HIV Treatment: Low and Middle- income Countries

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 11th March 2015 Westminster Hall

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Pamela Nash) not only for calling the debate, but for her leadership of the all-party group on HIV and AIDS since she took over as chair after the tragic loss of our parliamentary colleague David Cairns, who passed away suddenly.

I have been a member of the all-party group since I came into Parliament almost 18 years ago. The leadership of my hon. Friend and the previous leadership of David Cairns have backed up a robust group of individuals who have worked long and hard in Parliament on the problem of HIV and AIDS. I have not visited some of the many places that my hon. Friend has visited, but a few years ago I visited Ukraine courtesy of UNICEF UK. I was asked to go there because I am also joint chair of the all-party group on street children.

UNICEF UK looked at what was happening in Ukraine. Children sleeping rough on the streets were taking drugs intravenously, with many then finding that they had become HIV-positive. That brings us back to the point about stigma and discrimination. Many of those young people were living in fear, because if they presented for a medical, and it was discovered they were carrying the infection, they would be reported to the authorities—the police. They were in a real dilemma: they understood something was medically wrong, but should they go for the medical, given the consequences?

I and the UNICEF UK person who went with me to Ukraine, along with a couple of people working on behalf of UNICEF in Ukraine, visited the British ambassador, and I have to say that I was bitterly disappointed. I came away from the meeting thinking, “I sincerely hope that that individual has arrived here only in the last couple of days,” because he had no perception of the problems on the ground or of what people were experiencing. I also met one or two Ukraine Government officials, and it was anything but heartening to realise that what was happening was not an issue for them.

At that time, Ukraine was heavily dependent on global funding and support. Less than 12 months after I visited, that funding and support were taken away. Just because certain countries fall into the middle-income category, that does not mean they are handling some of these problems better. In my view—it is only my view, although one or two people did share it with me—Ukraine was on the verge of being a basket case in terms of dealing with HIV/AIDS, because there was no real support for people. That goes back to the issue of stigma and discrimination.

The all-party group’s report mentions paediatric treatment, which is lagging behind adult treatment in terms of access and research. Our report indicates that the market for paediatric treatments is, regrettably, a low-profit market, which reduces the incentive for research and development by private companies. There is a real lack of adequate treatment regimens for children, which often leads to adult treatments simply being broken up and given to children. It must be recognised that children are simply not being given the proper treatment and dosage on many occasions. Treatment regimens need to be tailored to individuals because children are not all the same weight or same height. We need to ensure that the correct dosage is given if we are truly looking for these young children to get proper treatment. If incorrect dosages or unsuitable adult treatments are administered, children’s treatment is unlikely to be as effective, which could lead to resistance and the need to switch to second or even third-line treatments.

Any of us, with any condition, would want to know that whatever we were prescribed would meet our needs as individuals. Of all the conditions that exist in the world, HIV/AIDS needs proper treatment. As a starting point, we need to encourage pharmaceutical companies to deliver more suitable dosages for children, because this problem has existed for far too long—indeed, it has existed since I joined the all-party group almost 18 years ago.

There is also a gap in early infant diagnostics, and there are insufficient opportunities for testing children. That results in children living with HIV not being identified and given treatment, or in those whose treatment is failing not having their problems addressed.

I do not want to say much more, because my hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts and the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Simon Kirby) have covered a significant amount of the report. However, I want to put on record that, in taking evidence for the inquiry, we were assisted by colleagues from the other place, as my hon. Friend said. Their support and assistance are invaluable. The oldest soldiers in the all-party group are Lord Fowler, who has done so much in the Palace of Westminster over all these years, and Baroness Sue Masham, whom I met when I first joined the group. They are absolute stalwarts, and it is fitting that we recognise the work they have done and the way they have assisted in maintaining such a robust group. I hope it will continue after the election on 7 May.

Again, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts, as the chair, for pulling the report together and for securing the debate.

