Oral Answers to Questions

David T C Davies Excerpts

Tuesday 20th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Duncan]

That is exactly the issue to which I have just referred. We are assessing it, and I am sure that there will be further reports later, but it is too early to say exactly what may be happening.

[David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con)]

2. What steps his Department is taking to support the delivery of girls’ education throughout the world.

[Craig Tracey (North Warwickshire) (Con)]

9. What steps his Department is taking to support the delivery of girls’ education throughout the world.

[The Minister for Africa (Harriett Baldwin)]

Girls’ education is a moral imperative. Women and girls have the right to be educated, equal, empowered and safe. This is one of the Foreign Secretary’s top priorities, and he has instructed his officials to put girls’ education at the heart of their work.

[David T. C. Davies]

Given the appalling revelations about some employees in Oxfam and the subsequent attempts to cover that up, could the Minister assure us that any organisation that is asked to deliver education for girls’ programmes anywhere in the world by the British Government is fit for purpose?

[Harriett Baldwin]

I share my hon. Friend’s assessment that this is an utterly despicable example. I hope he agrees that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development has shown real leadership by writing to all the organisations with which we contract to ensure that safeguarding levels are raised. I believe that you have allowed her to make a statement on this subject later this afternoon, Mr Speaker.