to First, I would like to say a big thank you to my hon. his wife, but I am sure that some credit also has to go to Friend the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) for securing him for the raising of his children. this important debate and for his tireless work in Parliament The Ofcom report that talked about the number of to raise the issues facing children and young people. He young people without access to digital technology was made a powerful speech about the Government’s neglect pretty stark. It showed us how big an issue that is. In of poor children in Slough and the impact on headteachers. Scotland, we have tried to tackle it. I would like to see The quote from the Slough headteacher, who said that the UK Government taking more action. Every child in communication is ill thought out, resonated with me Scotland was provided with a digital device, and many because it is echoed by a lot of teachers in my constituency. were given mobile wi-fi devices to ensure that they The Slough parent who said that she feels let down by could actually access wi-fi as well. I know teachers the Government reflected something that I have heard around Glasgow who actually hand-delivered these devices over and over again from parents in my constituency. to young people in the constituency. This has been I thank all our colleagues who have taken part in the really important. debate and spoken up for children from low-income families The Scottish Government have also acted quickly to in their constituencies. The hon. Member for Leicester try to alleviate issues that have been reinforced by the East (Claudia Webbe) spoke movingly about the shocking pandemic, such as by providing free school meals to all inequality and poverty among children in her constituency, primary children. That is what we need to be doing— and how poverty is limiting the life chances of her providing not just free school lunches for some people, young constituents. That also applies to my constituency but breakfasts and lunches for everyone so that there is of Hampstead and Kilburn. The hon. Member for no stigma, that it is just what happens at school, and Strangford (Jim Shannon) hit the nail on the head when that we know that all young people going to school are he pointed out that parents simply want their children fit to learn because they have food in their stomach. The to do their best, and to do what is best for their children Scottish Government are going further, because they in life. However, that is very difficult to do. will enshrine in law that right to food. During the summer My hon. Friend the Member for Luton South holidays, which we are now in, in Scotland, young (Rachel Hopkins) spoke in her passionate speech about people and children in Scotland will be supported by a the shocking 37% of her young constituents who live in £20 million Scottish Government fund that will create poverty. If the odds are against people from the start, it opportunities for them to socialise, play and reconnect is hard to do well in life, and it is hard for parents to with one another, because their health and wellbeing is ensure that their children do well in life. My hon. Friend of equal importance to their academic progress. We was right to point out the enormous increase in the need to ensure that that is right, so that they are ready attainment gap for disadvantaged children in her to start the next school term come August. constituency, and across the country. It is commendable, The UK Government must ensure that there is more but in equal measure shameful, that organisations such support for children in low-income families who need it. as Luton Learning Link have had to step in, because As of May 2020, more than 6,000 households in Scotland that should be the job of the Government. 87WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 88WH Education Support Education Support Perhaps the most shocking betrayal of children from Morden (Siobhain McDonagh) for her truly inspirational lower-income families is the stealth cut to the pupil work over the past year and a half to highlight the premium that the Government have pushed through. digital poverty that many children on free school meals By moving the date for calculating the pupil premium have been living in. My hon. Friend has relentlessly back from January to October, the Government have brought it up time and again, and my only hope is that cut funding for more than 100,000 children who qualified the Government are listening to her. for free school meals in between, and that is shocking. I will briefly mention the Government’s chronic The Department for Education’s own calculations show underfunding of early years education over the last that that will mean schools losing out on £90 million of decade. Secret documents, unearthed through FOIs by funding, with those in the most deprived areas being hit the Early Years Alliance, show that that was done the hardest. deliberately in the knowledge that it would drive up To put it in simple terms, the Government have childcare costs for parents, drive down the quality of directly withdrawn money that is intended to support education for young children, and destabilise the early disadvantaged children, who, as we have heard from years sector. We have already lost 2,500 nurseries, contributions across the Floor today, have struggled childminders and other early years providers in the first most during the pandemic and who most need the support. five months of this year. Research by the Sutton Trust That comes after a decade of Conservative Governments shows that providers in the most deprived areas have which have implemented a real cut of 9% to school budgets, been most likely to face financial difficulties in the not to mention slashing funding for local authorities, pandemic, and be threatened with permanent closure— which has led to the decimation of services that children 10% to 15% higher than in the most affluent areas. rely on to progress with education, among other things. Children from all socioeconomic backgrounds have The Government’s woeful education recovery package faced huge challenges in the pandemic, whether trying will do little to address the funding gaps that have arisen to learn without the structure of a classroom for much as a result of those shameful choices, and the National of the year, or facing the mental health challenges of Audit Office is concerned that even their national tutoring isolation. It is all too often the case that when problems programme is not reaching enough pupils on free school arise, or a crisis such as coronavirus engulfs us, children meals. from lower-income families fare the worst, whether through hunger, difficulties with digital access and access The huge rise in eligibility for free school meals, to tutoring, and all the other issues that colleagues have which now totals 420,000 children since the start of the repeatedly and passionately pointed out. pandemic, shows that many more children are living with hardship and relying on the hot meal they get at The impact on educational outcomes is there to see. school each day. The truth is that children cannot learn According to the Sutton Trust, more than half the teachers if they are hungry, yet Ministers have had to be shamed at the least affluent state schools reported lower standards time and again into delivering food support to children of work during school closures, compared with 40% at at home, and making that available during the summer more affluent ones, and 30% at private schools. The holidays in the pandemic. attainment gap had stopped closing before covid, after a decade of Conservative Governments, but is now set All of us in the Chamber remember the shameful to widen without bold action straight away. scenes of woefully inadequate food parcels being delivered Labour’s £15 billion children’s recovery plan would to children who qualified for free school meals back in reverse the stealth cut to pupil premium funding, double January. Unbelievably, the Government are set to repeat it for children in transitional years and more than their mistakes by offering only 16 days of food support quadruple the early years pupil premium, give more over the entire six-week summer holiday,with no guarantee funding to schools to support tutoring for all children that it will be given to every child who qualifies for free who need it, provide breakfast clubs for every child and school meals. Ministers do not even appear to be listening deliver free school meals in full in holidays during the to Labour’s repeated calls to offer all children breakfast pandemic. Those measures would make a big difference clubs before school. to disadvantaged children in my constituency of Hampstead Children who qualify for free school meals are far less and Kilburn, and across the country. We have not heard likely to have access to a laptop or internet connection, anything remotely close to that level of ambition from effectively preventing them from learning remotely when the Government, whose catch-up proposals will support they cannot go to school. Despite over a million children fewer than one in 10 children. It is no wonder that not having the digital access they needed at the start of Sir Kevan Collins felt he had to resign over this. the pandemic, the Department for Education delivered I finish by asking Minster directly why she thinks the just 600,000 laptops by Christmas. Government schemes Government’s own education recovery chief decided to ensured that only between a third and half of those who resign. Has she reflected on whether the Government need needed a laptop got one.Ministers slashed laptop allocations to rethink their approach to supporting children from for self-isolating pupils by about 80% in October. As of lower-income families in the light of that vote of no January, one in five parents still reported not having confidence? access to enough digital devices for children to learn remotely—a shocking statistic. 3.24 pm This is not picking over ancient history.School absences have quadrupled this month. Last week, a shocking one The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education in 20 pupils were forced to miss school for coronavirus- (Vicky Ford): It is a pleasure to serve under your related reasons. Many of those are now at home unable chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I congratulate the hon. to learn because this still has not been sorted. I pay Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) on securing this important tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and debate. 89WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 90WH Education Support Education Support [Vicky Ford] pre-school are likely to have better educational outcomes, and that early experience in their youngest years can Children from lower-income families have been at the have a positive impact on their educational attainment centre of my Department’s policies since the day this throughout their entire school career, even at secondary Government took office in 2010. Our ambition has always school. been to promote a world-class education for every child, However, the proportion of eligible two-year-olds irrespective of their background, that sees them fulfil using that offer of free early education varies hugely across their potential and get set for a successful adult life. the country. The hon. Member for Slough introduced Some pupils face greater challenges at school, including the debate. In Slough, in January 2020, before the looked-after children, children with special educational pandemic, the proportion of two-year-olds taking up needs and disabilities,and manyof those from lower-income that incredibly generous offer from the Government homes. We are committed to levelling up opportunity was only 49%—the fourth lowest of the 151 local authorities and outcomes for all pupils. in the country. The take-up in Leicester East—the hon. The best way to open up opportunity for children is Member for Leicester East (Claudia Webbe) spoke today— to give them the education and skills that can set them is only 57%. I say to the hon. Member for Slough and up for life.Weshould never forget how much the last Labour other hon. Members that if they really care about the Government failed to do that. Back in 2010, only 68%— educational attainment of children in their constituencies, two out of three—of our schools were good or outstanding. they should start from the very earliest years and invest That figure is now 86%—nearly nine out of 10. The their effort in getting out to their constituents and majority of disadvantaged pupils now attend a good or encouraging parents on the lowest incomes to take up outstanding school. That is not a coincidence. Since the Government’sgenerous offer of 15 hours of high-quality 2010, we have taken a dual approach to tackling the early education experience in their local nursery or attainment gap. First, we have prioritised levelling up pre-school. We fund it, and it will benefit their kids for the standards in teacher training, because research shows the rest of their academic career. that excellent teaching has a disproportionate positive I am enormously proud that the last time we assessed benefit for disadvantaged pupils. At the same time, our our five-year-olds, nearly three out of four of our reformed qualifications ensure that all pupils access country’s children were achieving a good level of only the best, most worthwhile qualifications, and the development by the end of reception. underpinning curricula. At the same time, we have directed extra funding and Mr Dhesi: Will the Minister give way? support towards those from low-income backgrounds, in recognition of the additional challenges that they Vicky Ford: I will take some interventions in a minute, often face. For example, we introduced the pupil premium, but there are some important points that I need to which gives additional funding to schools to improve make. the academic attainment and wider outcomes of pupils Back in 2013, when we assessed them, it was only one from disadvantaged backgrounds. We introduced the in two children. To put it another way, one out of two national funding formula, which ensures that core school children who were born in the last years of the Labour funding better reflects the socioeconomic context of each Government was already falling behind by the time they school, and we introduced and sustained the opportunity started big school. Now, three out of four are excelling areas programme, which brings together local partners and exceeding. to break down entrenched low social mobility and educational achievement. Mr Dhesi: I thank the Minister for her comments Siobhain McDonagh: Will the Minister explain why, if about the extra funding. However, would she not concede her Government’spolicies have been so successful, children that schools in Slough have had their funding cut in real on free school meals leave school on average 18 months terms? On many occasions, people have not been able to behind their classmates, and will she address the issue of access the free school meals provision simply because of the 200,000 children transferring to year 7 and secondary the manner in which it has been categorised. On how school in September who will not meet the reading level the schools themselves have been funded, would she not required? concede that the decimation as a consequence of the scrapping of the Building Schools for the Future Vicky Ford: Let me come exactly to those points. Let programme has meant that many schools have leaking us look at what children on free school meals are roofs, have not been able to undertake maintenance achieving today compared with what they were achieving work and have had to delay emergency works? a decade ago. Last year, one in five of our children on free school meals was successful in their application to Vicky Ford: A few other Members mentioned free university—a 53% increase over a decade. On reading school meals, including the hon. Members for Leicester skills— East and for Hampstead and Kilburn (Tulip Siddiq). Siobhain McDonagh: Will the Minister give way? This Government have extended the eligibility for free school meals more than any other Government for the Vicky Ford: Let me just make this point: one of the past 50 years. It is this Government who introduced most important things that we can do for children’s universal free school meals and expanded free school reading skills is invest in their early education. This meals to those in further education. During the pandemic, Government introduced the two-year-old offer, which we also widened the provision to many children who provides 15 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks normally have no recourse to public funds.The Government a year to disadvantaged two-year-olds and children have also provided funding to local authorities during with a disability or special educational needs. Children the pandemic to ensure that the hardest-hit families are who take up those 15 hours a week of free nursery or supported with food and essentials through the covid 91WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 92WH Education Support Education Support local support grants. That has even supported them activities and food scheme and encouraging children to during the school holidays. Those grants have been take part, because it is a great scheme. However, using extended through the coming holiday at a cost of more language saying that I personally was dragged kicking than £100 million. and screaming to care for children, when caring for I want to get back to the point that the hon. Member children is what I do every day and what my Department for Slough made about Slough. Slough children’s services does every day, is not appropriate, and it scares children. have been enormously challenging for many years. The Let me just get back to the point. We have made many Department for Education has provided significant interventions over the past decade to support children, investment in children’s services in Slough—nearly an and especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, extra £7 million over the past two years. As the hon. and it has made a difference. It is not just us saying that; Gentleman knows, it transferred the ownership of Slough the OECD recognised our progress. The latest programme Children First, the trust, to Slough Borough Council in for international student assessment, or PISA, results April. I call on him to get behind the relationship show that the proportion of pupils from low-income between the trust and the local authority. I, as Minister, households who succeed academically in England is have signed off millions of pounds to give that support well above the OECD average. Since 2011, the attainment to Slough children. He should work with the trust to gap between disadvantaged pupils and others has narrowed put Slough children first in his constituency. by 13% in primary school and 9% in secondary school. And, yes, it has remained broadly stable in the past Tulip Siddiq: The Minister is boasting about free couple of years; it widened by 0.5% in primary between school meals and how much the Government have 2018 and 2019, but it narrowed by 1% in secondary done. Will she admit that her Government were forced, between 2019 and 2020. kicking and screaming, to extend free school meals However,we know that the pandemic will have widened because Marcus Rashford and the Labour party shamed that attainment gap. In order to minimise the pandemic’s them nationally, which is why they felt they had no impact, we kept schools open for vulnerable children, as choice but to extend free school meals? They resisted well as for the children of key workers. We have also that until the very last minute. announced three further funding packages—a total of more than £3 billion—to provide extra resources to help Vicky Ford: The hon. Lady has said this again and pupils to make up ground. I remind Members that that again, and it is simply not true. Let us look at the facts, comes on top of the £14 billion of extra investment in okay? This Government, when I became the Minister for education that had already been announced by the children, and over the past 10 years, had already extended Government over a three-year period. free school meals to more children than any other In this £3 billion package, we announced—first in Government during the past 50 years. We set up the June 2020 and then in February 2021—£1.7 billion to national voucher scheme during this pandemic—a thing support education recovery. That included £930 million that had never been done before—to make sure that, in flexible funding for schools to use as they see best, when schools were closed to most children, they could while another £200 million was weighted so that schools still access food at home. with more disadvantaged pupils receive more funding. There was £550 million for tutoring, £200 million for Siobhain McDonagh: Will the Minister give way on summer schools and another £22 million to scale up that point? evidence-based practices.Wealso invested in over 1.3 million laptops for disadvantaged children and young people. I Vicky Ford: I have many points that I want to make, know that Labour Members often call for more, but let but— us remember that this was a massive procurement effort at a time of unprecedented global demand. Siobhain McDonagh: Can she indicate the last pandemic that required a voucher meal scheme? Mr Dhesi: Will the Minister give way?