Oral Answers to Questions

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd January 2014 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am always happy to visit Tamworth and spend time in the shadow of Sir Robert Peel. I have enjoyed visiting my hon. Friend’s constituency in the past. We are seeing a recovery, particularly in jobs and getting people off the unemployment register. It is worth noting that today’s figures also show that full-time employment is up by 220,000, compared with just a 60,000 increase in part-time employment. That shows that people are getting the full-time jobs that they want. I am happy to commend the businesses he is welcoming to Tamworth.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

The green shoots of economic recovery are not being realised across the entire UK. Does he intend to speak to the Governor of the Bank of England to make him aware that, in low-wage economy areas, any increase in inflation would undoubtedly have a devastating impact on many households?

[The Prime Minister]

We of course want to secure a recovery in every region of our country and in every nation of our United Kingdom. Employment in Scotland went up by 10,000 in the last quarter and there are 90,000 more people in work than there were a year ago, so progress is being made and the Scottish economy is performing. We should do everything we can to make that happen. Whether we keep interest rates down is a matter for the Bank of England. Our role must be to continue the work that we are doing to get the deficit down. In doing that, we have to make difficult decisions on spending. We are not helped by the fact that, of all the difficult decisions we have made, not one has been supported by the Labour party.

Oral Answers to Questions

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 13th March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Justine Greening]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. When I visited Jordan earlier this year, I saw for myself how many refugees were not in the camp. Indeed, the majority are in communities outside the camp, which is one reason why we have earmarked specific funding to support, both in Jordan and Lebanon, those refugees who are not in camps. Clearly, as the crisis continues, the pressures on neighbouring countries will grow. The Government are deeply concerned about that, which is why we have urged members of the international community to work together to take action.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

Keeping in mind the fact that more than half the refugees in Syria are children, will the Secretary of State tell the House exactly what the Department is doing to support child health, protection and education in this humanitarian disaster?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

I am really grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this issue. The ACE centre, which was previously in Oxford and is now located in my constituency, has done incredible work for people with disabilities over many years. It is making the most of the extraordinary changes in technology. When I visited it recently, we looked at a whole raft of ways in which we could make sure that the NHS is making these things available to more people, and I am very committed to working with my hon. Friend and the ACE centre to make sure that that happens.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

Q15. Prime Minister, you gave a promise to protect the defence budget in its entirety, but you did not. The Defence Secretary, who has left the Chamber, promised to balance the budget, but the National Audit Office said he failed. Prime Minister, will you now guarantee that there will be no—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Gentleman has been here 16 years. He should not use the word “you” in the Chamber. I am sorry, but he knows the rules. Come on, quickly, finish the question.

[Mr Brown]

Will a commitment be given to protect the defence budget further in this Parliament?

[The Prime Minister]

The commitment I can give is that the £38 billion black hole that we inherited has been got rid of. Freezing the budget across this Parliament at £33 billion gives us the fourth largest defence budget in the world, and we are determined to use that money to ensure that we equip our forces with what they need for the future. That is in massive contrast to the record of the Government whom the hon. Gentleman supported.

Oral Answers to Questions

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 30th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I know that the former Transport Secretary and other Ministers from the Department have met my hon. Friend, and I am sure they will have listened very carefully to what he said. As well as paying tribute to the coastguard, it is a good opportunity to pay tribute to the search and rescue services across the country. Our reforms are aimed at improving average response times by 20%. That is why we are going ahead with these reforms, but I am sure Ministers will listen very carefully to what he said.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

Q5. Since the Prime Minister came to office, unemployment in Dumfries and Galloway has risen by over 15% and youth unemployment has risen by 9%. My right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition made reference to the Prime Minister’s words “good news will keep coming”, so will the Prime Minister be good enough to explain to the House and my constituents exactly what his definition of “good news”,is, especially in view of the shrinking economy at the end of last year, which will lead to further economic failure?

[The Prime Minister]

In Scotland, unemployment has fallen by 14,000 this quarter. It has fallen by 10,000 since the general election. The number of people employed in Scotland has actually gone up. One point that I think is important is that, because we have raised the tax thresholds, 180,000 people across Scotland have been taken out of income tax altogether. There is much more that we need to do, but I think that represents progress.

