Wednesday Volume 526 30 March 2011 No. 142 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 30 March 2011 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2011 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 323 30 MARCH 2011 324 outstanding success. It is extremely important, and we House of Commons will be following through on many of the aspects Oxfam has specifically mentioned when we have the Global Wednesday 30 March 2011 Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation replenishment conference in London on 13 June. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock South Sudan PRAYERS 2. John Mann (Bassetlaw) (Lab): What support his Department plans to give to development of the [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] infrastructure of South Sudan in 2011-12. [49662] The Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Andrew Mitchell): Our main infrastructure investments Oral Answers to Questions in 2011-12 in southern Sudan are expected to be in roads in rural areas, primary and secondary schools, teacher training centres, health care centres and other facilities to reduce insecurity and increase access to INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT basic services. The Secretary of State was asked— John Mann: Here we have a brand new country about to form—it will do so on 9 July—that wants to join the UN Women (Funding) Commonwealth. Its people speak English, and it has great links with the United Kingdom. Should we not 1. Lisa Nandy (Wigan) (Lab): What criteria he plans shift part of our budget in order to allow this new to use to assess the strategic plan for UN Women when country to get developing fast? determining the funding to be allocated to it. [49661] Mr Mitchell: The hon. Gentleman makes a good The Secretary of State for International Development point. That is why we have focused very specifically on (Mr Andrew Mitchell): We recently reviewed the value our support for the referendum. We are working very for money of British taxpayers’ funding to all multilateral closely with President Mbeki on the issues of the border. agencies through the multilateral aid review. We will use We have had many discussions about the very points the the same broad criteria to assess UN Women’s strategic hon. Gentleman mentions, most recently when I saw plan. Salva Kiir on my visit just before Christmas, and we will be strongly supporting the new state in a whole series of Lisa Nandy: Currently, new funding pledges to UN different ways once it is set up. Women for 2011 amount to just $55 million, less than 10% of the target set by member states in 2010. In order Malcolm Bruce (Gordon) (LD): What engagement for this important initiative to succeed—and so that the does the Secretary of State have with the African UK can say it played its part in its success—will the Development Bank and the World Bank on infrastructure Minister heed the calls of Voluntary Service Overseas development for southern Sudan—which, as he says, is and others to provide adequate funding urgently? desperately needed—given that the UK is a major contributor to both those organisations? What will Mr Mitchell: The hon. Lady is absolutely right to flag their commitment be, and how will the Department for up the importance of this new agency and the fact that International Development co-ordinate with them? it has strong cross-party support. The United Kingdom played a key role in its establishment. We have provided Mr Mitchell: The Chairman of the departmental transitional funding, and when we see the strategic plan Select Committee is absolutely right to identify the in June, we will then fund it. I have no doubt at all that, crucial role that will be played by both the World Bank in consultation with other funding bodies, we will be and the ADB. I recently had discussions on this very able to play a very full part. subject with Donald Kaberuka, the head of the ADB, in Addis Ababa at the African Union summit, and we Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD): UN Women’s will ensure that strong priority is given to infrastructure strategic plan is guided in part by millennium development development. After all, this is a country with less than goals 4 and 5. The Secretary of State has kindly just 28 km of tarmac roads. received from me Bradford-on-Avon Oxfam’s Mothers Matter card for mother’s day. Will the Secretary of Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/ State take this opportunity to restate to the House his Co-op): Is the Secretary of State aware that there has Government’s commitment to working internationally recently been a big increase in land purchase by foreign to achieve MDGs 4 and 5 on maternal and child health? investors in South Sudan? Although foreign investment can, of course, be very beneficial in the right circumstances, Mr Mitchell: Yes, my hon. Friend is absolutely right. land speculation threatens food supplies and price stability At the first international summit the Prime Minister not just in South Sudan but globally. What will the attended after taking office following the election of the Secretary of State do to ensure that people in countries coalition Government, he flagged up the importance of such as South Sudan do not become victims of land MDGs 4 and 5 very directly. Oxfam’s campaign is an grabs by speculators? 325 Oral Answers30 MARCH 2011 Oral Answers 326 Mr Mitchell: The hon. Gentleman rightly recognises Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con): The UK will soon be one of the challenges for South Sudan. There is an spending 0.7% of GDP on international development. array of challenges, on all of which Britain and the Following the recent review all of DFID’s money is international community will seek to assist Salva Kiir committed, so if people want more money spent somewhere and his new Government. I should make it clear to the in the international development framework, it behoves hon. Gentleman that that country’s oil revenue gives it them to explain where they want that money taken from the opportunity between now and 2015 to make more in the DFID budget. We cannot have continuous requests progress on all these millennium development goals for more and more spending unless people are prepared than any other country on earth. Britain will be playing to acknowledge where they want spending reduced. its full part in trying to bring that about. Mr O’Brien: My hon. Friend makes an important Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con): At a point, particularly in relation to bilateral programmes. meeting yesterday, a former Foreign Secretary of Sudan Of course, opportunities are provided through challenge said that when the new Government take over in July funds, not least the global poverty action fund, and the desperate need will be for government advice and other funds that are available for those with an interest training, as well as infrastructure. What plans does my to continue to apply to. That will allow them, not least, right hon. Friend and his Department have to provide to influence the way in which the multilaterals deploy that advice and training? their resources to which we contribute. Mr Mitchell: My hon. Friend is absolutely right: UK Anti-corruption Champion supporting democratic and accountable government will be at the heart of what we are trying to do in South 4. Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) Sudan. When I was in Juba to open the new British (Lab): What recent discussions he has had with the Government office there before Christmas, I was able to Secretary of State for Justice on the implications for see some direct technical assistance that Britain is giving. development of his role as the UK’s international As he says, we will need more of that. anti-corruption champion. [49664] Lesotho The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Stephen O’Brien): My 3. Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham) (Lab): right hon. Friends have had many discussions, including What estimate he has made of the likely change in the in specific meetings on this important role—yet another level of official development assistance to Lesotho meeting will be held on it shortly. We agree about the following the closure of his Department’s bilateral aid importance of a cross-government champion. To be programme in that country. [49663] credible when working with our developing country partners in tackling corruption, it is vital that we have The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for strong systems in place in the UK. International Development (Mr Stephen O’Brien): The DFID bilateral programme in Lesotho has delivered Catherine McKinnell: I thank the Minister for that impressive results in, for example, reducing HIV prevalence answer and welcome the news that the coalition is in Lesotho’s important garment factories from 37% to finally publishing guidance on the Bribery Act 2010, 27% in just three years. Notwithstanding the planned because delays to its publication have been very damaging closure of our bilateral aid programme, we will continue to our reputation abroad. Given the devastating effects to provide some £10 million in aid each year to Lesotho that corruption has on developing economies, can he through multilateral channels. Our assessments indicate confirm that the guidance has not been watered down that official development assistance to Lesotho is likely to create loopholes for subsidiaries and joint ventures, to grow substantially in the years ahead.