Vicky Ford: Mr Chairman, let me please set the Vicky Ford: No, because I want to respond to the record straight, because I personally—[Interruption.] hon. Member for Glasgow North West (Carol Monaghan) about the issues that she raised regarding rural broadband Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): Order. The Minister and broadband access across the country. I remind her has taken interventions and, given the amount of time that only yesterday the Department for Digital, Culture, we have left, will probably take more, but Members Media and Sport, which is the Department responsible must not keep repeating requests for interventions, which for broadband, announced a further £1 billion upgrade become an interruption of the Minister’s speech. to mobile connectivity. That will particularly benefit rural areas of Scotland, Wales and north-east England, Vicky Ford: The holiday activities and food programme, and is again a reminder of why it is so important that we which we had already been trialling for three years, is work together in a one-nation approach to support going live across the country this year. It was a manifesto people across the Union. commitment to increase this holiday and wraparound On the recovery programme, the evidence is clear that childcare, which we are doing. investment will have the most significant impact for I have huge respect for Marcus Rashford and his disadvantaged children in two areas: high-quality tutoring great passion to make sure that children are properly and great teaching. That is why the latest announcement fed and cared for. I am enormously grateful to him for of an additional £1 billion for tutoring will help to shining a light on this issue and indeed for the video he deliver more than 100 million tutoring hours for children made just last week supporting the Government’s holiday and young people across England over the next three years. 93WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 94WH Education Support Education Support [Vicky Ford] read through phonics can be really challenging. I urge the hon Lady to visit one of the primary schools in her That will expand high-quality tutoring in every part of constituency that is delivering the NELI programme. I the country so that it is available to every child who would love to hear her feedback. needs help catching up, not just those who can afford it. We want to do even more, and we are doing so. We Another £400 million will provide half a million teacher are introducing significant reforms to technical education training opportunities for schoolteachers and evidence- and creating high-quality options for young people based professional development for early years practitioners. aged 16 to support their progression, as well as meeting The hon. Member for Luton South (Rachel Hopkins) the needs of employers. We are also introducing the spoke really clearly about the importance of oracy and holiday activities and food programme across the country early language. I absolutely agree with her that the this year. development of early language and communication skills is crucial to a child’s journey. Indeed, that is one of the Siobhain McDonagh: Will the Minister give way? reasons why, even in the lockdown at the beginning of this year,we were so keen to keep early years establishments Vicky Ford: No. I have taken many interventions, and open for children—they are so key. I am going to speak about the holiday activities and food programme. It provides healthy food and enriching What the hon. Lady may have missed is what we are social activities and has been particularly targeted at doing about that issue. One of the interventions we have supporting those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. put in place through the national tutoring programme We have been trialling it for the past three years, and we is the Nuffield early language intervention. That is a have structured it in a way that suits what parents and very specific programme, and our evidence very much families want. The evidence from the past three years is shows that it works. It is targeted at children in reception that taking part in the holiday activities and food year who are behind others in their early language skills. programme improves children’s wellbeing and helps I have been to see it being delivered across the country. them to make a better start when they come back to Forty per cent. of schools have already signed up and school in September for the new term, so it helps to are taking part, covering around 60,000 children at the close the attainment gap that I have spoken about. moment, and nearly a quarter of a million children have been screened across the country. The hon. Member for Slough will be interested to know how much is being invested in his local area—I noticed I wrote to the hon. Lady last week—I wrote to that he did not mention the holiday activities and food Members from all English constituencies—including programme much in his speech. In Slough, the investment the list of schools in her constituency that are doing the is £587,720. We are working with authorities such as NELI programme. The evidence shows that it adds Slough—indeed, with all 151 local authorities across around three months’ learning. I also asked her if she the country—to help them to prepare and build capacity would promote it to other schools, because we are as we get towards the summer, because we want every expanding it. The deadline is the end of July, so please single part of the country to have a really rich mix of put it out there. provisions—different offers—for our children and young people and to really engage and excite them to have a Rachel Hopkins: I appreciate the Minister’s comments very enjoyable summer. on early years. My point, which is set out in the report This summer we are also funding face-to-face summer by the all-party parliamentary group for oracy, was schools, focusing in particular on children and pupils about opportunities for clear oral communication transitioning into secondary schools. The hon. Member throughout education, as well as in social settings and for Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh) formally—for example, even young teenagers should mentioned year 6 pupils, whom the summer schools will have the opportunity to debate, as we are doing today. I be particularly focused on. hope the Minister has access to the report and understands that it is not just about early years oracy—although I Mr Dhesi: I am grateful to the Minister for rattling accept her points about its importance—but about the off a whole series of programmes and the funding opportunities throughout education that have been missing available, including to my Slough constituents. However, for many pupils, in both school and college. I hope that will she concede that these numbers, as good as they she recognises that wider issue. are, are simply not enough? The Government’s own catch-up education tsar, who is no longer in his post, Vicky Ford: I would be delighted if the hon. Lady sent and experts within education, including headteachers, me a copy of the report. We know that early language all acknowledge that, as wonderful as all these sums are, skills are so important. Indeed, of the £1 billion catch-up they are simply not enough. Will the Minister concede package that we announced this month, £153 million that we need to invest more in our children if they are will go into teaching and training for early years staff, not to fall further behind? including to expand the level of knowledge of our brilliant early years staff in things such as speech and Vicky Ford: Let us look at the detail of what the hon. language early development. We are also improving the Gentleman says. I mentioned the NELI programme, curriculum in that area. which is working in 40% of the schools in the country. The evidence shows that supporting a child into We have offered it to any school that wants to sign up. It reception and primary school with early language skills is for any child from reception that needs it. Schools helps them to pick up reading. As we know, reading has have identified a quarter of a million children for screening, improved significantly over the past decade, partly since and they are screening them and finding out which ones we introduced mandatory phonics training in schools. will benefit from the programme and then offering it to Clearly, without the early language skills, learning to them. 95WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 Children from Low-Income Families: 96WH Education Support Education Support In terms of wider education catch-up, we have already The funding that we have announced this month, since invested in the teaching and tutoring elements, because his work, supports his recommendations on tutoring and we know from the evidence that those bits benefit children teaching improvements. As I have just discussed, we are from the most disadvantaged backgrounds most—this consulting on the time-based element of his proposals. debate is obviously about children from the most I would again like to thank the hon. Member for disadvantaged backgrounds. The hon. Gentleman will Slough for the opportunity to discuss this subject. I know, because we have said it many times, that we have endeavoured to lay out all the different elements of continue to look at the time element—should we increase what has been, and continues to be, a very extensive the length of the school day? There are mixed views programme over the past decade to support children about that. The evidence is less well known, and that is from low-income backgrounds. why we launched a consultation. So, again, I encourage There is no doubt that this pandemic is the biggest him, instead of saying that it is not enough, to get his challenge this country has faced in my lifetime and since teachers to look at the consultation and give their views, the second world war.By staying at home during lockdowns, because that is exactly why we are doing it. We have respecting class bubbles and limiting their contacts with invested record amounts in our schools. friends, our nation’s children have saved lives. They should The Opposition spokesperson, the hon. Member for be so proud of what they have done in the past 18 months. Hampstead and Kilburn, used very strong words when We will stand by them as we all recover from this. speaking about early years funding. Members should remember that it was a Conservative-led Government 3.53 pm that introduced that the 15 hours of free childcare for two-year-olds and the 30 hours of free childcare for Mr Dhesi: My gratitude, Mr Hollobone, for the excellent three and four-year olds when the parents are working. manner in which you have chaired today’s debate. I also That is a significant, £3.5 billion investment in early send my gratitude to Mr Speaker and the House authorities education because we know that it has such benefit for for allowing this important debate to take place. our children. It is a huge increase on what was ever I extend my best wishes and thanks to right hon. and invested during the last Labour Government. hon. Members who have taken part in today’s debate The hon. Lady also mentioned the changes we made and particularly to my hon. Friend the Member for to the census date for the pupil premium. The census Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh). She spoke date has changed to give schools more certainty about with gravitas about the impact of the digital divide, what funding they will be getting over the entire financial which is felt even more now that one in 20 schoolchildren year. It has been subject to significant media reporting are out of school self-isolating, with many still not able over recent months, much of which has been both to have access to devices and broadband internet. My inaccurate and deeply misleading. The total pupil premium hon. Friend the Member for Leicester East (Claudia Webbe) funding is increasing to more than £2.5 billion in 2021-22, spoke passionately about the damage being inflicted on up by £60 million from last year. It is not being cut. poverty-stricken families in her constituency, and pointed Furthermore, pupils who became eligible for free school out that three quarters of teachers are suffering from meals between October and January will still bring fatigue and that children are suffering from hunger and pupil premium funding with them, starting in the following a lack of ability to concentrate. My hon. Friend the financial year, and will continue to attract funding for Member for Luton South (Rachel Hopkins) spoke six years. eloquently about how these are the largest cuts to education in 40 years, about the devastation wrought on The impact of this census change should not be low-income families and about the impact, in particular, viewed in isolation. The ambitious education recovery on the oracy of all our children. As a fellow member of programme that has gone hand in hand with it is worth the oracy APPG, I thank her and others for the incredible £3 billion to date—many times more than the impact of work they are doing to highlight those issues. moving the census date. That includes £302 million for the recovery premium, with £22 million to scale up proven In his own inimitable style, the hon. and distinguished approaches. That £302 million is further to support Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) spoke about the disadvantaged pupils with their attainment. comparison with what is happening in Northern Ireland— the steps taken there to tackle underachievement, the I say to Opposition Members that we are speaking food and toy parcels being delivered by the likes of the about children. Children have had a very difficult time, Trussell Trust, and the work of the voluntary sector in and it is incredibly important that we do not mislead general. I also thank the hon. Member for Glasgow them, we are accurate in our allegations and we do not North West (Carol Monaghan), the Scottish National scaremonger. party spokesperson for education, for the SNP perspective on socially just policies and how more radical policies Siobhain McDonagh: May I ask the Minister who are required—in particular,the social tariff for broadband, used these words? free school meals for all children, the delivery of devices, “The support announced by Government so far does not come and the right to food being enshrined in law. close to meeting the scale of the challenge and is why I have no option but to resign from my post…When we met last week, I My hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Kilburn told you that I do not believe it will be possible to deliver a (Tulip Siddiq), the Labour spokesperson for education, successful recovery without significantly greater support than the spoke articulately and with great experience of this subject, Government has to date indicated it intends to provide.” gained over so many years.She highlighted how £90 million had been lost because of pupil premium recategorisation. Vicky Ford: I thank the hon. Lady for quoting those She also spoke about Labour’s transformative policies words back to me. I say again that we are hugely with regard to the children’s recovery plan, breakfast grateful to Sir Kevan for his work in helping pupils to clubs, digital access for all, free school meals, and much catch up and recover from the effects of the pandemic. more besides. 97WH Children from Low-Income Families: 30 JUNE 2021 98WH Education Support [Mr Dhesi] Southport to Manchester Rail Services

