Speeches by Harding.

“There was a report by ICAI in March 2024 which said that, as a result of the reduction of ODA from 0.7% to 0.5%, less programme budget was given over to MEL. That would suggest that there was a drop in MEL because there was a lack of programme budget, but you seem to say otherwise.”

“Thank you, those are really illuminating examples. How does this compare with the situation before the merger, when it was DFID?”

“Thank you. Alex has answered these questions, so I am going to propose them to Mark. What would be your assessment of the FCDO’s current MEL processes across its programming?”

“That is interesting.”

“Sinead, is that something you worry about in your subcontractors?”

“Finally, do you believe that the sector is resilient enough to withstand these shocks, particularly the shocks that we had at the beginning of the year?”

“Thank you. Alex has answered these questions, so I am going to propose them to Mark. What would be your assessment of the FCDO’s current MEL processes across its programming?”

“Thank you, those are really illuminating examples. How does this compare with the situation before the merger, when it was DFID?”

“There was a report by ICAI in March 2024 which said that, as a result of the reduction of ODA from 0.7% to 0.5%, less programme budget was given over to MEL. That would suggest that there was a drop in MEL because there was a lack of programme budget, but you seem to say otherwise.”

“That is interesting.”

“But in your opinion at the moment, it is about right?”

“The mandate, which we welcome, calls for only 22% sustainable jet fuel usage by 2040, while the Chancellor has said that she wants a third runway in use at Heathrow by 2035. That would mean more aviation-related health hazards to my constituents. Does the Minister agree that we should not pursue Heathrow expansion unti…”

“The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross has said that in Gaza, “humanity is failing”. What is happening in Gaza surpasses any acceptable legal, moral or humane standard. Palestinians are being stripped of their dignity. When will the Minister pronounce that they have a state, and given that Israel…”

“Does the Minister agree, though, that after receiving a note from the Labour Government saying there was no more money left, the coalition Government increased the aid budget to 0.7%? In fact, 0.7% of gross national income has been in the Lib Dem manifesto since 1970. When we were in government, we delivered it; when w…”

“The right hon. Member makes an excellent point, which I will come to later. USAID modelling suggests that the actions of Trump and Musk could result in 28,000 new cases of infectious diseases, such as Ebola, each year. When Ebola ripped through west Africa a decade ago, it had a case fatality of around 40%. It was kept…”

“It is indeed an honour to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Melksham and Devizes (Brian Mathew) for securing this important debate. Since the new US Administration took office in January, President Trump and Elon Musk have gutted USAID—the world’s foremost dispenser of …”

“In my constituency, over 15,500 pensioners lost the winter fuel allowance, of whom 5,000 were over 80. Would the Minister like to apologise to the gentleman who wrote to me who had cancer and could not keep his heating on for the winter of worry he was put through?”

“The Minister has heard the Palestinian people’s desperation. He has heard the desperation in this Chamber. What new pressure will he bring to bear on Israel to open the aid routes? What is the alternative plan? The Minister has asked for an independent inquiry into what went on in Rafah. Will he insist that the Israeli…”

“As the Minister has acknowledged, Israel’s alternative aid scheme is dangerous, unworkable and profoundly insufficient. There is aid waiting on the border—UK aid that my constituents have paid for. You know the Palestinian people’s desperation. You have heard the desperation—”

“You have talked about the fact that we can see what is going on. It would be very helpful to have independent journalists inside Gaza at the moment. Are the Government calling for the BBC to be allowed into Gaza?”