Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Ottaway and Baroness Featherstone

Wednesday 17th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Richard Ottaway (Croydon South) (Con)]

6. What assessment she has made of likely population growth in north and west Africa by 2050; and if she will make a statement.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Lynne Featherstone)]

The United Nations released revised population projections on 13 June. The population in north Africa is projected to increase from 200 million in 2010 to 319 million in 2050, while in west Africa the projected rise is from 305 million in 2010 to 815 million in 2050.

[Richard Ottaway]

The region is already experiencing substantial instability and extremism, and the likely outcome is that millions of young men and women will have bleak economic prospects. Given that no country has emerged from poverty without first addressing its levels of population growth, will the Minister give the region priority in her population programmes?

[Lynne Featherstone]

My hon. Friend has made an important point. West Africa has particularly high rates of population growth, and there is much less take-up of family planning there. DFID’s work involves not only family planning—which is a complex issue—but the delaying of first pregnancies, access to economic assets for girls, getting girls through secondary school and preventing violence, all of which contribute to making the population richer and more successful.