Overseas Aid

Lord Harrison Excerpts
Wednesday 12th February 2014

(10 years, 10 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Harrison Portrait Lord Harrison (Lab)
- Hansard - -

My Lords, will the noble Baroness please ensure that the Government continue rightly to resist the calls to divert overseas aid money to tackle the floods? Will she also take the opportunity to clarify from where the money to help flood victims in the south will come, given the confusion wrought by the recent words of the Prime Minister?

Baroness Northover Portrait Baroness Northover
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I thought that the Prime Minister was extremely clear in his support. I can also point out that we have spent £3.1 billion on flood management and protection. However, I think that the noble Lord is right and I welcome the cross-party support. This is a false choice. I received an e-mail this morning from Justin Forsyth of Save the Children. He said:

“To raid this money that literally saves millions of lives would be immoral”.

Surely he is right.