Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Philip Hollobone and Alan Duncan

Wednesday 9th April 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

7. How much international development aid the UK gave in total to Jamaica, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia, India and Bangladesh combined in the last year for which figures are available.

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

In 2012 the UK Government gave a combined total of £973 million in bilateral official development assistance to Jamaica, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia, India and Bangladesh.

[Mr Hollobone]

Between them, those six countries account for 2,900 foreign national offenders in Britain’s prisons, which is more than a quarter of the foreign national offender total, at an annual cost of some £100 million. Will the Department agree to use some of the £900 million spent annually on those countries on insisting on compulsory prisoner transfer agreements as a condition of that aid, and on building prisons in those countries so that they can take their people back?

[Mr Duncan]

There is no straightforward correlation between the practicality of building a prison abroad and the number of UK-based prisoners from that country. We do not make our aid conditional on securing a prisoner transfer agreement with each such country. To do so would seriously undermine our poverty and stability programmes, and in any case they are deeply political and very complicated to negotiate. However, more than 19,000 foreign national offenders have been returned since 2010.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Philip Hollobone and Alan Duncan

Wednesday 5th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Duncan]

I fully agree with the good sense expressed by the hon. Gentleman. Tunisia is a beacon and is well ahead of many other countries. I am delighted that DFID and Her Majesty’s Government have played a strong part in helping it on that journey.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

The Arab spring started in Tunisia, so what can my right hon. Friend do, in conjunction with the Foreign Office, to embed democracy through local elections, as well as through national elections, in such countries?

[Mr Duncan]

We are actively working on the electoral processes, primarily through the United Nations Development Programme and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, to support the independent electoral commission and the Government of Tunisia to implement free and fair elections this year.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Philip Hollobone and Alan Duncan

Wednesday 22nd January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Duncan]

I wholly endorse what the hon. Gentleman says. We offer our condolences and full sympathy following Del Singh’s death. It would be a tribute to him if we were all to raise the issue of the humanitarian challenge now facing Gaza. It is no exaggeration to say that, come the autumn, Gaza could be without food, without power and without clean water. One UN report predicts that it could become an unliveable place, meaning that it risks becoming unfit for human habitation.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

I welcome the Minister’s forthcoming talks with the Egyptian Government. Will he impress on them that, while we support the security crackdown in Sinai, it is important that they should make suitable provision for humanitarian assistance to cross the Egypt-Gaza border?

[Mr Duncan]

I understand what my hon. Friend is saying, but at the moment those borders are closed. Under international law and other obligations, primary responsibility rests with the occupying power, and it is to that end that we will continue to work closely with Israel in an attempt to alleviate the humanitarian pressure that Gaza currently faces.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Philip Hollobone and Alan Duncan

Wednesday 13th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Duncan]

We will certainly, in the normal way, consider the suggestion that the hon. Gentleman has made, and look at it very seriously indeed.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

6. How much each of the three poorest countries in receipt of aid from his Department received in such aid in the last 12 months for which figures are available.