Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Metcalfe Excerpts

Wednesday 18th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Alistair Burt]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. We are setting up a new business hub to try to ensure that companies accept their obligations in that regard, and we will be working hard with them to make sure that they do.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

6. What steps she is taking to support the development of technology in developing countries.

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Harriett Baldwin)]

Our investments in technologies are saving and changing lives all over the world. Half of DFID’s £397 million annual research budget is focused on new technologies in developing countries in the health, agriculture, climate, clean energy, water, education and humanitarian response sectors.

[Stephen Metcalfe]

Over the years, I have been fortunate to see at first hand how some of our aid budget has helped to develop technologies and engineer solutions that have changed people’s lives around the world. Can the Minister tell the House, however, whether any of the technologies that have been invented using our aid budget have been of direct benefit to people here in the UK?

[Harriett Baldwin]

I welcome the interest of the former Chair of the Science and Technology Committee in this important work and commend the Committee to hear from the team involved, because there are a range of different examples. Diseases know no boundaries, and the UK’s development of a test for TB is a good example.