Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Luff Excerpts

Wednesday 9th April 2014 Commons Chamber

[Lynne Featherstone]

My hon. Friend is entirely right. The economic benefits are huge, and vaccination is considered a development “best buy”. The Gates Foundation is at the forefront of that, and we work very closely indeed with it.

[Sir Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

4. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s support for the Palestinian Authority.

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Mr Alan Duncan)]

The UK is providing effective support for the Palestinian Authority in very challenging circumstances. The Palestinian Authority has developed institutions to the point where the international community has recognised it as technically ready for statehood, and it has made impressive progress in delivering improved outcomes in health and education.

[Sir Peter Luff]

Having just returned from a Select Committee visit to the Palestinian occupied territories and seen the excellent work being done there by the Department, may I ask whether the Minister agrees that its work to support the private sector would be much more effective if Israel lifted many of its restrictions, which can have nothing to do with its essential security, on the freedom of Palestinian business people to develop their economy in areas such as the banking sector, water supply, and even 3G telephone networks?

[Mr Duncan]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his appreciation of DFID’s work in the occupied Palestinian territories and glad that he and the Committee had such a useful visit. Israeli restrictions do tremendous damage to the economy and to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians. The simple truth is that they are not allowed to develop their banking or information and communications technology sectors, or to build even their basic infrastructure. Were these restrictions to be lifted, not only would DFID’s work to support the private sector be much more effective, but within a relatively short space of time the Palestinians would probably not need our aid at all.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sir Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

Q3. On the day when BBC Radio 4’s “Woman’s Hour” has put the distinguished geneticist Professor Nazneen Rahman at No. 3 in its power list, I am pleased to remind the Prime Minister of his challenge to me to suggest practical policies that could address the damaging and long-standing under-representation of women in science and engineering careers. So what is his response—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Gentleman will be heard.

[Sir Peter Luff]

The Opposition do not regard this as a serious matter—I thought they did.

What is the Prime Minister’s response to the thoughtful report, published last week, which I commissioned to meet his challenge, called “Through Both Eyes”, by the campaign group ScienceGrrl?

[The Prime Minister]

May I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for campaigning and working so hard on this issue? It is really important for the future of our country—not just for gender equality but for our economic future—to get more women into STEM subjects and into engineering. I support the National Centre for Universities and Businesses’ target of doubling the number of female engineering graduates by 2030. We are working with employers, professional bodies and academic institutions to implement the Perkins review of engineering skills, and I think one of the most powerful things is role models like the one that my hon. Friend mentioned in his question.