International Development

Stephen O'Brien Excerpts

Tuesday 12th June 2012 Ministerial Corrections

[Keith Vaz (Leicester East) (Lab)]

How will these excellent priorities help the people of Yemen, almost half of whom are starving?

[Mr O'Brien]

In Yemen, many of the current challenges are humanitarian. Today, we have announced £26 million of humanitarian support and aid to ensure that some of the needs of the population—nearly half of whom, as the right hon. Gentleman rightly observes, are starving—are met. While we are in the humanitarian phase, that is patently the most important response, but we also need to look at the future of governance and resilience in order to improve the lot of the population.

[Official Report, 23 May 2012, Vol. 545, c. 1119.]

Letter of correction from Stephen O’Brien:

An error has been identified in the oral answer given on 23 May 2012 to the right hon. Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz).

The correct answer should have been:

[Mr O'Brien]

In Yemen, many of the current challenges are humanitarian. Today, we have announced £28 million of humanitarian support and aid to ensure that some of the needs of the population—nearly half of whom, as the right hon. Gentleman rightly observes, are starving—are met. While we are in the humanitarian phase, that is patently the most important response, but we also need to look at the future of governance and resilience in order to improve the lot of the population.