I am grateful to the Minister for her remarks today 4.5 pm and for her perspective that it has always been her Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): I remind hon. ambition and priority to level up and to look after Members that there have been some changes to normal children from more disadvantaged sections of our practice in order to support the hybrid arrangements. community. As I said during the debate, a great number Members should clean their spaces before they use of programmes and figures have been rattled off today them and as they leave the room. I also remind Members by the Minister, but I feel that she has been sent out on a that Mr Speaker has stated that masks should be worn very sticky wicket, in the sense that the Treasury has in Westminster Hall. hampered much of what the Department for Education would like to be doing and what many of us as Members 4.6 pm of Parliament would like it to be doing. Damien Moore (Southport) (Con): I beg to move, After this debilitating pandemic, which has without That this House has considered rail services from Southport to doubt hit children in our communities the hardest, the Manchester. catch-up fund that has been proposed is simply not It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, enough. Even the holiday activities and food programme Mr Hollobone. I am pleased to have obtained this the Minister mentioned, which Slough constituents can debate about train services to and from my constituency avail themselves of, unfortunately provides only 16 days to Manchester, particularly the Manchester Piccadilly of food support over an entire summer holiday period. service, which is critical for my constituents and local That is why, as hon. Members have pointed out, the businesses. Many of my constituents use that train service Government’s own appointed education recovery tsar for employment, particularly in Wigan and Manchester, has been forced to resign. for education and for leisure. Local businesses also rely on the train service to bring potential customers, employees Vicky Ford: On the subject of the holiday activities and other visitors to our tourist economy. All they and food programme, it is really important that the want—indeed, all they deserve—is a direct train to the hon. Gentleman’s constituents understand that we run south side of Manchester. it for four weeks, for four days a week, because we have My hon. Friend the Minister is aware that I have been trialling it for three years and that is what parents campaigned on this issue since I was first elected as and families have tended to want. They do not tend to a Member of Parliament. The good news is that, over want to attend every day. In addition, this summer, the that time, we have repeatedly fought and won to secure covid local government support scheme will be there—as the future of this important service. I owe much credit it has been at Christmas, Easter, spring half-term and to the Southport and Ormskirk rail travellers association last half-term—to make sure that families that need and to the numerous Rail Ministers who have preceded access to extra food and support can get it, so please my hon. Friend, including my hon. Friend the Member stop this “We’re only there for 16 days of the summer for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Andrew Jones), the holidays.” That is not what we are doing: we are making former Member for Orpington and my hon. Friend sure that our children can get these activities and food, the Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys which are so much better for them, as we have seen from (Paul Maynard). I know he shares an interest in this the evidence. particular line, as its alteration impacts his constituents as it does mine. Mr Dhesi: I thank the Minister for that clarification, I pay tribute to the hon. Member for West Lancashire but I come back to the same point: it simply is not (Rosie Cooper), who has led on this issue with me, enough. That is why we have to carry on in this endeavour. and my hon. Friends the Members for South Ribble I thank everybody once again, and I humbly suggest (Katherine Fletcher) and for Bolton West (Chris Green) to the Minister that we need to do more than just and the hon. Members for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) and for 10% of whatever it takes: we need to go the whole hog Makerfield (Yvonne Fovargue) for their support. When to look after and enhance the prospects of children. there have been problems with rail timetables, we have Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(6)). collectively done our best to respond and force changes to the benefit of our constituents. The bad news is that I cannot set out that glistening picture today because the service is once again faced with the prospect of being downgraded. In January, the Department for Transport, in partnership with Network Rail and Transport for the North together, having already established the Manchester recovery taskforce, launched a consultation on timetable options to improve rail performance in the north of England. That represented a major backward step for many of my constituents, who had only just secured the return of their direct services to Manchester Piccadilly.As one of my constituents said: “The most frustrating thing is that we only secured the return of the direct rail service to Manchester Piccadilly back in December, and whilst it was far from perfect, we had direct rail services to Piccadilly.Less than a month later and our town’s rail services are back on the table like a poker chip.” 99WH Southport to Manchester Rail 30 JUNE 2021 Southport to Manchester Rail 100WH Services Services The key issue is not about having a consultation, but have been asked to forgo a service that takes them about the reason behind it and the front-loaded way in to one of the three stations in south Manchester and which the options to change the routing and frequency within a five to 10-minute walk of their workplace, the of some existing journeys have been too heavily stacked universities and the hospital. They are now being asked against my constituents from the start. All three options to use a rail service that will take them to a place they do presented by the Manchester recovery taskforce would not want to travel to, on the wrong side of the city, remove my constituents’ direct rail service to Manchester which will add a further 20 minutes to their overall Piccadilly. journey time. Before I address that point, I will set out for the Allow me to provide the Minister with a bit of context. Minister the nature of the problems that my constituents Piccadilly is the busiest station in central Manchester currently face. Manchester has five city centre stations. and the only one in the north-west region that provides For many years, the Southport line had two daytime connections to services everywhere in Britain. It is not a services to Manchester—one to Victoria in the north of backwater at the end of the metro service. Manchester the city and one through Piccadilly on the south side to Piccadilly is a crucial stop that promotes my constituency’s Manchester airport. The service specification for the tourist economy and acts as a pathway to tens of Northern franchise let in 2016 meant that the long-standing thousands of visitors each year,including to the Southport Southport airport service was withdrawn and all trains Air Show, the Southport Flower Show and, I am proud from my constituency were to be routed to Victoria. to say, The Open, which was held at the Royal Birkdale A campaign challenged that change,conducted passenger in 2017 and attracted almost a quarter of a million surveys and, in collaboration with the rail authorities visitors. The station is also crucial to my constituents’ and train operators, analysed travel data, which proved having the opportunity to attend good universities and journeys to Manchester were destination-specific to one access employment opportunities. There is now talk of of the five city centre stations for reasons of work, a fourth compromise option, but the MRT should not business, study,health, leisure and, in the case of Piccadilly, be planning for Oxford Road to be the main Manchester connections to the rest of the country. Two thirds of station for my town. The demands of my constituents SouthportandLancashireresidentstravellingtoManchester and visitors is driven by destination—simply put, they usually required the south side. need to be where they want to be. In April 2017, my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool The idea that the industry will decide what sort of North and Cleveleys, who back then held the responsibility service people can get confirms that, for so long, it has for our country’s rail services, recognised the issue and felt that it enjoys playing trains until it concerns the directed the franchisee, Arriva Rail North, to present a passengers. However, passengers are key, and those who business plan that would deliver an already identified choose to use the service must have it available to solution. Following my election as Member of Parliament Deansgate,Oxford Road and Piccadilly along the Castlefield for Southport in June that year and with ARN dragging corridor. Similarly, my constituency should not be seen its feet, I asked the campaign group to draw up a as a scapegoat to alleviate congestion along a busy business case, which I sponsored and presented to the stretch of line, for which there is no operational argument. Secretary of State for Transport in January 2018. I was deeply concerned when the MRT reported timetable changes that showed that it had always been the intention The case was accepted by the rail industry. By then, it to remove my town’s direct rail links to Manchester was committed to the May 2018 timetable debacle, Piccadilly under the caveat of consultation, and that the which included the withdrawal of the Southport airport main destination of services from my town would be service. Two morning and evening services were retained. Oxford Road. The services were restored incrementally up to the completion of the reinstatement in December 2019, but That was never made clear in the consultation, but it that did not include services directly to Manchester absolutely confirms my constituents’ fears that the airport. When emergency key worker timetables were Manchester recovery taskforce’s consultation was nothing introduced with the first covid lockdown last year, the more than a caveat to removing my town’s direct rail Southport line services,like many,were halved. Significantly, services. At some stage, it was always going to turn around in recognition of the line’s importance, the train operator, and say, “We want to remove the direct rail service to which is now Northern Trains Ltd, devised and Manchester Piccadilly. You can get off at Oxford Road implemented a non-standard train path and timetable instead.”I rejected the idea in 2017, when I was first elected, to maintain a direct key worker service to the south side. and I reject it now, as do the overwhelming majority of Since the pandemic, the Southport line has been one of my constituents who responded to the consultation. 12 operated reliably and punctually through the Castlefield I urge the Minister to ensure that the Northern corridor. franchise continues to provide a direct service between Those are issues with the current service, but I come Southport and Manchester Piccadilly on the mainline, now to the fundamental problem of the Manchester and not just for Oxford Road. There has to be a recovery taskforce’sconsultation and the proposed timetable sufficient number of services at the right time and with changes to and from Southport: the downgrading of enough seats, so that people can use the service that they our direct rail services. When it is fully running, the line need. My constituents want the services restored and, at will benefit those of my constituents who want to get on best, strengthened. Some might say it is natural for me, a train at Southport station and sit on it as it carries as the local Member of Parliament, to stand up and say them through to Wigan or perhaps the north side of that for my constituents, but it matters beyond my Manchester. That might be of benefit to some of my constituency. constituents. However, for those who do not want that Some people using the services to Manchester Piccadilly or who want a faster service to Piccadilly, such proposed are not from my constituency but get on at my station. timetable changes were never the answer. My constituents As I have said, this issue affects a number of hon. 101WH Southport to Manchester Rail 30 JUNE 2021 Southport to Manchester Rail 102WH Services Services [Damien Moore] 2022-23 through five-year consolidated funding settlements for eight city regions, six of which are in the north. Members’ constituencies, just as it affects large areas of Capacity funding, confirmed at Budget 2021, is supporting Lancashire and Merseyside. Instead of using the trains, city regions and preparing them for the settlements, and some of my constituents have already started to drive to 70% of capacity funding has been allocated to city Manchester because of the reduced service. If that is the regions in the north. trend, it will likely increase the chance of one of the More than £22 billion has been invested in phases of three proposed changes put forward by the Manchester HS2 to deliver the essential north-south connectivity, and recovery taskforce being implemented. How does that cross-regional rail has received a much needed boost help our 2050 climate target? How does that achieve thanks to the upgrade of the trans-Pennine mainline. levelling up? Only last month we announced an extra £317 million to We want more people to use the trains, but we will not improve that vital route for freight and passengers, which achieve that if services are cut off from entire communities connects Manchester, Leeds and York via Huddersfield. such as mine. We want the country’s economy to thrive. That comes on top of the £589 million that was put into It is right that we level up across the UK—an idea that the programme last year. A lot of investment is happening my constituents fully support—but levelling up is not a in our railways, especially in the north. wonderful esoteric prize that only a few should benefit The Government are committed to levelling up the from. It must apply to all parts of the country. Good country, which is why we are planning to spend, on train services matter to my constituents, and are crucial average, more on transport in the north compared with if we are to build back better from the pandemic and the south, the midlands and the east of England. A strengthen our economy for us all. I urge everyone strong, effective railway is central to that ambition. As involved—the Minister,Transport for the North, Network the country moves out of the pandemic, it gives us an Rail and the Department for Transport—to do everything opportunity to introduce a new era for the railway that to ensure that my constituents continue to have the puts the passenger at the heart of everything we do. train services that they need. We must continue to see people using the trains bringing people from Manchester My hon. Friend will no doubt have heard about the and Wigan to my constituency, and from Southport to plans to reform Britain’s railways with a new public Manchester, to provide opportunities to access good body, Great British Railways, which will simplify our jobs and education. railways and deliver more simple, modern fares, and will bring about a financially sustainable railway that is Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): The debate left the fit for our times. The plan for rail will prioritise punctuality, station on time at 1605 and must arrive at its destination reliable services and the passenger. Our trains in the on time, no later than 1635. I call the Rail Minister. north are already delivering that. Records show that more than 90% of services have been on time in recent 4.16 pm months. However, there is much work to be done. Passengers travelling on some areas of the network are The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Chris not getting the service that they deserve, and for too Heaton-Harris): This debate is all about the destination long people in Manchester and wider afield have suffered of the train. It is a pleasure to serve under your train delays and cancellations due to the congestion chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. This is my first time that my hon. Friend outlined around the city. responding to a debate in this place, and I look forward In January 2020, a taskforce made up of industry to going back to Westminster Hall. Some would say I experts was formed to identify options to tackle that. I look forward to its coming home—forgive my voice; do not have to remind my hon. Friend what happened I might have been singing that a bit last night. in May 2018, when infrastructure not being delivered, I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Southport overpromising on a timetable and industrial action (Damien Moore) on securing this debate on rail services combined to deliver unbelievably poor service and between his constituency and Manchester. As he cancellations on the rail system for his constituents and demonstrated in his words, he genuinely is a hard-working, many others across the whole country. We need to avoid straightforward representative of his constituents. He that, because when passengers come back they will does not mess around. I have enjoyed my interactions expect to travel on a reliable, resilient and very clean with him. He always finds a way of getting his way, and railway. The work that commenced in January 2020 is I hope that I can work with him to assuage some of his focused on Manchester, but it recognises that the issues worries. Currently, there are just not enough passengers of rail congestion in the city itself are felt across the on our trains, so we need to get people back. whole of the north, including my hon. Friend’sconstituency As my hon. Friend is aware, we have a rich railway of Southport. history that put this country on the world stage with At the centre of all this is the need to improve its Victorian pioneers, its ingenuity and engineering immediate rail performance in the north to provide a achievements. To continue that legacy, the Government train service now, as well as an infrastructure plan for have outlined plans that will continue to take our rail the medium term, that works for passengers and freight, network forward. Thanks to record levels of funding and that will support the growing economy of Manchester that will help us to build back better, as my hon. Friend and the north as a whole. With that in mind, the said, as we recover from the pandemic, we will also taskforce conducted a root-and-branch review of the deliver the biggest modernisation programme that the timetable and consulted on three possible options, as railway has seen for more than a century. my hon. Friend said, earlier this year. In doing so, the Since 2010, we have invested £29 billion in northern taskforce, which includes Transport for the North and transport. The 2020 Budget also committed to invest Transport for Greater Manchester, aimed to strike a £4.2 billion in intra-city transport settlements from balance between providing a high-performing railway 103WH Southport to Manchester Rail 30 JUNE 2021 Southport to Manchester Rail 104WH Services Services that will benefit all passengers into Manchester—before But there is much more to do to make Manchester’s the pandemic, more than 150,000 people a day—versus network ready for HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. changes in journey patterns for a relatively small percentage The plans for the medium and longer term include of people. resignalling and remodelling some of the busiest stations That is a big choice. It also aligns with Greater and reconfiguring very complex junctions. The designs Manchester’s 2019 rail prospectus, which recognised and business cases are also being developed and are that a simpler service pattern on the Network Rail expected to be ready by 2023. network was necessary in the short term. That may mean Work is happening on the ground now. In March, that passengers need to change between services to Network Rail was instructed to start work on lengthening complete their journey, but it will ultimately result in platforms across Greater Manchester to accommodate services that are reliable and punctual, which is always the longer six-carriage trains that are now a regular at the top of people’s list of priorities. The taskforce feature across the north. We are making sure that estimates that a regular commuter into Manchester stations have the platform capacity to accommodate could benefit by up to one hour a month in reduced them; work on that is due to finish in 2023. As part of a delays compared with the pre-covid timetable that £500 million investment, TransPennine Express has performed so poorly. introduced three new fleets into its passenger service, More than 800 people and organisations gave feedback providing 13 million extra seats a year. to that consultation, which has been invaluable in developing Likewise, another £500 million has been invested in a solution. Indeed, my hon. Friend gave great feedback 101 new trains for Northern, providing more space for to it, along with a host of experts that he brought to the customers, including wheelchair users, and consigning table, once again, as he would say, to make that point. the old Pacers to history—something my hon. Friend Although there was broad acceptance that we could not both worked towards and campaigned for. Those longer go back to the old timetable, one of the strongest areas trains can carry more passengers and are faster, and of feedback was on access to the southern side of they use the latest technology to reduce emissions and Manchester from Southport and Wigan. I have met my journey times. They have also created new jobs in the hon. Friend on a number of occasions, with and without region, as can be seen in the recently opened state-of-the-art officials, to discuss the matter. We had a very long maintenance and servicing depot, which is important to meeting in March following a one-to-one briefing that what we are doing at Wigan. These changes are significant, was arranged between Northern Rail and a representative but by working together on a package of projects that from the Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers’ deliver reliability and reflect passenger demand, they Association to explain the thinking and choices involved really will make a difference. in option development. Elsewhere, I would like to reassure my hon. Friend The taskforce has really gone out of its way to reflect that his bid to the restoring your railway ideas fund to carefully on the representations, and continues to work improve connectivity by reinstating the Burscough curves closely with local transport authorities on revisions that is currently being considered. Outcomes of the bidding aim to address as many concerns raised as possible, round are expected to be announced in the next few including those of my hon. Friend and his constituents. weeks. We have also given room for extra consideration by I conclude by thanking my hon. Friend for securing agreeing to defer any major changes until December this debate and rightly shining a spotlight on rail services 2022, so that we have the time to get this right. The between Southport and Manchester. The railway provides revised proposals for a new timetable structure will a vital lifeline for many people across the north, and the soon be considered by the political leaders in Transport Government are committed to modernising the network for the North, as well as by me and other Ministers, as part of their wide-reaching levelling-up agenda. I after which I hope to make a public announcement, reassure my hon. Friend and the House that a tremendous including a formal response to the consultation. The amount of work is being done, which aims to provide train operators will then lead a further consultation in for a faster, more reliable network for all. Through a the autumn on the fine detail of a new timetable, before combination of infrastructure work and timetable changes, moving towards implementation. it will make a positive difference to everybody who It is recognised that that is not a long-term fix. travels on our services across the north. I look forward Manchester is a major railway hub that fuses the needs to working with my hon. Friend to make sure that it of inter-city travel with local commuters and a huge works for his constituents as well. and growing amount of freight traffic. There is no easy solution to the congestion problems, but improving the Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): We have arrived infrastructure will be critical. To address that, we are at our destination ahead of time. developing an ambitious programme of infrastructure improvements across the decade. The first business cases Question put and agreed to. are being finalised now; once they are agreed, the work will be finished around 2025. It includes improvements from new passenger information technology to extra 4.28 pm platforms across Greater Manchester and the city centre. Sitting suspended. 105WH 30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 106WH

Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal will be believed. I still remember my own surprise that day at hearing the use of the words “extreme action”, but both the Singh Johal family and I would be content 4.50 pm right now with a simple ruling of arbitrary detention Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): I remind hon. and for the concomitant obligations to kick in. Members that there have been some changes to normal I have spoken at length about many aspects of this practice to support the new hybrid arrangements. Timings case on many occasions, most notably in an Adjournment of debates have been amended to allow technical debate on the first anniversary of Jagtar’s detention on arrangements to be made for the debates. There will 27 November 2018. I do not intend to go over too much also be suspensions between debates.Members participating of that material again, but it is worth remembering how either physically or virtually must arrive at the start of this case began. debates in Westminster Hall. Members are expected to remain for the entire debate. Jagtar was a young man from Dumbarton, fresh from his wedding that week, who was enjoying his time with I must also remind Members participating virtually his new bride in Jalandhar, until suddenly a group of that they must leave their cameras on for the duration unidentifiable men in plain clothes leapt from a van, hit of the debate and that they will be visible at all times, him and took him away. I am sure that we can all both to each other and to those of us in the Boothroyd appreciate the terror and helplessness that his wife must Room. If Members attending virtually have any technical have experienced in that moment—it would be problems, they should email the Westminster Hall unimaginable. The next few days, as Jagtar was held Clerks’ email address, which is: westminsterhallclerks@ incommunicado, must have seemed like an eternity. parliament.uk. Members attending physically should Allegations of torture—and more recently, the reality clean their spaces before they use them and as they leave of covid in an overcrowded maximum security prison the room. I also remind Members that Mr Speaker has half a world away—have weighed heavily on the family. stated that masks should be worn in Westminster Hall. I must say that their resilience in the face of this ordeal There will be a time limit in this debate, which I will has been extraordinary. advise after the Member in charge has finished speaking, By my reckoning, Jagtar has now been detained for but I warn Members now that it is likely to be between 1,335 days without any substantial charges being brought two and three minutes. in the case—that is coming up to four years. We know that the FCDO had been looking at a designation of 4.51 pm arbitrary detention and, from conversations with Ministers Martin Docherty-Hughes (West Dunbartonshire) (SNP): of all levels, we know that they have been thinking I beg to move, about this for some time. This issue must surely have That this House has considered the detention of Jagtar Singh Johal. grown more recently. In January, we were glad of the It is good to see you, Mr Hollobone, in the Chair and estimation made by the charity Redress that Jagtar’s to see that so many Members have been able to join us, detention was an arbitrary one, and even more so when either physically or virtually.Members joining the debate a cross-party group of 140 MPs signed a letter to the today, either here in the Boothroyd Room or online, will Foreign Secretary asking him to ensure that the FCDO be glad to hear first that I intend to keep my contribution intervenes to secure Jagtar’s release, as he himself is on relatively short today. I only really have one question to record restating the policy quite recently. ask the Minister, and I think that Jagtar’s case will be Given that it is the opinion of Reprieve and Redress best served by allowing other diverse voices from across and their legal counsel that Jagtar’s detention is a clear these islands to speak on his behalf and to demonstrate breach of categories 1 to 4 of the United Nations to the UK Government that there will be no let-up until working group on arbitrary detention’s definition, I Jagtar is released. again ask the Minister why the UK Government do not Let us get to my question for the Minister, which I share that view. I expect the Minister to speak about will ask again when I sum up: why have the UK many of the things that the UK Government have been Government deemed that Jagtar Singh Johal’s detention doing for Jagtar, so please let me put on the record—I is not an arbitrary one? Of course, many other questions also do so on behalf of the family—that the work of the today will flow from this one and I am sure that we will FCDO staff, both in post and in the prisoner policy and hear it being asked in other guises over the next hour. human rights team of the consular directorate here in But the Crown’s Minister must answer it. London, has been immense. There has been immense I have raised the case of Jagtar Singh Johal with support for the family and myself. They have diligently Ministers almost 20 times since my first point of order undertaken all that has been asked of them—and gone about it on 15 November 2017. The week after that, I above and beyond on occasion, as I am sure they will first raised it at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development know. I am only sorry that convention does not allow Office questions, when the allegation of torture was still me to thank them by name. fresh. The House of Commons was told by the then However, these are civil servants who pursue their Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth work through a framework established by their political Office, who was responsible for consular policy, that masters. It would be remiss of me not to mention some “We will work very closely to investigate the matter and will, of of the issues that FCDO Ministers have either allowed course, take extreme action if a British citizen is being tortured.”— to pass by or should immediately seek to remedy,beginning [Official Report, 21 November 2017; Vol. 631, c. 858.] with the failure to ensure that an independent medical That Minister is no longer in the Government—indeed, examination was undertaken to establish the facts around he is no longer even a member of the Conservative the allegations of torture made by Jagtar against the party. Nevertheless, when a Minister speaks from the Punjabi police. There is the continuing lack of private Dispatch Box, we should be assured that their words consular visits, and the continuing reluctance of the 107WH Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 108WH

