Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 20 Feb 2018
Aid Sector: Safeguarding
"I am pleased that the Secretary of State mentioned Oxfam shops because, as she will know, they can operate only because an army of volunteers selflessly and kindly give up their time. Does she agree that the Government should do all they can to ensure that those people are in …..."Gareth Johnson - View Speech
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Written Question
Wednesday 20th July 2016
Asked by:
Gareth Johnson (Conservative - Dartford)
Question
to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate her Department has made of the number of refugee children currently receiving an education in Syria; and what assessment she has made of the quality of that education provision.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) estimates that a total of 5.4 million Syrian children and youth (aged 5-17 years) inside Syria are in need of educational assistance. The UK works closely with UNICEF and other partners to protect access to education across the whole of Syria, improve safety in and around schools, and maintain the quality of teaching and learning as far as is possible in an active war-zone. However, it is not possible systematically to measure the quality of learning and teaching inside Syria in the way that the UK does in more stable countries. UK education assistance has supported around half a million children inside Syria.
UK funding supports the provision of vital learning materials, remedial and alternative education for children who have lost months or years of schooling, and access to the official exams that enable children to secure higher education and jobs. UK support is also helping teachers to stay in the teacher workforce.
Written Question
Wednesday 20th July 2016
Asked by:
Gareth Johnson (Conservative - Dartford)
Question
to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many educational schemes and programmes her Department has funded (a) in Syria and (b) for Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries in each of the last two years.
Answered by Rory Stewart
A table setting out education programmes financed by DFID in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon in 2014-15 and 2015-16 is attached.
DFID also supports education for Syrian refugees in Turkey through our contributions to the EU’s Facility for Refugees in Turkey, not through bilateral programming.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Sep 2015
Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean and Europe
"Clearly, this is the worst problem that faces Europe and, quite possibly, the world at the moment.
I listened carefully to the speech by the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson). There is a lot of agreement between his party and the Government. Putting compassion at the heart of our …..."Gareth Johnson - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Sep 2015
Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean and Europe
"I would argue that if we send out a green light to people by saying that if they come over to mainland Europe, they will find sanctuary, there is a huge danger that we will inadvertently encourage people to make the perilous journey that has cost so many lives. It …..."Gareth Johnson - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Sep 2015
Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean and Europe
"I have to disagree with the hon. Gentleman. There will not be a long-term solution to this problem until we sort out the problems that Syria faces within Syria. If we ensure that there is a safe place to live there, the necessity to make the dangerous journey will go …..."Gareth Johnson - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Sep 2015
Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean and Europe
"I argue that we can give some hope to the people of Syria by investment through the overseas aid budget and by ensuring that it continues. I am very proud of the 0.7% commitment, on which there was almost an all-party consensus. Only one major political party in this country …..."Gareth Johnson - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Sep 2015
Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean and Europe
"I would argue that that money has been spent on education in Syria, on running water in Syria and on improving the quality of life of people living in that region. We have seen time and time again that with the overseas budget we are able to ensure a greater …..."Gareth Johnson - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Sep 2015
Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean and Europe
"I am glad that the hon. Gentleman mentioned the example of Iraq, because one lesson that came out of the Iraq war is that there was no plan for what would happen afterwards. He was right about that, and it shows why the investment in those countries is essential. He …..."Gareth Johnson - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Sep 2015
Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean and Europe
"I think we are encouraging people by encouraging the people smugglers and human traffickers to allow people to come over to the Mediterranean and be exploited in that way.
The world response to this problem emanated from the picture that we saw. It is probably unprecedented for a picture to …..."Gareth Johnson - View Speech
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