HIV (Developing Countries)

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 19th December 2012 Westminster Hall

[Lynne Featherstone]

That is the key point: education is vital. The girls were saying that the boys were already very jealous because they were not allowed to go to the girls’ meetings. The initiative was empowering them to feel confidence in their bodies and about their rights over their bodies, and the boys were beginning to be a bit more wary of them. It is a long process, and negotiating such relationships, even in this country, is not always easy.

Having said that about boys, there is also a lot of work to do with boys and men. I went to a gender-based violence clinic—a one-stop shop—where remarkable work was being done with bringing the men along. Where there had been violence, the men had to come in for counselling. They were invited in, and if they did not come they were invited again, by the police. If they still did not come the police went and got them—quite extraordinary. Of the 10 survivor women I talked to, five said that they were still with their husbands, who had changed. One of the men had joined a men’s network. Men who have multiple partners are a real threat, where the spread of HIV is concerned.

Many Members raised issues about Uganda and the homosexuality Bill. I went to Uganda before I moved to DFID, in my violence against women role. Where women are oppressed, there are often hideous homosexuality laws. I raised the issue with the Speaker of the House in Uganda. I would not say that what I said was taken in the best way, but I raised the issue politely, but firmly. It is important to be able to discuss matters, even when people disagree. The discussion was private and appropriate. The issue is a really serious one, and it is not uncommon in many countries across Africa and Asia. I am looking closely at what is possible and at how we move forward on the agenda. One thing we do is to support civil society and Ugandan groups. I met with groups when I was in the country, and there is a lot of fear of a backlash, so how we move forward is a delicate matter.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

The Minister mentioned Uganda. Has she had any discussions with any of her Foreign and Commonwealth Office colleagues about making the case in other Commonwealth countries about more legal reform, so that people are not persecuted? I firmly believe we should be doing that.

[Lynne Featherstone]

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. He may be aware that the Prime Minister raised the issue at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. I have spoken to Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers about the issue, and in my international champion role I have developed key messages. Three of those messages are on women, and they address: leadership; rights and laws; and impunity, access, justice and enforcement. There are two messages on homosexuality, and it has been agreed that all travelling Ministers will raise the issue when appropriate. That must be done appropriately as it is easy to raise feelings that the issue is a western construct. The issue, therefore, has to be worked out with the countries not in a preaching way, but in a way in which we can discuss our differences and move the agenda forwards. Human rights are a priority, and we have all made that clear on many occasions. Nevertheless, we work across many countries that come from a different place from us.

In parallel, the UK Government complement grass-roots demand for change through our diplomacy on human rights overseas. We are committed to ending religious intolerance and persecution and discrimination against individuals on the basis of their sexuality. We regularly review the commitment to and respect for all human rights in other countries, including the likely direction of travel over the coming years. Where we have specific concerns about a Government’s failure to protect their citizens’ rights, we raise those concerns directly at the highest levels of the Government concerned.

I will now answer some of the other points that were raised by Members and try to finish ahead of time—we are running over because of the Division.

The hon. Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Pamela Nash) asked about direct budget support payments to Uganda and the condition of renewed payments. Aid to the Government of Uganda is predicated on fundamental commitments and agreed principles, so any renewal of general budget support depends on those conditions being met. The route is always open, and there is nothing we would wish more than for countries to want to come back to the same table as us. I am hopeful that that will be the case one day, but it is very early days as we try to address the diplomacy and geopolitics on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.

We support Ugandan civil society groups, including the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, which trains in advocacy and covers the costs of legal cases to protect LGBT communities. That is just one example. Where we cannot give directly to Governments, we find other ways to help people in countries where possible.

My hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire specifically raised a number of points. Under the global fund’s new funding model, there will be a targeted band for countries, such as Ukraine, with higher incomes and a lower disease burden that remain at risk from rising epidemics. That allocation band includes countries that should focus resources on most-at-risk populations, which are the groups that we have discussed. The UK has consistently argued that such groups should be prioritised in that context. That was the argument I used in Ethiopia when then Prime Minister Meles and I discussed public health, transmission and other such issues.