Secretary of State specifically to meet with Jagtar’s been targeted for exercising freedom of expression and family and myself, as his predecessor did. Finally, there his right to it. It has already cost him four years in is the decision of the Prime Minister not to raise Jagtar’s prison without trial. He has endured torture and now case with Prime Minister Modi when they last spoke there is a real risk that confessions extracted through virtually in April. torture could be used to sentence him to the death Taken together, these issues tell me that we have a penalty. Jagtar now languishes in prison, where mass group of FCDO civil servants who are ready and able to covid-19 outbreaks have triggered calls for states to implement Government policy, but senior Ministers protect vulnerable prisoners. who are reluctant to escalate representations beyond In the face of these humans rights abuses, what have simply raising them with the Indian Government officials. the British Government done? Rather than standing up If they can do so with Governments of other countries for the rights of British nationals overseas, they have where UK nationals are arbitrarily detained, why can failed to follow Foreign, Commonwealth and Development they not do so with the Republic of India? Doing so Office policy to lobby for arbitrarily detained UK nationals would not be intervening in the internal affairs of the overseas, and ignored calls from myself and 139 colleagues Republic of India unnecessarily. I have been clear from earlier this year to do precisely that. The Government the start of this case that all we ask for is transparent have even failed to secure an independent medical due process and rule of law. When at least two of these assessment of Jagtar to judge the severity and extent of elements are missing, as was so clearly demonstrated at torture, and to secure private consular visits with him Jagtar’s161st pre-trial hearing today,it is my responsibility for over three years. The Foreign Secretary has failed to as his local MP to ask why.Neither the Singh Johal family meet with Jagtar’s family and despite calls from human nor myself is asking for the “extreme action” that, as I rights organisations to raise the issue, the Prime Minister mentioned, we were promised by the UK Government failed to challenge Indian Prime Minister Modi on at the start of this process: we are asking them only to Jagtar’s detention and treatment in a meeting in April. recognise an obvious fact. This is a shameful dereliction of duty, Mr Hollobone: This week, Jagtar was able to speak by video call with a pattern of what is happening in India and how the his brother for the first time since his incarceration. He British Government are failing to stand up for human was as good as could be expected under the circumstances, rights. In recent years in India, there have been a growing but most of all he wondered when he would get to see number of arrests of humans rights defenders, student his family again in the flesh. That was a sobering leaders, trade unionists, journalists, and others critical moment for me. Jagtar Singh Johal is a husband, a son, of the ruling Government. In occupied Kashmir in 2019, a grandson, a brother, an uncle, and a son of the Rock the Indian Government unilaterally revoked articles 370 of Dumbarton. He is arbitrarily detained in India. Why and 35A of the Indian constitution. can the United Kingdom Government not recognise that? Let us get Jaggi released: let us bring him back to Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): Order. I call the Scotland and let him see his family. hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Kirsten Oswald). Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): The debate will last until 5.50. I am obliged to call the Front Benchers 5.3 pm no later than 5.27, and the guideline limits are five minutes for the Scottish National party, five minutes for Kirsten Oswald (East Renfrewshire) (SNP): It is a Her Majesty’sOpposition, and 10 minutes for the Minister, pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Hollobone. after which the Member in charge will have three minutes I commend my hon. Friend the Member for West to sum up the debate at the end. There are nine Back-Bench Dunbartonshire (Martin Docherty-Hughes) for securing contributors. If there are no interventions during Back- this important debate and for his tireless efforts. Bench speeches, we can have a three-minute time limit. Many residents in my constituency are deeply concerned about Jagtar’s continued detention. As vice-chair of the 5 pm all-party parliamentary group on British Sikhs, I know Zarah Sultana (Coventry South) (Lab): It is a pleasure the ongoing work that that group has done. In a previous to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. Parliament, I spent an extraordinary amount of time While in India for his wedding on 4 November 2017, lobbying for the release of my constituent Billy Irving, British citizen Jagtar Singh Johal was shopping with his wrongly detained for years in an Indian jail. I know the newly wedded wife when he was bound, hooded and horrendous impact of that ordeal on his family and can bundled into a car by plain-clothed police officers. imagine that the impact on Jagtar Singh Johal’s family Leaving his wife with no explanation why he had been is similarly huge. taken, Jagtar was taken into police custody and denied Let us remember that Jagtar was taken from the his right to see a lawyer,family members or a representative street where he was walking with his new wife, who was from the British high commission. Once imprisoned, not even given an explanation for her husband’s detention. Jagtar reported being tortured by police. He said crocodile They had just got married and were looking forward to clips were placed on him, with electricity fired through their future home in Scotland. Even more concerning his body. Such was the severity of the torture that Jagtar now is the analysis by his legal counsel in India confirming had to be carried out of the interrogation room. To that he faces a possible death sentence on at least three make the pain stop, Jagtar reports that he was forced to of the charges levelled against him. Forced confession, confess to the alleged conspiracies. allegedly extracted through torture, is the primary evidence Why has he faced these basic violations of his rights? on which these death penalty charges are based, so his Prior to his arrest, Jagtar was involved in raising awareness fair trial rights have been gravely violated and detention of human rights abuses against India’s Sikh population. is clearly arbitrary. Despite the fact that the UK Human rights organisation Reprieve fears that he has Government’spolicy is to lobby for the release of arbitrarily 109WH Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 110WH

[Kirsten Oswald] to different conclusions, so if the advice given or the conclusions drawn by the Minister and his staff are detained British nationals overseas, the Foreign Secretary different, I hope he will explain exactly where these has not yet done so in Jagtar’s case. I would like to hear differences come from. from the Minister why the UK Government have failed Thirdly, Jagtar’s position is undoubtedly grim, but he to implement their own policy on arbitrarily detained is actually in a much better position than just about British citizens. everybody I have ever campaigned for and worked with Of course, we are looking at all this through a particular when they were facing the death penalty, because he has prism, because covid puts an urgent complexion on not yet been through the judicial process. I have looked everything. I can only imagine the anxiety that Jagtar at just about every death penalty case I have ever been and his family face knowing that he is so far from part of and thought, “Dear God, if only we had got to them—with covid rife and them unable to do a thing to this at first instance.” We are well ahead of that point at keep him safe. He is in a horrifically overcrowded prison. the moment. The Government should be implementing Even though the state government has recognised the their own policy with regard to arbitrary detention. challenges that covid is causing and recently sanctioned They have rightly done it for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe the emergency release of thousands of prisoners—even and others often enough. Why are they not doing it for those accused of murder—Jagtar was not included and Jagtar? remains incarcerated. I applaud all the efforts of the family and of the 5.9 pm all-party parliamentary group on British Sikhs, and I (Warwick and Leamington) (Lab): It is applaud the sterling work of Sikhs in Scotland and, an absolute pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, of course, my hon. Friend the Member for West Mr Hollobone. Dunbartonshire and others who have been working on this issue. So much effort has been expended, but what For Jagtar Singh Johal, it is hard not to feel angry, we really need is action in India. For that to happen, we defeated and despondent. I cannot imagine how difficult urgently need this UK Government to take these issues it has been for his family—and his wife in particular, who on board, to listen and to act. I look forward to hearing has not heard from her beloved husband since he was what the Minister has to say. snatched and detained by plain-clothes officers in India just three weeks after their wedding in October 2017. As we know, Jagtar is a British citizen, a loving 5.6 pm family man and valued citizen of Dumbarton, but the Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD): UK Government—the Government of the country of It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Johal’s birth—have fallen silent and deserted him. Mr Hollobone. I commend the hon. Member for West Why have the Government not demanded the release of Dunbartonshire (Martin Docherty-Hughes) for securing their own British citizen? Our Foreign Secretary has not the debate and for his advocacy on behalf of his constituent. so much as met Mr Johal’s grief-stricken family, despite There is a great deal that I could say about this case, but his predecessor accepting that Mr Johal had no chance time is short. I will limit myself to three brief points. of a fair trial and was in grave danger. However, in their attempts to strike new trade deals the Government seem First, I understand the concerns that the Minister to have damaged our global moral standing and neglected will have with regard to the apparent interference in the our humanitarian responsibilities. It is dangerous criminal justice system of another sovereign state. That brinkmanship of the highest order, but it is also what is well rehearsed; it is not new territory for the Foreign, we have come to expect. It seems the UK Government Commonwealth and Development Office. However, I would sooner allow Mr Johal’s death than jeopardise bring to his attention the quite remarkable and wholly any future trade deal. As recently as April this year, the inappropriate briefing note circulated to Members of Prime Minister met the Indian Prime Minister remotely this House today; it was brought to the Deputy Speaker’s and once again neglected to raise Mr Johal’s case during attention by the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire. the meeting. I gently suggest to the Minister that it demonstrates, in the way in which it is constructed—both in terms of its It is time for the Government to act to secure Mr Johal’s highly misleading and inaccurate content and how it release. They must work towards a medical assessment strays into discussion of the procedure and indeed of Mr Johal and of the facility in which he is imprisoned, substance of the case against Jagtar Singh Johal—that and they must push for a private consultant to visit in fact the Indian Government themselves do not have and gain access to where Mr Johal is confined. At the great regard for the propriety of the independence of earliest opportunity, Ministers should meet Mr Johal’s their own criminal justice system. I hope that the Minister family. The Government’s silence is a moral outrage will bear that in mind when he formulates his own and an unforgivable dereliction of their duty to protect position with regard to it. a British citizen. Secondly, the absolutely most crucial point, made by 5.10 pm the hon. Member, is that Jagtar Singh Johal has been the subject of very strong prima facie arbitrary detention. (Coventry North West) (Lab): It is a As has been made clear by counsel instructed by Reprieve pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. and Redress in the briefing they provided for Members I am grateful to the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire today, this is caught by categories 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the (Martin Docherty-Hughes) for securing this vital debate. guidance produced by the United Nations Working We have spoken privately about this issue in the past, Group on Arbitrary Detention. I was in legal practice and I wholeheartedly agree that its importance cannot myself for long enough to know that lawyers can come be overstated. 111WH Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 112WH

That a British citizen can be arrested and held for so brought petrol into his cell, threatening to burn him long in another country with no indication of when his alive. To make the pain stop, he signed blank pieces of case will finally be resolved by due process should shame paper and recorded video statements confessing to the our lazy and hands-off Foreign Secretary. What is more, charges against him, some of which carried the death the Home Office attempted to add to the family’s burden penalty. by trying to expel Gurpreet Kaur, Jagtar Singh Johal’s Jagtar’s imprisonment clearly amounts to arbitrary wife, which shows the contempt with which this detention under international law. He has now been Government are prepared to treat those in peril. detained for more than three years without trial. When Many of my Coventry constituents will be deeply a British national is arbitrarily detained and tortured concerned about this matter because two of our neighbours and faces a potential death sentence, all on the basis of face a similar prospect this year. Two brothers resident trumped-up political charges, the British Government in my constituency were hauled into custody after raids must make it clear that that is unacceptable. Despite it on their homes last year. That has traumatised their being Government policy to lobby for the release of families and sent shockwaves through our local community arbitrarily detained UK nationals overseas, the Foreign in Coventry. As British citizens who have lived in our Secretary has yet to do so for Jagtar. country their whole lives,they deserve from the Government Will the Minister explain why the Government failed the same protection that we all receive, but they are now to implement its policy to seek the release of arbitrarily languishing in custody ahead of extradition later this detained British citizens in Jagtar’s case? This is even year, and they are profoundly worried about what the more urgent after a mass outbreak of covid-19 in the future holds for them. prison in which Jagtar is detained. The World Health Ministers have offered the stock assurances that the Organisation and the Office of the United Nations brothers will be properly treated by the Indian authorities High Commissioner for Human Rights have called on and that they will not face the death penalty, but none states to protect vulnerable prisoners during the pandemic, of what they or their families have been put through can to immediately release those who have been arbitrarily be said to have inspired confidence in promises made by detained and to secure non-custodial alternatives to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office detention. or the Home Office. Given that the two men in question In April, I wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to have been investigated previously and the Home Office raise Jagtar’s case during a meeting with his counterpart, decided that there was no further case to answer, it is the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Will the not surprising that so many in the community are asking Minister confirm whether the Government raised Jagtar’s why the arrests took place. Those doubts have been arbitrary detention with the Indian authorities, either at reinforced in the minds of many by the simple fact that that meeting or at any other time? in the week before the arrests were made, the Foreign Secretary visited India and met Ajit Doval, a key national Although the UK Government are anxious to improve security adviser. What is the Foreign Secretary sacrificing relations with India so they can secure a post-Brexit in his haste to wrap up a trade deal with the current trade deal, the UK-India relationship, and indeed all Indian Government? our diplomatic efforts, must be deeper than just trade. They should be based on the promotion of democracy, If the Government will not stand up for British citizens human rights and upholding international law. The abroad, how can any of us be safe? Those constituents Government must do all they can to ensure Jagtar’s of mine, and all who are in the same position, deserve safety and release. fair treatment and a Government here at home who are willing to fight for them to secure due process. Instead, they are left in fear for their lives because this Government 5.17 pm prefer to purchase new friendships abroad, setting at Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab): It is a naught inalienable in their attempts to revive our faltering pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. trade relationships. It is time for the Government to I am grateful to the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire offer some leadership on this issue, instead of importing (Martin Docherty-Hughes) for securing this debate and sectarian politics from abroad into our debate here in representing his constituents so passionately on this the UK. Minister must assure for all our citizens, regardless matter. of their background, the fundamental right that defines being British. Since the arrest of British national Jagtar Singh Johal in November 2017, I have raised his detention on numerous occasions with Ministers in the Chamber. I hope the 5.14 pm Government will take note of our collective concerns Claudia Webbe (Leicester East) (Ind) [V]: It is a and take some steps to address this situation. I am extremely pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Hollobone. I disappointed that we are here once again raising Mr Johal’s congratulate the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire detention with the Government. Despite the serious (Martin Docherty-Hughes) on securing this hugely allegations of torture and mistreatment, and the fact important debate. that he potentially faces the death penalty, the UK Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen and a Sikh human Government have done very little to support Mr Johal’s rights advocate from Dunbartonshire, sought to use his family and find a solution to this difficult situation. In platform to raise awareness of historical abuses carried fact, the Foreign Secretary is yet to meet his family, even out against the Sikh population. In 2017, he travelled to though it has been over three and a half years since his India to get married, and three weeks after the ceremony arrest. plain-clothes police officers abducted him on the street. This matter is of huge importance not only to those According to the human rights organisation Reprieve, directly affected but to the wider Sikh community. the police brutally tortured Jagtar with electricity and Indeed, many of my Slough constituents have contacted 113WH Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 114WH

