Speeches by Champion.

“Lebanon’s humanitarian flash fund secured less than a third of the money that was required. Some 20% of the Lebanese population is currently displaced, and 40,000 housing units have been destroyed. Lebanon is on the brink of economic collapse and social tensions are rising. I thank the Foreign Secretary for the humanit…”

“There are 61 conflicts raging around the world, and I have never known international diplomatic relationships to be more fractured. The FCDO is pushing through 40% cuts of aid and 25% cuts of staff, all under the watch of the permanent secretary, so can I ask the Prime Minister what risk assessment was carried out befo…”

“I welcome this Bill and this Government’s laser focus on supporting victims and survivors, which has been lacking in our courts system for a very long time. I hear what the Minister says about court transcripts. It is incredibly important for the victims and survivors I know to have a physical copy of sentencing remark…”

“Thank you. Projects in Sudan, Somalia and Tunisia that were previously described by FCDO as essential to counter the rise of violence and extremism are now being cut. The integrated security fund is a cross-Government pot of money and tackling threats to national security is its priority. That is being cut by 43% and p…”

“Again, I am really pleased and proud that you have made tackling violence against women and girls a priority in the UK. Is it also your intention to have it as a priority internationally?”

“I view foreign aid as an early intervention arrangement.”

“Prime Minister, can I build on Debbie’s point? I have been really shocked at the rapid rate of expansion of the unlawful settlements, so I am really grateful for the sanctions that this Government have put on the worst offenders. I have become very interested in procurement and supply chain transparency, as it seems a …”

“That comes beautifully into my last question. You will have heard today the warning from the UN that basically there is now more CO2 in the air than in the last 2 million years. We see in our oceans and on land the consequence of that. Your Government are cutting £6 billion from the international climate finance fund; …”

“Is it still your priority to get back to more spend on overseas development?”

“Are you able to do anything to push back against the challenge—if I call it that—of the anti-gender movement, and the backsliding on both women’s and girls’ rights but also LGBT rights? I am also thinking of anti-abortion and anti-maternal health movements. Is there anything that you are able to do on the international…”

“I am thinking, for example, that the US has basically put a gagging clause on any agency—state agencies as well as charities—that are working with sexual and reproductive health rights, so it is challenging that when you are at the table with those people.”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I hope that my voice will last—the Foreign Secretary might get off lightly. This was meant to be a statement about the 40% cuts that the Government are bringing forward. Instead, the Foreign Secretary spoke at length about the policy and direction shifts that she is making, which I thin…”

“I will of course give way.”

“I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. Polio is one of the success stories to show what can happen when countries work together, and we have almost completely eradicated it—I think we are at 99.98%. I urge the Minister not to step away from that programme. The FCDO has indicated that more information will soon …”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Of course, we have FCDO and trade staff working together to support the work that he and many others are doing. Trade is fantastic—it is something that we support. I support British International Investment, which I will come on to in a moment, but it is not something that can stand …”

“I thank the hon. Member for his kind words and for expressing that sentiment. Of course, faith communities do so much internationally, because it is the right thing to do, but they should be complementing what Governments are doing. At the moment, we know the scale of the cuts, but we do not know the distribution—it is…”

“I share my hon. Friend’s concern. I do not agree with him on the board point, but if we look at the countries that BII was asked to focus on under the last Government, it is clear that political interference—if we want to call it that—is alive and well. I agree that when we invest in organisations, we should trust them…”

“May I thank all the Members who have spoken with such passion about the projects, schemes and—most importantly—individuals in our diplomatic and development service at the FCDO? I know that I have a really short time, but I have to say that the Government have given us the four pillars on which they will make their fut…”

“I thank the right hon. Member, my fellow Committee member, and I share his sentiment. For those who do not know, BII is our development bank. The FCDO is its sole stakeholder, and it does seem very short-sighted and out of line with other international development banks that we do not have a seat on the board, even if …”

“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. The only way that I am aware of co-operatives starting is by groups of local people coming together. That is what FCDO and ODA money is particularly good at doing—supporting civil society. I mentioned holding Governments to account, but of course, the economic empowerment that co…”