Food Security and Famine Prevention (Africa)

Stephen O'Brien Excerpts

Thursday 15th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Alison McGovern]

My hon. Friend makes an incredibly helpful suggestion. The Minister might consider writing to those Members who have raised the matter in this debate or, indeed, to the Chair of the International Development Committee to explain what exactly DFID is doing to work alongside the Treasury.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Stephen O'Brien)]

rose—

[Alison McGovern]

I hope that the Minister is about to tell me how the Treasury will assist DFID in tackling food speculation bubbles.

[Mr O'Brien]

I am not going to give an immediate response because that is not how this debate has been designed. However, I can say that before the previous intervention I had already made a note that says, “Write a letter to the hon. Member”.

[Alison McGovern]

I thank the Minister for that. My fear is that we have an absence of leadership on some of these issues. I hope that his clarification will help us to move away from that.

At the end of the day, Britain has shown over the last decade what can be achieved to tackle global poverty if people right at the top of our politics are prepared to stand up and perform their moral duty to help poor people wherever they happen to live. I hope that all of us in this debate are behind that approach, and that the Minister will assist us in taking forward our aim of tackling not just today’s urgent problem, but the long-term strategic difficulties with food speculation.