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi] relation to this case? Finally, if there are continued delays, what sanctions are the Government now prepared me to express their anger and dismay at the Conservative to take—politically, diplomatically, and if necessary Government’s inaction over Jagtar and his family. I economically—to either secure the release of Mr Johal share their concerns. Reports that Mr Johal has been or at least ensure that justice is done in this case? subject to torture are deeply worrying, and must be There is a sense of frustration now within our own treated with the utmost seriousness. We must be clear communities at the failure of the Government to act that there is no place for the use of torture or mistreatment decisively. That is undermining confidence that our anywhere in the world, yet this Government do not Government will actually protect their citizens when seem to want to raise that with the Indian authorities or they travel abroad. I urge the Government strongly to seek to verify the claims. Mr Johal must be able to meet listen to the representations that have been made so privately with the British consular staff so that he can eloquently today, which I fully agree with, and to act. raise concerns about his treatment. What have the For goodness’ sake, we need speedy action on this Government done to facilitate that? Hopefully the Minister appalling case. will answer that. Those worrying reports, alongside delays to legal Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): The last Back proceedings and the need for a fair trial for Mr Johal, Bencher, but definitely not the least, is Jim Shannon. should be conveyed by the UK authorities to the Indian authorities, yet I fear that that has not happened. I hope 5.23 pm the Minister will assuage our concerns today. The UK Government must set an example to the world when Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): Thank you, dealing with such situations, and reassure hon. Members Mr Hollobone. It is a pleasure to speak in this debate. of this House and British citizens everywhere that their First, I congratulate the hon. Member for West Government will not abandon them as soon as they set Dunbartonshire (Martin Docherty-Hughes) on bringing foot outside the UK. it forward. When he had an Adjournment debate on I am cognisant of the well rehearsed and acknowledged this case some time ago, I was there to support him, and stance that we cannot intervene in another nation’sjudicial I am here today to do the same thing. process, but time and again this Government have claimed I declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary to represent the views and voices of all Brits, while in group for international freedom of religion or belief. The practice many are voiceless within the international Sikhs are one of our stakeholders, and I want to put arena, as the Government fail to ensure that their basic that on the record. I have come here to support them. human rights are respected. The Foreign Secretary must It is tragic that yet again we are debating the violation meet Mr Johal’s family and listen to and act on their of an individual’s human rights. The fact that Jagtar serious concerns, rather than continually failing them. Singh Johal was detained—kidnapped, basically—from the street by balaclava-covered men, thrown in a van, 5.20 pm taken to a prison cell, tortured and forced to sign a John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Lab) [V]: I confession is absolutely unbelievable. I am my party’s am here because of my personal concern about Mr Johal, spokesperson on human rights as well, so I am here to but also because of the scale of representation that I register my support for the hon. Member for West have received from my constituents. The Government Dunbartonshire and his constituent. need to recognise the truly immense worry in our own We live in an age in which most of the major human country about this case. People are concerned because rights treaties—there are nine core treaties—have been they have witnessed how Mr Johal can be picked up in ratified by the vast majority of countries, but it seems this way, detained and deprived of his liberty. They feel that yet again the human rights agenda has fallen short. that if it can happen to him, it can happen to any one of This case involves a British national—one of ours—and them, especially those who have raised real fears, concerns his family, for whom we must stand up and speak out. and criticisms about the current Indian Government’s Why have the Minister and the FCDO refused to meet human rights practices. with Jagtar Singh Johal’s family? Those of us with family connections to India have Mr Johal has been detained without evidence of any immense affection for the country and its people. It wrongdoing. India is the world’s largest democracy and pains me to see the reputational damage that has been is rarely considered to be among the major human caused to India by the actions of its Government in rights-violating nations, yet Mr Johal has been subjected relation to Mr Johal’s case. I just want to ask a few basic to torture and forced to sign false confessions while questions about where our Government go from here. being held in a prison that is now suffering an outbreak First, in the light of the failure of their representations of coronavirus. The Indian Government must be held on Mr Johal’s case so far, can the Minister explain to us to account. What actions has the Minister’s Department the strategy the Government will now pursue for effective taken to protect Mr Johal, given his pre-existing health representations from our Government directly to the conditions, following the outbreak of coronavirus in Indian Government? Secondly, can the Minister explain Tihar prison? Do they include an independent medical their strategy to co-ordinate the representations from examination and psychological evaluation? It is really other countries and international bodies in order to important that we give the same treatment to all our create a climate of opinion that will, hopefully, force the citizens wherever they are in the world. Indian Government to act? What is the strategy to The prohibition of extrajudicial torture and killings co-ordinate the work of human rights bodies to investigate is fundamental to human rights law. I acknowledge that and report on the adherence or non-adherence to basic the appalling treatment has been done not as a matter human rights standards by the Indian authorities in of official policy, but as a matter of practice, which is 115WH Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 116WH even worse. It is unacceptable that the Indian authorities Jagtar’s experience is, sadly, very familiar. As chair of are ignoring international legal obligations regarding the APPG, I took evidence from more than 60 families torture and detention despite a lack of evidence. Is the who had lost loved ones abroad or whose loved ones Minister aware the Mr Johal is under the threat of the were incarcerated. We heard from a number of death penalty? What actions has his Department taken organisations, including Redress, who I know have given since learning of this situation? significant support to Jagtar’s family. The message was India has a judicial system in which the process must very clear, and there was a common theme. All the be that if suspected criminals are formally charged, they families we took evidence from felt terribly let down by appear in court. Courts might be slow and underfunded the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. and police might be under pressure to convict, but that They felt helpless and abandoned. The hon. Member is no excuse to employ inhumane and degrading treatment for Warwick and Leamington (Matt Western) alighted of those in custody. That must not be accepted or on a key point that we heard from a number of families tolerated. whose loved ones were incarcerated. This Conservative UK Government are putting trade deals before human Weare sending that message to the Indian Government rights and that should shame us all. from this House today. I hope the Minister will do the same. India is clearly in breach of article 9 of the I worked in a consulate myself—I worked for the US universal declaration of human rights. We must be told Department of State in the consulate in Edinburgh—and what actions have been taken by the Government at the I have seen at first hand how hard consular staff work. United Nations to raise g the case of Mr Jagtar Singh There may be many things that we can criticise the Johal. I thank the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire United States for, but one thing I learned from my again. We speak today for someone who is one of ours, experience was that they look after their own, without who has been mistreated and is under threat of the fear or favour. This Government could learn a lot from death penalty. that. I have also met consular staff and ambassadors who work for the FCDO. I know how hard they work and 5.26 pm how difficult and challenging their job is. As my hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire also said, Hannah Bardell (Livingston) (SNP) [V]: It is truly a I know how hard they have worked for Jagtar and his pleasure to sum up this incredibly important debate on family, but they are being cut to the bone and their an issue that is very close to my heart. I declare an resources are being drained by this Conservative interest as the chair of the all-party parliamentary Government. group on deaths abroad, consular services and assistance. In 2019, a report by the British Foreign Policy Group, First, I offer my deep and profound sympathies, as which was backed by many prominent diplomats and well as my solidarity,to the family of Jagtar. I congratulate former Foreign Secretaries, proved that funding of the my hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire diplomatic service was at its lowest in 20 years. In the (Martin Docherty-Hughes) on securing the debate and last 30 years, staff have been cut by 1,000. That is hardly on all the work he has done to fight for Jagtar and his the advert for global Britain that the Conservative family. He has been utterly tireless. Government seem to punt left, right and centre. The Members have rightly spoken passionately in this reality is that the Government leave British citizens high debate about the rights of British citizens abroad, and and dry, because they do not give their staff or missions what happens to them when they find themselves, through the funding and resource that they need. Not only are no fault of their own, killed, injured, incarcerated or—as they abandoning British citizens; they are abandoning in Jagtar’s case, although we have heard from many their own staff. The issue of consular assistance is a grey Members that the UK Government, shamelessly, will area. That is why I and others have called for a legal not recognise this—arbitrarily detained without trial, right to consular assistance, which would strengthen the often by oppressive regimes that routinely breach or rights of our citizens and make the Government have a abuse human rights. legal responsibility to look after our citizens abroad. We should be absolutely clear about what the detention The Government have to answer for their lack of of Jagtar is. As my hon. Friend said, it is a flagrant action. As Members have said, they have to answer for breach of his human rights by the Indian authorities the fact that the Prime Minister has met the Prime and Government, and they should be ashamed. It is Minister of India and not raised the case of Jagtar. A vital that that message has gone out from all Members Government’s first duty should be to look after their who have spoken in the debate today. citizens in their time of need. Otherwise, what use or Jagtar has spent four years without a trial—four value does being a British citizen hold? Will the Government years away from his family in, as we know, appalling accept that Jagtar has been arbitrarily detained, according conditions, as my hon. Friend the Member for East to the very clear international definition of arbitrary Renfrewshire (Kirsten Oswald) highlighted. Seeing this detention, and explain why they have failed to implement through the prism of covid and the experiences that their own policy to seek the release of arbitrarily detained Jagtar has had in prison make the case all the more British citizens, as in Jagtar’s case? distressing and appalling. He is one of so many who are apart and isolated from their family and friends, and 5.31 pm ultimately without the support they need from the UK Government. As the right hon. Member for Hayes and Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon) (Lab) [V]: It is a pleasure Harlington (John McDonnell) said, this is an issue that to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. As should concern us all. If it can happen to Jagtar, it the shadow Minister who has been lobbying the could happen to anybody. Government on this issue, I am grateful to the hon. 117WH Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 118WH

