Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Wednesday 4 March 2020 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 5 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Antony Higginbotham asked about steps to ensure every child gets 12 years of education, to which the response highlighted support for 14.3 million girls in 70 fragile countries.
  • Dan Carden inquired about immediate steps for coronavirus preparedness in sub-Saharan Africa, receiving a response that 5 million was given to the WHO's initial fund.
  • Alison Thewliss asked about DFID's actions and finance to end preventable child deaths by 2030, with the response noting the welcome of a UNICEF report and the upcoming publication of a paper on reaching the goal.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Antony Higginbotham Con Waveney
Education Women & Equalities
Context

The UK has a commitment to support education, particularly for girls, as part of its international development policy.

Question

Ahead of International Women's Day, Antony Higginbotham asked about steps being taken to ensure that every child gets 12 years of education.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs)

Between 2015 and 2019 we supported 14.3 million girls to gain a decent education across 70 of our most fragile countries. As another International Women's Day is before us, the Department has the opportunity to refocus its energies on making sure that there is not a single girl who is not educated.

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Q2 Dan Carden Lab Liverpool, Walton
NHS
Context

There are concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus to areas with weak health systems.

Question

In light of the reported cases of coronavirus worldwide and lack thereof in sub-Saharan Africa, Dan Carden asked what immediate steps were being taken to ensure preparedness for an outbreak.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs)

We are working closely with our colleagues at the Department of Health and Social Care to support the World Health Organisation. We have given £5 million to its initial fund to ensure that it can be as prepared as possible.

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Q3 Dan Carden Lab Liverpool, Walton
Foreign Affairs
Context

The situation in Idlib and across Syria is worsening with indiscriminate bombings, displacement of civilians, and deaths.

Question

Regarding the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Dan Carden asked what specific actions the UK was taking as a member of the Security Council to protect civilian lives.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs)

We continue to be horrified and appalled by the humanitarian legal breaches that are going on. We continue to provide support; I signed off £89 million last week to make sure we can provide support as best we can.

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Q4 Alison Thewliss SNP Glasgow Central
Children & Families
Context

There is a UNICEF report that outlines the work needed to end preventable child deaths by 2030.

Question

Alison Thewliss inquired about specific actions and finance being employed by DFID to meet the aim of ending preventable child deaths by 2030, as outlined in a UNICEF report.

Answer from Wendy Morton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs)

We welcome that report and its recognition of the work the UK is already doing. The Government will be publishing a paper setting out how we will work with others to reach that goal.

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Q5 Lloyd Russell-Moyle Lab Barnsley Central
Foreign Affairs
Context

There are serious security issues in Colombia, with assassinations of trade unionists and community leaders.

Question

Concerned about the instability in Colombia's peace process, Lloyd Russell-Moyle asked if the Government would put money into supporting policing and investigations.

Answer from Wendy Morton (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs)

The UK is one of the largest donors to the humanitarian response in Venezuela and the top donor to the Central Emergency Response Fund and Education Cannot Wait. I will come back to him specifically on his point about policing.

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