Speeches by Macdonald.

“This is probably more for Nic. I want to go back to James’s point about what other countries are doing. Obviously, the relationship with the EU is pretty high on the agenda at the moment. What is the EU model that they have around a similar ISF model? Do you think there are more ways that we could be co-operating with …”

“I have one follow-up on that, Nic. One of the challenges in making the case for investing in conflict-affected states is how you break the cycle of conflict and investment. Is there an example of a particular country or context you can point to where investment in the things you are talking about has meant sustainable …”

“Mike, we have touched on other countries. There are big decisions that have been made in the US when it comes to international aid spending. How do you think the decisions being made in the US context might affect the operating environment and put constraints on the ISF?”

“Finally, Lewis, I have one quick question. Do you think there is a risk that with ODA reductions there will be more of a temptation to focus on quick wins and minimising programmes that are perhaps more riskier and take a longer time?”

“Finally for Mike—and I think, Nic, you were nodding your head as well around what happened in Goma—what were the impacts of that decision for the USAID to be withdrawn? Did anything fill the gaps? How did you keep going or did you keep going?”

“I totally agree with the hon. Member. In fact, what we have seen with Gavi is that countries that were primarily recipients before have now becomes donors, such as Indonesia. Gavi is a clear pathway for countries to transition into different roles in the global economy as well. Other Members have mentioned brilliant ex…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes Central (Emily Darlington) for securing this debate. Let us be honest: most of the public do not know what Gavi or the Global Fund are, but they do know the lifesaving power of vaccinations because they, like…”

“SaxonAir, Norwich airport and Norfolk and Suffolk county councils recently launched Aviation East, a call to make East Anglia the heart of aviation innovation. We are already leading in the development of electric aircraft and the early availability of sustainable aviation fuel, but we could do so much more to unlock g…”

“7. What steps she is taking to support the aviation sector.”

“I fully agree with the need for urgency that has been reiterated on both sides of the House. I have spoken to constituents who are frustrated, and the turmoil and distress they are in is immense. Will the Minister provide more detail on how individuals are being kept updated on the progress of their claims? What suppor…”

“It was reported in March that Israel refused to reactivate the humanitarian notification system in Gaza, which had been suspended during the ceasefire. If you specifically raised that, what would the process be for that? If there was a flat “no” to using it, are there other things that might be used?”

“I was quite surprised to hear you say that there will be less for women and girls, because you have talked about polling. The polling shows that 65% of the public across all political parties think that aid for women and girls is important. I want to understand the process because in my world normally you would do the …”

“Going on to deconfliction mechanisms, they have played an important role in the past for aid workers being aware of where action might be happening. We have heard from different organisations and people during the investigation that we have done that a lot of people have lost faith in the deconfliction mechanisms. Do y…”

“While we are on financing, ODA is one thing but there are other ways that we could maximise financing and the levers that we could pull. Debt is one of them. The Labour Government last time did a huge amount on it. Lots of African countries pay more on debt than on their healthcare. Can you tell us what this Government…”

“As well as the consultation with the secretary, do you get input from beneficiaries of programmes? Do you ask people what the impact would be if that programme stopped?”

“To go back to the impact assessment side of things, we touched on protected characteristics, but can you provide a bit more detail on how you will mitigate the impact of the cuts on marginalised groups, particularly those with protected characteristics?”

“I want to finish on the women and girls point again, and I recognise these are tough choices. I understand about mainstreaming, and the 2014 legislation is very clear about having to give due consideration to gender equality. What about things like stopping violence against women and girls? We have a cross-government c…”

“I am trying to understand what the criteria is. Is the criteria really value for money or is it values? How are we weighing those things up?”

“The International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014 says the Government must have due regard to spending aid in a way that contributes to gender equality. Following on from the earlier question, will the Minister confirm that supporting women and girls is a ministerial priority and that we will continue funding vi…”

“Will the Minister give way?”