Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

David Drew Excerpts
Wednesday 18th October 2017

(7 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rory Stewart Portrait Rory Stewart
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Procurement is central to the Secretary of State’s reforms in DFID. She has made open and transparent procurement, and a suppliers review run by my right hon. Friend Lord Bates, central to how we take this forward, and of course that is right. Getting procurement right can help not only businesses, but the poorest people in the world.

David Drew Portrait Dr David Drew (Stroud) (Lab/Co-op)
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Does the Minister accept that there are many places in the Commonwealth where conflict is still ever present? Will he assure me that DFID will never cut back on moneys for peace and reconciliation before we even get to the opportunity of development?

Rory Stewart Portrait Rory Stewart
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Conflict is probably the biggest single driver of economic catastrophe, poverty and refugees in the world. We will continue to commit half our budget to fragile and conflict-affected states, because without peace there can be no development.