[Stephen Kinnock] where the detainee is detained on spurious grounds as a political statement, or in circumstances of clear human Member for West Dunbartonshire (Martin Docherty- rights violations, the detainee’s country should make Hughes) for securing this vital debate about his constituent representations to the detaining state that the detainee Mr Jagtar Singh Johal. I also thank my hon. Friends the should not be in detention or facing charges at all. Are Members for Coventry South (Zarah Sultana), for Warwick the UK Government acting on that guidance? Do the and Leamington (Matt Western), for Coventry North UK Government intend to implement their own policy? West (Taiwo Owatemi) and for Slough (Mr Dhesi) and Three and a half years is more than enough time to my right hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington gather evidence and bring a case to trial. Jagtar’scontinued (John McDonnell) for their important contributions. incarceration is a clear and obvious breach of international The Labour party is deeply concerned about the human rights law. He is clearly a victim of arbitrary Indian police’s incarceration of British citizen Jagtar detention and as such should be released immediately. Singh Johal, who has been held without trial for more The UK Government must also remind the Indian than three and a half years. Although the Labour party authorities that international human rights law prohibits does not involve itself in the internal matters of other the reliance on evidence that has been gathered under countries, we will always stand up for human rights, torture. Jagtar and his family have been through far too democracy and international law everywhere, and we much already.Todayis the moment for the UK Government will always stand up for British citizens wherever we feel to demonstrate that they are genuinely committed to that their rights and freedoms are being violated. We standing up for a British citizen whose human rights are value our country’s long-standing relationship with India, being violated. which we see as an important partner in the decades Mr Philip Hollobone (in the Chair): I would be most ahead on trade, security, climate change and, critically, grateful if the Minister could conclude his remarks no the joint promotion of democracy, human rights and later than 5.47 pm, so that the Member in charge has upholding international law.However,a strong relationship time to sum up the debate. is worth having only if it means that each Government are able to engage frankly with the other and to challenge 5.36 pm each other and take robust positions wherever necessary. The Minister for Asia (Nigel Adams): As ever, it is a That brings me to the issue we are discussing, which great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, is the deeply troubling case of a UK citizen incarcerated Mr Hollobone. I thank all right hon. and hon. Members for more than 1,300 days without trial, and with the for taking part in this very important debate, and the threat of the death penalty looming over him. Jagtar’s hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire (Martin Docherty- story is heartbreaking, as has been the experience of his Hughes) for securing it. I pay tribute to him for his wife and wider family, not least his brother, whom I tenacious support for his constituent Mr Johal since his have had the privilege of meeting on a number of arrest in India. I am also grateful for the contributions occasions over the past year. We have all heard the facts of all right hon. and hon. Members who have been in of the case, and they are deeply disturbing for all manner contact with the Foreign Office, either in writing or of reasons. It is also worth noting that the United Nations through formats such as this, and I will try to respond shares our concern. On 29 January 2018, the UN working to the points raised in my remarks. group on arbitrary detention, the special rapporteur on Before coming to Mr Johal’s specific case, I will set freedom of religion or belief, and the special rapporteur out our consular policy in general terms. Clearly, consular on torture sent an urgent representation to the Indian assistance is central to our work at the Foreign, Government. It expressed concerns over the lack of Commonwealth and Development Office, and 24 hours detail on the factual and legal basis for Mr Johal’s arrest a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year our staff and detention, and it questioned the measures that are endeavour to give advice and practical support to all being taken by the Indian authorities to safeguard him British nationals overseas and their families here in the from torture. On 9 November 2019, the United Nations UK. We aim to treat every consular case with equal working group and special rapporteurs sent an urgent importance and tailor our help to the individual representation to the Indian Government, insisting that circumstances of each person who is in need of our there had been over two years of delay through an unfair support, in normal times and in times of crisis. For legal process, and that the Indian Government must example, from March to July 2020, the then Foreign provide the right to due process, a fair trial and independent and Commonwealth Office ran a repatriation operation medical examination, yet there has still been no movement unprecedented in the post-war era. We were proud to be towards either a fair trial or Jagtar’s release. able to return 38,000 people on 186 charter flights from Given the facts of the case and those UN interventions, 57 countries and territories back to the UK, as well as I find it astonishing that the Foreign Secretary has enabling 1.3 million British nationals to return via refused to meet the family and that the Government commercial routes. Minister responsible in the other place has refused on The Government do not have, and have never had, a two occasions to answer my questions on whether the legal duty of care to British nationals abroad, because case amounts to arbitrary detention—first, in a letter our ability to provide consular assistance is always that I sent to him last autumn, and then in a letter in dependent on other states adhering to the Vienna January of this year, which took the Government three convention on consular relations and the laws of that months to reply to. I therefore ask the Minister today host country.Consequently, a right to consular assistance whether the Government recognise Jagtar’s incarceration in English law would not help those caught up in as a clear case of arbitrary detention. The UN special complex consular cases. In a similar vein, the FCDO rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary does not seek preferential treatment for British nationals. executions has made it clear that in death penalty cases We do not and, as we have heard from several hon. 119WH Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 120WH

Members, must not interfere in civil and criminal court Nigel Adams: The Government take all allegations of proceedings. It is absolutely right that we respect the human rights violations extremely seriously, and we legal systems of other countries, just as we expect raise concerns with the authorities on the ground where foreign nationals to respect our laws when they are in appropriate. The assistance we provide is assessed on the United Kingdom. a case-by-case basis, and it entirely depends on the Our policy in respect of how to engage on complex circumstances of the case. It is for this reason that we detention cases, such as that of Mr Johal, is clear: the have persistently advocated for Mr Johal’s welfare. We Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office makes have raised his case regularly at the highest levels and no judgment on the innocence or guilt of any British with the Indian Government. national who is detained overseas. Our priority is always the welfare of the UK national concerned. We look to Kirsten Oswald: Will the Minister give way? ensure that they are receiving food, water and medical treatment, and that they have access to legal advice. Nigel Adams: I will take one more intervention. I am With their permission, we can raise concerns about just conscious that I am supposed to finish in three minutes’ mistreatment or torture with the prison authorities, and time, but I think there is no chance of that now. request an independent investigation into any such Kirsten Oswald: I am very grateful to the Minister for allegations. taking my intervention. May I go back to the point that We will always consider making representations to has just been made? He was asked whether the UK the local authorities if detainees are not treated in line Government accept that this is an arbitrary detention. with internationally accepted standards, including if If not, what is it about the situation that they do trials are unreasonably delayed compared with local not agree with? That is what we need to hear from the cases, and as the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire Minister. will know, we have provided Mr Johal and his family with extensive consular support since his arrest in 2017. Nigel Adams: As I said, the action we take in a We will continue to do so until this case has been consular case in relation to allegations of arbitrary resolved. That resolution must include an independent detention is tailored to individual circumstances and investigation into Mr Johal’s allegations of torture and situations, and what we judge to be the most effective in mistreatment, and the transparent progress of judicial each case. Although the FCDO cannot investigate proceedings against him. allegations of human rights abuses overseas, we have carefully considered all available information on the Matt Western: Has the specific allegation that was arbitrary detention allegations, including the Reprieve raised by one of our colleagues, the pouring of petrol in determination. Wewill continue to raise concerns regarding Mr Johal’s cell, been specifically raised with the Indian human rights directly with the Indian authority as we authorities by anyone in the Foreign Office? judge them to be effective and appropriate in Mr Johal’s case. Nigel Adams: What I can tell the hon. Gentleman is that we have consistently raised the need for an independent If I may, in the couple of minutes that I have left, I and impartial investigation into those torture allegations. will move on. Wehave persistently advocated for Mr Johal’s The Foreign Secretary himself most recently highlighted welfare. We have raised his torture allegations and his this to Indian Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar right to a fair trial with the Government of India on on 6 May, and we have made many representations in more than 70 occasions since his arrest. Most recently, this case. Officials or Ministers have raised Mr Johal’s the Foreign Secretary raised the case with the Indian case on almost 70 occasions. Minister of External Affairs on 6 May, and Lord Ahmad, the Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth, I appreciate, however, that there are calls for the with the high commissioner on 8 June. The previous British Government to do more in Mr Johal’s case. I Prime Minister,the Home Secretary and the International would therefore like to reassure the House that ever Trade Secretary have all raised Mr Johal’scase at appropriate since his arrest in India in 2017, our staff have worked opportunities during his detention. I further assure hard to provide effective assistance to Mr Johal and his right hon. and hon. Members that we have thoroughly family in the UK. We take these allegations about torture considered concerns regarding arbitrary detention and and mistreatment incredibly seriously. The allegations the death penalty in this case. go back to 2017 and were made again in January this year. There are causes for concern in Mr Johal’s case, The Government take all allegations of violations of and we also share right hon. and hon. Members’ deep human rights seriously. We raise them with the local concern about the continued delays in the legal proceedings authorities where appropriate. Wealso cover welfare issues. against Mr Johal. In Mr Johal’s case, in-person visits to prisons in India, which hon. Members referred to, are restricted due to Mr Carmichael: I accept everything that the Minister the pandemic, but we have replaced them with phone has said about interventions with regard to the Indian calls. We most recently spoke to Mr Johal on 11 May. criminal justice system. That is whythe point about arbitrary We will continue to pursue regular welfare visits with detention is so important, because as the spokesperson the authorities for as long as he remains in prison. We for the official Opposition, the hon. Member for Aberavon appreciate that his family have suffered considerable (Stephen Kinnock), and the hon. Member for West distress throughout his detention. The high commissioner Dunbartonshire (Martin Docherty-Hughes) have both to India most recently met Mr Johal’s brother Gurpreet said, in the event that that is the view of the Government, on 30 April. they have a duty to intervene. Is that the view of the A question was raised about trade and human rights. Government, and if it is, why have they not intervened? It is clear that the relationship with India is important If it is not, what points of distinction would they make? and is based on trust and collaboration. It is important 121WH Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal30 JUNE 2021 Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal 122WH

[Nigel Adams] aware of the importance of the relationship with India, but it has to be a frank and upfront one. The Minister that human rights and complex consular cases form mentioned consular support, which I also mentioned in part of our dialogue. As such, the 2030 road map for my speech, but it seems that arbitrary detention is India-UK future relations, agreed in April by our two clearly different when someone is held by Iran or China. Prime Ministers, includes a commitment to promote He also mentioned the Government’s issues in relation closer co-operation in consular matters and to resolve to English law. Clearly, it is a pity that my constituent is long-running or complex consular cases. not being assisted by Scots law. I recognise that this remains an extremely difficult With all due respect, the Minister for Asia, whose time for Mr Johal and his family. I assure the hon. portfolio does not cover my constituent—it is covered Member for West Dunbartonshire, to whom I will now by that of the Minister for South Asia—has failed to give the Floor, and Mr Johal’s family that we will answer the intrinsic question: is this deemed arbitrary continue to do all that we can to support Mr Johal and detention? The Government have failed to answer that to ensure that he is treated in accordance with Indian question time and again. Time is up. We have had three and international law. His case remains a priority for Prime Ministers, four Foreign Secretaries, and so many the UK Government, and it must be resolved in line Under-Secretaries that I have lost count. What will it with due process and without unreasonable delay. take for the UK Government to answer the question: is this, or is this not, arbitrary detention? 5.47 pm Question put and agreed to. Martin Docherty-Hughes: I am very grateful to all Resolved, right hon. and hon. Members who have participated, That this House has considered the detention of Jagtar Singh Johal. and to the Front Benchers, my good and hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Hannah Bardell) and the hon. Member for Aberavon (Stephen Kinnock). As a 5.49 pm member of the Defence Committee, I am very much Sitting adjourned. 9WS Written Statements 30 JUNE 2021 Written Statements 10WS

