Wednesday Volume 656 20 March 2019 No. 273 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 20 March 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1025 20 MARCH 2019 1026 Penny Mordaunt: I did discuss those things, as my House of Commons hon. Friend would expect, and we are sceptical about some of the Bangladeshi Government’s ideas. Wewatched Wednesday 20 March 2019 presentations about the island and the investment made there, but that will only take 100,000 people, and there are many more at Cox’s Bazar. We therefore need to The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock consider other options for how to support Bangladesh in managing the protracted crisis. PRAYERS Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) (SNP): The [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] United Nations convention on the rights of the child states that every child has the right to an education, but that is simply not the case for many thousands of Oral Answers to Questions Rohingya children in camps in Bangladesh. What conversations has the Secretary of State had with her counterparts to ensure that adequate educational facilities INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT and opportunities are available to Rohingya children? The Secretary of State was asked— Penny Mordaunt: I did raise the specifics. Both Bangladesh Bangladesh and the UK are doing a tremendous amount, but we need other donors to lean in and support such 1. Will Quince (Colchester) (Con): What discussions initiatives. However, we are pleased that UK aid is she had with her counterpart in Bangladesh on her making a profound difference, particularly for children recent visit to that country. [909914] with disabilities. The Secretary of State for International Development Global Fund (Penny Mordaunt): During my time in Bangladesh, I met Ministers to discuss the impact of UK aid across 2. Dr Paul Williams (Stockton South) (Lab): What the country and reinforced the UK’s commitment to (a) preparations she has made for and (b) plans she has assisting Bangladesh’sefforts to support both the Rohingya to attend the Global Fund’ssixth replenishment conference and host communities in Cox’s Bazar. in October 2019. [909915] Will Quince: I have visited Bangladesh and saw not only Rohingya refugee camps, but wider UK aid projects. The Minister for the Middle East (Alistair Burt): The Does the Secretary of State agree that we have a huge Global Fund plays a critical role in the fight against role to play, that this is a good use of UK taxpayers’ AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, having helped to save money and that we should continue to support people 27 million lives to date. The UK is considering the in Bangladesh? Global Fund’s investment case ahead of determining our contribution to a successful sixth replenishment, Penny Mordaunt: I thank my hon. Friend for visiting and senior UK attendance will be determined in due Bangladesh. It is incredibly helpful for us to get as many course. reports as possible about the difference that UK aid is making and about the situation on the ground. He is Dr Williams: I saw the devastating impact that HIV/ right that we should be proud of helping 1.6 million AIDS, TB and malaria can have on communities during children to gain a decent education and providing nearly the four years that I led health services on the Uganda- 900,000 people with sustainable access to clean water Democratic Republic of the Congo border. Although and sanitation and 3.7 million children, women and the UK’s contribution has saved 2.3 million lives, progress adolescent girls with nutritional interventions. is stalling, and the Global Fund is asking countries to increase their contributions by 15%. Will the Minister Stephen Twigg (Liverpool, West Derby) (Lab/Co-op): meet the all-party parliamentary groups on HIV and It is clear that the conditions are not in place for the safe AIDS, on malaria and neglected tropical diseases and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees to Burma. Did on global tuberculosis to discuss the UK’s response? the Secretary of State have an opportunity to discuss with the Bangladeshis the possibility of something akin Alistair Burt: First, the House should pay tribute to to the Jordan jobs compact that could benefit not only the hon. Gentleman, who is one of a number of Members the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar but, importantly, who have a background in that sort of work. We are in the local Bangladeshi community? the hon. Gentleman’s debt for the experience that he has Penny Mordaunt: Although all the people understandably brought to the House’s discussions on the work that want to return home, it is important to recognise that needs to be done. We recognise the need to keep the they can do so only when the conditions are met, which fund at a reasonable level, but we want to do even more, means that we are in a protracted situation. We have to and I will of course meet him and other colleagues to start thinking about better shelter, jobs and livelihoods discuss the matter. for both the Rohingya and the host communities. Sir Gary Streeter (South West Devon) (Con): If the Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): Did my right Minister does go to the replenishment conference in hon. Friend discuss with the Bangladeshi Government France, will he share with other donors the excellent what was going to happen to the Rohingya refugees new UK initiative of an unlimited small charities challenge who are being moved from their existing camps to some fund, which is a very real way to tackle some of these potentially unsafe places in Bangladesh? preventable and challenging diseases? 1027 Oral Answers 20 MARCH 2019 Oral Answers 1028 Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of world leader in global health. I am sure that those in the State has done invaluable work in boosting the small sector have taken some reassurance from the Secretary charities fund. It will indeed be more accessible for of State’s comments on Monday that they should charities around the country that are doing great work “calm down and chill out”. in these fields, and we see it as a valuable addition to the With almost weekly attacks on the Secretary of State’s work of DFID and the UK’s international contribution. Department from her own colleagues, and the Department 11. [909924] Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland losing 170 staff due to Brexit chaos, it is difficult to South) (Lab): The UK’s efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS are know what would be a bigger danger to UK aid—a to be welcomed, yet progress remains slow in turning no-deal Brexit or a Tory leadership challenge. Perhaps the tide of infections and deaths from AIDS-related the Minister can dissociate himself, once and for all, illnesses. What further action will the Government be from attempts to water down the 0.7% of UK aid from taking to strengthen public healthcare in developing public funds. countries, to improve prevention and access to treatment? Alistair Burt: Good try, Dan. It was the Conservative party that brought forward the 0.7% commitment, and Alistair Burt: The hon. Lady is absolutely right. It is it is a Conservative Government who have worked it very important that HIV/AIDS is not seen as an issue of through. I entirely understand the hon. Gentleman’s yesterday. I was present at the Amsterdam conference point; it was a good try.The Government are enormously last year to make the case that there are still target committed to the delivery of aid, to ensuring that aid is groups that need more support. Sustaining and ensuring constantly reviewed and does the job, to the 0.7% and that countries’ local health systems have sustainable to the independence of the Department for International methods of dealing with this is a fundamental of DFID’s Development, so that it remains a self-standing part of global health work, and it is essential that this work the Government. The hon. Gentleman need have no continues. fears. If we wants to avoid the worries of Brexit, perhaps he might vote for the deal. Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con): As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on malaria and neglected tropical 10. [909923] Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) (Con): diseases, I have seen the excellent work that the Global Does my right hon. Friend agree that we are in a Fund has supported over the years, but local contributions position to make ambitious pledges both to the Global from endemic countries are incredibly important. Will Fund and to Gavi, precisely because we kept our promise the Minister enlighten on whether those contributions on the global stage to meet and increase our aid spending, have increased over recent years so that they can be put and will he assure the House that the Government have alongside the contributions through the Global Fund? absolutely no intention to water down, dilute or walk away from our promises? Alistair Burt: My hon. Friend is correct that national Governments have a significant responsibility regarding Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend is absolutely their contributions. Those contributions are increasing, correct—no, there is not. He speaks of the Gavi but the question of mainstreaming that support so that replenishment, which is again important this year. That it comes into their sustainable health systems naturally refers to global vaccination, which we will of course has to be considered.