Overseas Aid (Private Sector Contracts)

David Mowat Excerpts
Monday 11th March 2013

(11 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Justine Greening Portrait Justine Greening
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My hon. Friend has made his point, and I am sure that the non-governmental organisations will have been listening to this urgent question and will have taken note accordingly. As I have said, we aim to get best value for the taxpayer, and I am sure that in many cases that best value is indeed British.

David Mowat Portrait David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)
- Hansard - -

Fifty years ago, South Korea had the same GDP per head as Ghana and now its figure is about the same as the UK’s. This has been achieved by trade, not principally aid. What more could the Department do to ensure that there are more South Koreas—we hope in sub-Saharan Africa—in the next 50 years?

Justine Greening Portrait Justine Greening
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

In the past decade, sub-Saharan Africa has probably had one of the fastest growth rates in the global economy. As my speech set out, and as my hon. Friend rightly says, we need to do more work in this area and to work in the business environment to really drive economic development and jobs.