Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Martin Horwood

Wednesday 18th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Swayne]

The hon. Gentleman is right about the figure of 168 million. The only positive thing that one can say is that it has fallen by a third since 2000. The World Food Programme was involved in the project in Nepal, and the services of the supplier were discontinued. None the less, it reinforces the message—we must get this through using our international ethical trading initiative—that producers must take control of their supply chains.

[Martin Horwood (Cheltenham) (LD)]

The Government’s successful International Citizen Service led by Voluntary Service Overseas also promotes good public health and good business practice, including better working conditions, but an unintended consequence of the new universal credit rules may be inhibiting young claimants from volunteering for ICS. I know that the Secretary of State has been supportive of VSO, but will DFID Ministers raise this matter with the Department for Work and Pensions to prevent this unintended consequence on an excellent Government programme?

[Mr Swayne]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is alive to that problem, and we are working across Government to deal with it.