Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Justine Greening and David Rutley

Wednesday 18th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Justine Greening]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is working hard, as part of her work on combating extremism, to ensure that those sorts of messages are disrupted so that young people in our country understand the huge risks they would face were they to break the law and go over to Syria to do jihad.

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

6. What progress her Department has made on its work to end aid dependency.

[The Secretary of State for International Development (Justine Greening)]

The route to ending aid dependency is through inclusive growth, creating jobs, raising incomes and increasing tax revenue. We have set out priorities in a strategic framework for economic development and will more than double our spending on economic development to £1.8 billion in 2015-16.

[David Rutley]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is vital not only to target aid at those who need it most, but to establish new models—business and social models—to help with health and hygiene as well as livelihoods in the communities that need it most?

[Justine Greening]

My hon. Friend is right to point out that our work on livelihoods can have far broader effects—for example, work with private sector companies such as Unilever can not only help to raise incomes and prosperity, but be a route by which employees can, in that example, improve health and hygiene measures.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Justine Greening and David Rutley

Wednesday 9th April 2014 Commons Chamber

[Justine Greening]

We have had a chance this week to remember the terrible tragedy of the events that took place in Rwanda back in 1994. When we look at progress against the millennium development goals, we know that hardly any has been made in the sort of countries to which the right hon. Gentleman refers, because conflict holds back development. That is why we will continue to focus our efforts on those states to help their people.

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

T2. What progress is the Government’s International Citizens Service entrepreneur programme making in helping entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing economies?

[Justine Greening]

At the end of March, I launched the International Citizens Service entrepreneur scheme. This builds on the successful ICS programme that this Government have introduced. It is about matching young people with businesses and entrepreneurs in developing countries, and it focuses on economic development. The programme has had a fantastic response, and the first volunteers will be on their placements this summer. [Interruption.]

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Justine Greening and David Rutley

Wednesday 12th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for International Development (Justine Greening)]

I held constructive meetings with senior politicians and officials in India last month. We agreed the move to a new relationship based on technical assistance rather than financial aid grants. I announced this in my written ministerial statement of 9 November.

[David Rutley]

Does my right hon. Friend agree with the Indian Foreign Minister, Salman Khurshid, who has spoken of the need to move from an era of aid to an era of trade?

[Justine Greening]

That is precisely the transition that I believe we are walking towards with India. Our trade with India has grown in recent years, with exports to India growing by more than 20% in 2010. Our development relationship needs to match the changing and successful India we see today, and that is precisely what we are doing.

Rail Investment

Debate between Justine Greening and David Rutley

Monday 16th July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Justine Greening]

We have been very clear about wanting to see improvements in the west coast main line service, and we have actually seen passenger numbers on that franchise grow rapidly over recent years. We want to see those improvements continue and, at the same time, we want value for money for the taxpayer. I hope that some of the investment that we are putting in across the network today will help support all that, and the right hon. Gentleman will obviously be interested to see the outcome of the tender process later on.

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

Unlike Opposition Members, I welcome today’s statement. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the northern hub electrification will lead to improved journey times, more frequent trains and much better connectivity between the great towns and cities in the north-west of England?

[Justine Greening]

Yes, yes and yes.