Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Brandon Lewis and Lord Hague of Richmond

Tuesday 6th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hague]

We will be a united coalition on this, as on all other subjects. I stand by everything I have said about the arms trade treaty, and we will be taking an energetic and supportive part in those negotiations from 12 July. We very much support that treaty.

[Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth) (Con)]

T5. Can my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary update the House on the measures that the Government are taking with regard to our economic development work with Pakistan?

[Mr Hague]

Yes. The International Development Secretary, who will also speak about this, visited Pakistan before my visit earlier in June. He announced a four-year programme of £665 million of British aid for Pakistan. A huge amount of that is dedicated to education— £250 million. Pakistan has literacy rates of only about 50% and raising the quality of education is critical to its economic development.