In order to protect UK competition and investment Written Statements and demonstrate where it is proportionate for public authorities to give greater scrutiny to their subsidies, we Wednesday 30 June 2021 will create two specific categories of small number of subsidies that may undertake more extensive analysis to assess their compliance with the principles: subsidies of interest and subsidies of particular interest. Criteria for BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL these subsidies will be set out in secondary legislation in STRATEGY due course. Weanticipate there will be a very small number of subsidies in each of these categories. The Bill also establishes an independent body which Subsidy Control Bill and Consultation on Subsidy will be a UK subsidy advice unit in the Competition Control and Markets Authority (CMA). The subsidy advice unit will have a role in monitoring and overseeing how the regime is working as a whole, as well as conducting The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial a mandatory, non-binding review of public authorities’ Strategy (Kwasi Kwarteng): Today the Government have assessments for subsidies of interest and subsidies of introduced the Subsidy Control Bill and published the particular interest. Enforcement will be through the Government’s response to the consultation “Subsidy Competition Appeal Tribunal who will hear judicial reviews control: designing a new approach for the UK”. against subsidy decisions. The UK Government have seized the opportunity The Government have designed a subsidy control presented by our exit from the European Union to scheme that promotes a dynamic market economy develop a new, bespoke regime for subsidy control within throughout the UK and that minimises distortions within the UK. the UK. To ensure that this system works for all parts of This new regime has been designed to reflect our the UK, the Government have worked closely with the strategic interests, strengthen our Union and help to devolved Administrations throughout this process,including drive economic growth and prosperity across the whole meeting the statutory duty to share the consultation of the UK. response document ahead of publication and consider The new regime will be flexible, agile, and tailored to devolved Administrations’ representations. support business growth and innovation, as well as help The measures in the Subsidy Control Bill strike the to maintain a competitive free market economy and right balance between maximising our newfound flexibilities, protect competition and investment in the UK. having left the EU, and providing a consistent framework Between 3 February and 31 March 2021, the Government for all UK public authorities. The Bill will ensure that held a public consultation on the UK’s future subsidy the UK maintains a competitive, free market economy— control proposals. The Government have used responses which is fundamental to our national prosperity—while to the consultation to inform the design to provide a protecting the interests of the British taxpayer. bespoke and dynamic framework, which will: I will lay the Government response to subsidy control Empower local authorities, public bodies, and central and consultation before Parliament and will place a copy of devolved Governments to design subsidies that deliver strong the impact assessment in the Libraries of both Houses. benefits for the UK taxpayer. [HCWS134] Enable public authorities to deliver subsidies that are tailored and bespoke for local needs to support the UK’s economic recovery and deliver UK Government priorities such as HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE levelling up, achieving net zero and increasing UK R&D investment. Provide certainty and confidence to businesses investing in Covid-19: Booster Vaccines the UK, by protecting against subsidies that risk causing distortive or harmful economic impacts, including to the UK domestic market. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Contribute to meeting the UK’s international commitments (): Today the Joint Committee on Vaccination on subsidy control, including its international commitments and Immunisation (JCVI) has published interim advice at the World Trade Organisation, in free trade agreements on options for a covid-19 booster vaccination programme and the Northern Ireland protocol. for adults this Autumn. The foundation of this new domestic subsidy control It should be noted that this is interim advice and the regime is a clear, proportionate, and transparent set of JCVI will consider additional scientific data as it becomes principles, underpinned by guidance, that will ensure available over the next few months ahead of developing public authorities fully understand their legal obligations its final advice. This includes, but is not limited to, and embed strong value for money and competition further data on the durability of protection from vaccines principles. beyond six months, and clinical trial data on immune The Government will create streamlined routes to responses following a third vaccination. demonstrate compliance for categories of subsidies at In summary, on the basis of current evidence and low risk of causing market distortions, that promote with the aim of reducing the occurrence of serious our strategic policy objectives and that the Government covid-19 disease, the JCVI advises the following as the judge to be compliant with the principles of the regime. likely shape of the autumn programme. This will ensure that these authorities are able to deliver Any potential booster programme should begin in these subsidies with minimum bureaucracy and maximum September 2021, in order to maximise protection in certainty. those who are most vulnerable to serious covid-19 ahead 11WS Written Statements 30 JUNE 2021 Written Statements 12WS of the winter months. Influenza vaccines are also delivered JCVI note early evidence supports the delivery of in autumn, and the JCVI considers that, where possible, both covid-19 and flu vaccines at the same time where a synergistic approach to the delivery of covid-19 and appropriate. influenza vaccination could support delivery and maximise Subject to the JCVI’s final advice, we are developing uptake of both vaccines. detailed plans for a booster programme. NHS England Any potential covid-19 booster programme should and NHS Improvement will be asking all local systems be offered in two stages. to develop detailed plans to ensure they are ready to Stage 1. The following persons should be offered a deliver a booster programme from the start of September third dose covid-19 booster vaccine and the annual influenza in line with this advice, working closely with partners vaccine, as soon as possible from September 2021: including local authorities and voluntary organisations to ensure equal access and maximise uptake of both adults aged 16 years and over who are immunosuppressed; covid-19 and influenza vaccines. those living in residential care homes for older adults; All four parts of the UK welcome this interim advice, all adults aged 70 years or over; which will help us ensure we are ready in our preparations adults aged 16 years and over who are considered clinically for autumn. We look forward to receiving the committee’s extremely vulnerable; final advice in due course. frontline health and social care workers. [HCWS135] Stage 2. The following persons should be offered a third dose covid-19 booster vaccine as soon as practicable after stage 1, with equal emphasis on deployment of the INTERNATIONAL TRADE influenza vaccine where eligible: all adults aged 50 years and over; Negotiations on Future Trading Relationship adults aged 16 to 49 years who are in an influenza or with New Zealand covid-19 at-risk group (please refer to the green book for details of at-risk groups); adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. The Secretary of State for International Trade (Elizabeth As most younger adults will only receive their second Truss): The fifth round of free trade agreement negotiations covid-19 vaccine dose in late summer, the benefits of with New Zealand took place between 8 and 16 June booster vaccination in this group will be considered at a 2021. New Zealand’s Trade and Export Growth Minister later time when more information is available. The initial Damien O’Connor also visited the UK from 16 to objective for winter 2021-22 is for persons in booster 18 June for face-to-face talks. Both countries have agreed stages 1 and 2 to receive their influenza and covid-19 to accelerate negotiations to finalise the details of the vaccines in good time. deal with the aim of reaching agreement in principle. Apart from the current UK approved covid-19 vaccines, Both countries are committed to agreeing a high-quality, the UK has placed orders for a range of other covid-19 comprehensive free trade agreement that supports jobs, vaccines, some of which may become available for use broadens consumer choice,and provides more opportunities in a booster programme. in key industries such as services, digital trade, and the The JCVI will review the use of these vaccines once green economy. they have received UK regulatory approval. Vaccines Strong progress was made in agreeing key issues designed specifically against variants of concern will across the deal including provisionally closing a further not be available in time for booster revaccination this four chapters: autumn. The use of variant vaccines will be considered Government procurement chapter, which improves small by the JCVI in due course. medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) access to procurement and the integrity of supply chains. Additional scientific data will become available over Disputes chapter,which establishes mechanisms to promote the next few months which will require further consideration and enforce compliance with the agreement and ensures that by the JCVI ahead of any final advice. These include: state-to-state disputes are dealt with consistently, fairly and further data on the safety and effectiveness of covid-19 in a cost-effective, transparent, and timely manner. It gives vaccines used in the UK and internationally; businesses and stakeholders certainty that the obligations under this agreement will be upheld. clinical trial and real-world effectiveness data on the durability of protection beyond six months; Transparency chapter, which underscores the rule of law as the major cornerstone of good governance, outlining clinical trial data on immune responses following a third agreed expectations for the UK and New Zealand to be vaccination (booster revaccination); transparent, open, and accessible to UK businesses, with clinical trial data on reactogenicity and immunogenicity respect to this trade agreement and their respective regulatory following booster revaccination with the same or alternative environments. covid-19 vaccines; Trade and gender equality chapter, which recognises that clinical trial data on other covid-19 vaccines in development; women are underrepresented in international trade, and aims to support women exporters, business owners, and entrepreneurs the emergence of any new variants of concern in the UK or to participate in global trade. internationally; Excellent progress was also made during round 5 on data on the duration of immunity following a primary course; the following chapters, which the UK and New Zealand agree now have a clear path to closure: a better understanding of the immune correlates of protection; and Rules of origin Goods data on the effects of on-going sars-cov-2 circulation in the population and its potential to confer long-term public Cross-border trade in services health benefits. Customs 13WS Written Statements 30 JUNE 2021 Written Statements 14WS

Digital Current legislation means that the Government only Telecoms have two choices: either to accept the TRA recommendation State-owned enterprises in full or reject it entirely—leaving all 19 categories of Consumer protection UK steel products at risk from tariff-free imports. Good regulatory practice TheGovernmenthaveacceptedtheTRA’srecommendation Labour to maintain the safeguard on 10 steel product categories for a further three years. The Government are at the Development same time making new regulations to further defend the Anti-corruption UK steel industry by extending the safeguard by public Initial and final provisions notice. The public notice will set out the details of the General exceptions temporary extension on a further five of the 19 steel Institutional provisions products for one year. Imports outside the quotas will In previous rounds, chapters on SMEs, competition face a tariff of 25%. and remedies were provisionally closed. The UK Government will always do everything in The Government have been clear that any future deal their power to defend UK industry and jobs and to with New Zealand must work for UK consumers, allow our world-leading manufacturers to compete on a producers, and companies. Throughout the process the level playing field. Current disruption to industry caused UK will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure their by the covid-19 pandemic, threats of dumping and views inform our approach to negotiations. unfair subsidies, and continued trade restrictions in third countries all put UK steel products at an unacceptable Any deal the UK agrees will be fair and balanced and disadvantage. in the best interests of the whole of the country. We remain committed to upholding our high environmental, The steel sector supports the jobs of over 80,000 labour, food safety and animal welfare standards in the people across the UK, including some 35,000 well-paid deal, as well as protecting the national health service jobs in steel production, and a further 44,000 jobs (NHS). supported in wider supply chains. That is why the Government are taking decisive action The UK and New Zealand both remain eager to today by making new regulations to defend jobs in make further progress, with the UK clear that the UK steel industry. This will give an opportunity for needs to be maintained across the whole agreement. the industry to appeal the recommendation made by the Ahead of the next round, negotiating teams will share TRA so any new evidence can be reviewed in the context further proposals and discuss a range of issues. of the unique global market conditions which currently The next round of negotiations, round 6, is scheduled prevail. to take place in July, with a series of intersessional This includes assessing the risk of injury arising from discussions across the FTA planned for the next month. the EU safeguard which was published after the TRA [HCWS133] made their decision. It is important to note that the ability of industry to gather the data and the TRA to consider the evidence UK Steel Industry was extremely challenging given the unprecedented disruption to trade caused by the covid-19 pandemic. The UK Government will also review the trade remedies The Secretary of State for International Trade (Elizabeth framework as an urgent priority. The trade remedies Truss): The Government are announcing today that it framework was first introduced in 2018 under the previous will make new regulations to help defend the UK steel Government. The current Government will review it to industry. ensure it is up to date, champions WTO rules and is fit The move follows a review by the Trade Remedies for purpose in the post-covid world. Authority (TRA) last year on defensive tariff rate quotas It is crucial we have the tools in the future to ensure (TRQs) on 19 categories of steel imports retained from industries are defended against unfair competition and when the UK was a member of the European Union. unforeseen surges in imports. This review concluded that TRQs should be extended [HCWS136] in 10 of the categories and revoked in nine others.

ORAL ANSWERS

Wednesday 30 June 2021

Col. No. Col. No. PRIME MINISTER ...... 253 WALES—continued Engagements...... 253 International Trade Policy...... 243 Jobs and Investment...... 248 WALES...... 243 Political Neutrality in Positions of Faith...... 251 Covid-19: Co-ordination of UK-wide Response .... 245 Professional Qualifications Bill ...... 250 Covid-19: Staff Safety at DVLA Offices ...... 248 Rail Infrastructure Funding...... 251 Covid-19 Vaccine Programme: Role of Union ...... 247 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funding...... 250 WRITTEN STATEMENTS

Wednesday 30 June 2021

Col. No. Col. No. BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL INTERNATIONAL TRADE ...... 12WS STRATEGY ...... 9WS Negotiations on Future Trading Relationship with Subsidy Control Bill and Consultation on New Zealand...... 12WS Subsidy Control...... 9WS UK Steel Industry...... 13WS HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE...... 10WS Covid-19: Booster Vaccines...... 10WS No proofs can be supplied. Corrections that Members suggest for the Bound Volume should be clearly marked on a copy of the daily Hansard - not telephoned - and must be received in the Editor’s Room, House of Commons,

not later than Wednesday 7 July 2021

STRICT ADHERENCE TO THIS ARRANGEMENT GREATLY FACILITATES THE PROMPT PUBLICATION OF BOUND VOLUMES

Members may obtain excerpts of their speeches from the Official Report (within one month from the date of publication), by applying to the Editor of the Official Report, House of Commons. Volume 698 Wednesday No. 26 30 June 2021

CONTENTS

Wednesday 30 June 2021

Oral Answers to Questions [Col. 243] [see index inside back page] Secretary of State for Wales Prime Minister

Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in Education Settings [Col. 265] Answer to urgent question—(Gavin Williamson)

Subsidy Control [Col. 282] Bill presented, and read the First time

Flexible Working [Col. 283] Motion for leave to bring in Bill—(Tulip Siddiq)—agreed to Bill presented, and read the First time

Estimates Day [2nd allotted day] Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office [Col. 286] Department for Education [Col. 370] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government [Col. 370] Main Estimates 2021-22 [Col. 371] Estimates agreed to

Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) [Col. 371] Bill presented, and read the First time

Petition [Col. 372]

Financial Conduct Authority and Blackmore Bond plc [Col. 373] Debate on motion for Adjournment

Westminster Hall Palestinian School Textbooks: EU Review [Col. 43WH] Trans-Pennine Railway [Col. 67WH] Children from Low-income Families: Education Support [Col. 75WH] Southport to Manchester Rail Services [Col. 98WH] Detention of Jagtar Singh Johal [Col. 105WH] General Debates

Written Statements [Col. 9WS]

Written Answers to Questions [The written answers can now be found at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers]