Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Evans of Rainow Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd September 2014 Commons Chamber

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

5. What her Department’s role is in the relief effort for people affected by the situation in Gaza.

[Graham Evans (Weaver Vale) (Con)]

6. What recent work has been undertaken through programmes of her Department in Gaza.

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Mr Desmond Swayne)]

The United Kingdom is one of the largest donors. We have spent some £17 million in emergency aid. We are providing food and essential supplies to families in desperate need. We are repairing the water infrastructure and providing counselling to those who have been traumatised.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Swayne]

The hon. Gentleman is right. The UN report suggested that even before this latest round of hostilities, Gaza would become uninhabitable by 2020—before it had started to be smashed to smithereens. Clearly, there must be movement on access if Gaza is to have a viable economic future. What are we doing about that? We are contributing to a peace process, and our primary aim in this Department is to bring relief to those who are in want.

[Graham Evans]

Will my right hon. Friend update the House on the work that his Department is doing with the Foreign Office to help address the underlying causes of the conflict in Gaza, and to work towards a two-state solution?

[Mr Swayne]

We believe that a two-state solution is the only realistic game in town, and to that end we are spending considerable sums of money in support of the Palestinian Authority, in order to get it into the habit of good governance, so that democratic institutions can flourish. We are also investing considerably in private sector development so that there will be economic growth, in order that a future state should be both stable and prosperous.