Priorities for Government

Debate between Giles Watling and Boris Johnson

Thursday 25th July 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I think that possibly the reason why I seem to get a good reception in Scotland—which I did—[Interruption.] When I went to Aberdeen—I remember arriving and meeting some friends in Aberdeen airport—there was a very friendly reception throughout. It may be because the people of Scotland recognise that they have a commonsensical Conservative approach, which would not hand back control of their fisheries to Brussels just as Scotland has regained control of its fantastic fish.

[Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)]

I thank my right hon. Friend for bringing some sunshine into this place. I invite him to come to the sunshine coast of Clacton, if he can put up with the 1 hour and 40 minute journey that it takes to cross the 69 miles. Will his Government please focus on infrastructure to places such as ours, which are so often overlooked?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for the plea that he has put in. He has added the line to Clacton to the long list of infrastructure projects that I propose now to expedite. He is quite right, because our programme is to use infrastructure, education and technology to level up across the country, and that is what we are going to do.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Giles Watling and Boris Johnson

Tuesday 26th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)]

11. What steps his Department is taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Boris Johnson)]

We believe that the illegal wildlife trade is not only odious in itself but associated with many other forms of criminality. That is why we are hosting a global conference on tackling the illegal wildlife trade in London this October.

[Giles Watling]

According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, illegal wildlife trading is increasingly occurring on the interweb. Will my right hon. Friend tell me what steps are being taken to counter this?

[Boris Johnson]

My hon. Friend is right on the money there, and indeed ahead of the curve. We see that risk, and that was why the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hosted a group of leading technology companies only a few weeks ago to develop new ways of combating the online trade in these specimens that he mentions.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Giles Watling and Boris Johnson

Tuesday 15th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)]

2. What steps his Department is taking to support the delivery of girls’ education throughout the world.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Boris Johnson)]

If every girl in the world had 12 years of quality education, this world would be infinitely safer, vastly more prosperous and better, which is why education for girls is at the heart of Government policy.

[Giles Watling]

I thank the Secretary of State for his answer, but I am concerned that, according to UNESCO estimates, 130 million girls between the ages of 6 and 17 are out of school and 15 million girls of primary school age, half of them in sub-Saharan Africa, will never enter a classroom. Will my right hon. Friend reassure me that tackling this issue will continue to be a top priority for global Britain?

[Boris Johnson]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and the statistics are truly horrifying. There are countries around the world, including in sub-Saharan Africa, where female illiteracy is running at 60%, 70% or sometimes 80%, which is why the UK is in the lead in campaigning at the UN, the G7 and the G20 for focus on this issue. That is also why the Prime Minister announced a further £212 million for girls’ education at the recent Commonwealth summit.