My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Quin, on her maiden speech. I shall have to strive very hard to match the ability and fluency that she achieved a short while ago. Perhaps I may say how grateful I am for this opportunity to speak in your Lordships’ House for the first time, in...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Quin, on her maiden speech. I shall have to strive very hard to match the ability and fluency that she achieved a short while ago. Perhaps I may say how grateful I am for this opportunity to speak in your Lordships’ House for the first time, in...

My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to speak for the first time in this House on a Bill that relates to two of the greatest challenges facing us—tackling world poverty and doing so in a way that can be environmentally sustainable. I concur wholeheartedly with the comments made by my noble friend...

My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to speak for the first time in this House on a Bill that relates to two of the greatest challenges facing us—tackling world poverty and doing so in a way that can be environmentally sustainable. I concur wholeheartedly with the comments made by my noble friend...

My Lords, I, too, am grateful to my noble friend Lady Whitaker for taking this very fine Bill through the Lords, and I am delighted that it has been warmly welcomed by all noble Lords who have participated in today’s debate and those who could not be present—the noble Baronesses, Lady Chalker and...

My Lords, I, too, am grateful to my noble friend Lady Whitaker for taking this very fine Bill through the Lords, and I am delighted that it has been warmly welcomed by all noble Lords who have participated in today’s debate and those who could not be present—the noble Baronesses, Lady Chalker and...

My Lords, it is an unusual delight to take part in debating a Bill that has such   wide support all round the Chamber. I add my      congratulations to the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, on introducing the Bill with her usual flair and commitment. I also congratulate our two maiden speakers. Their loss to another place...

My Lords, it is an unusual delight to take part in debating a Bill that has such   wide support all round the Chamber. I add my      congratulations to the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, on introducing the Bill with her usual flair and commitment. I also congratulate our two maiden speakers. Their loss to another place...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords on the Front and Back Benches most warmly for their support. I too was impressed by the splendid maiden speeches. I was taken by the suggestion of my noble friend Lady Quin that the Bill could be a model for other countries and organisations, and by her...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords on the Front and Back Benches most warmly for their support. I too was impressed by the splendid maiden speeches. I was taken by the suggestion of my noble friend Lady Quin that the Bill could be a model for other countries and organisations, and by her...

My Lords, from these Benches we are happy to support this Bill. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, for introducing it. I too pay tribute to Tom Clarke for taking this Bill through the Commons, and to the NGOs that helped to draft it. My colleague in the other place, John Barrett,...

My Lords, from these Benches we are happy to support this Bill. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, for introducing it. I too pay tribute to Tom Clarke for taking this Bill through the Commons, and to the NGOs that helped to draft it. My colleague in the other place, John Barrett,...

My Lords, I have interests to declare as a trustee of Saferworld, a former director of Oxfam and a current member of the Oxfam Association, and I suppose that I should mention as relevant in this context ministerial experience long ago both at the Foreign Office and in overseas development. My first real...

My Lords, I have interests to declare as a trustee of Saferworld, a former director of Oxfam and a current member of the Oxfam Association, and I suppose that I should mention as relevant in this context ministerial experience long ago both at the Foreign Office and in overseas development. My first real...

My Lords, it is a duty, but it is also a pleasure, to follow immediately after the maiden speech in this House of the noble Baroness, Lady Quin, and for me to welcome that excellent speech. I do so all the more cheerfully as the noble Baroness has chosen the same subject—international...

My Lords, it is a duty, but it is also a pleasure, to follow immediately after the maiden speech in this House of the noble Baroness, Lady Quin, and for me to welcome that excellent speech. I do so all the more cheerfully as the noble Baroness has chosen the same subject—international...

My Lords, I was delighted to hear my noble friend Lady Whitaker so ably detailing the Bill’s provisions and strongly commending this humane and long overdue measure to your Lordships’ House. She did so with compelling concern, commitment and charm. Her speech alone justifies a Second Reading for the Bill. With my...

My Lords, I was delighted to hear my noble friend Lady Whitaker so ably detailing the Bill’s provisions and strongly commending this humane and long overdue measure to your Lordships’ House. She did so with compelling concern, commitment and charm. Her speech alone justifies a Second Reading for the Bill. With my...

My Lords, I join the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, in congratulating Tom Clarke on his tireless work inside and outside Parliament to advance the transparency and accountability that we so desperately need in international development. I also join her in welcoming our two newly ennobled colleagues who are to break their duck, so...

My Lords, I join the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, in congratulating Tom Clarke on his tireless work inside and outside Parliament to advance the transparency and accountability that we so desperately need in international development. I also join her in welcoming our two newly ennobled colleagues who are to break their duck, so...

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. First, I should like to pay tribute to my right honourable friend, Tom Clarke, who piloted the Bill with a winning combination of determination and idealism through the other place, in a manner which showed why he...

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. First, I should like to pay tribute to my right honourable friend, Tom Clarke, who piloted the Bill with a winning combination of determination and idealism through the other place, in a manner which showed why he...

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill. Lords Second reading debate. Agreed to on question.

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill. Lords Second reading debate. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for taking forward her right honourable friend’s Bill. I speak as another veteran support of the aid programme, from the NGO perspective. Friends should also be constructive critics, and I shall make a few comments that will not delay the passage of the Bill. Meanwhile, I add...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for taking forward her right honourable friend’s Bill. I speak as another veteran support of the aid programme, from the NGO perspective. Friends should also be constructive critics, and I shall make a few comments that will not delay the passage of the Bill. Meanwhile, I add...

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill. Report stage and Third reading debate. Agreed to on division (115 to 0). Passed.

International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill. Report stage and Third reading debate. Agreed to on division (115 to 0). Passed.

I agree with my hon. Friend. Given that we are dealing with the question of helping people in the third world, with which many of us are passionately concerned, the apparent reluctance to be put to the test strikes me as extraordinary. Perhaps, if the Government are determined not to...

I agree with my hon. Friend. Given that we are dealing with the question of helping people in the third world, with which many of us are passionately concerned, the apparent reluctance to be put to the test strikes me as extraordinary. Perhaps, if the Government are determined not to...

It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough (Mr. Leigh) who is a fellow Lincolnshire Member of Parliament and a highly distinguished Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. This matter was debated in Committee, and the additional point was made that because of the—correctly—increasing budget...

It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough (Mr. Leigh) who is a fellow Lincolnshire Member of Parliament and a highly distinguished Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. This matter was debated in Committee, and the additional point was made that because of the—correctly—increasing budget...

During his visit to Afghanistan, was my hon. Friend able to assess the extent to which the money put in to help there is being wasted? For example, has the vast sum spent on subsidising people to give up farming poppies been well invested?

During his visit to Afghanistan, was my hon. Friend able to assess the extent to which the money put in to help there is being wasted? For example, has the vast sum spent on subsidising people to give up farming poppies been well invested?

I shall give way to my right hon. Friend.

I shall give way to my right hon. Friend.

We are straying a little, but that is an important point. Unfortunately, last year’s poppy crops were the largest ever recorded. About 4,000 tonnes of opium is being produced each year. We have spent £400 million on the poppy trade, and because last year’s crop was the largest ever—that is...

We are straying a little, but that is an important point. Unfortunately, last year’s poppy crops were the largest ever recorded. About 4,000 tonnes of opium is being produced each year. We have spent £400 million on the poppy trade, and because last year’s crop was the largest ever—that is...