My hon. Friend is right that Gilead has shown leadership in joining the medicines patent pool, which we strongly support. We are encouraging other companies with patents for new first-line treatments for HIV/AIDS to consider beginning formal negotiations to enter that pool.

On the G8 and the post-millennium development goals, we will use our influence with the international system to deliver our global commitments. As part of our G8 presidency, we will be reporting on progress against existing commitments and holding members to account. There is definitely a view that we need to finish the job. As exciting as it is to think about post-2015 MDGs, there is still much work to be done on the goals we are in the middle of right now.

Several Members raised the issue of the Why Stop Now? UK blueprint, which is where we slightly part company. Our review of progress on the UK’s position paper will happen in the early part of next year, and it is there that we will make our next decisions based on evidence. We think that just spending a lot of our resources to create another blueprint will be just that—using a lot of our resources—when we basically know what we need to do. We want to get on with working with international partners on implementation, rather than having to stop and bring all our resources back to create another plan. We want to work with stakeholders to ensure a robust and accountable analysis of DFID’s HIV results. We are still discussing the time frame because our review of our position paper needs to align with a number of other international processes. I am aware of the call for a blueprint, but I do not think it is necessarily the way we want to go. I apologise if that disappoints anyone. Indeed, I see the AIDS Consortium sitting in the Public Gallery, and I think I have shown my commitment. My first speech as a Minister was an address to the annual general meeting of the AIDS Consortium, which I have since met to discuss all the issues.

I must be quick, but a number of Members raised the issue of the relationship between HIV and tuberculosis. My right hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert), whom I used to work with at the Home Office, specifically raised that issue. TB is the leading cause of death for people living with HIV. DFID supports leadership among countries on integrated responses rooted in knowledge of local epidemics, with donor support harmonised in line with national plans to deliver quality integrated HIV, TB and reproductive health services, which was a call across the Chamber.

I acknowledge the two issues raised by my right hon. Friend on the TB REACH programme and on vaccination, both of which I will consider further. At the moment, DFID’s support for TB research includes £205 million to the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development and £14 million to the tropical disease research programme.

The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) mentioned how condom use and circumcision have helped HIV prevention work in Swaziland and the rest of the world. I thank him for highlighting the challenges in Swaziland, and DFID agrees that a combination prevention approach, including condoms, male circumcision and education, is essential to an effective response.

Access to Sanitation

Russell Brown Excerpts

Monday 26th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Mr Alan Duncan)]

I thank the hon. Member for Belfast East (Naomi Long)for calling what I think is the second debate this year on this important issue. Making progress on the appalling world statistics on access to sanitation is vital to the health and well-being of poor people. I commend the hon. Lady for her efforts on this topic. If I may put it this way, I think she has become one of Parliaments supreme champions—if not Parliament’s main champion—on this issue.

It is truly shocking that in 2010, 2.5 billion people—nearly 40% of the global population—remained without access to the improved sanitation that would have protected their health. Even more shocking is the fact that 1.1 billion people have no form of toilet at all. This is why the UK Government have given sanitation such a high priority. The previous Secretary of State announced in April this year that the UK would increase its ambition and reach 60 million people with sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene. As I said in my speech in March, providing these services is the bread and butter of development. I have seen for myself in my visits to countries such as Yemen and Bangladesh, which the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) has mentioned, how effective DFID sanitation programmes are on the ground.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

On the commitment given back in April, I appreciate that we are just six or seven months on, but is the Minister in any position at all to tell us what progress has been made towards that 60 million target in 2015? Is progress really being made?

[Mr Duncan]

Since the announcement was made only recently, it is probably a little premature to report on progress because results come after the investment has been made in the area, but I undertake to keep the hon. Gentleman and the House fully informed of our progress. Through debates such as this, we will continue to treat this as a highly important topic.

We know the enormous impact that the lack of a basic toilet has on people’s health and livelihoods. People who do not have adequate sanitation are far more likely to get sick than those who do, and it is often young children who suffer the most. The World Health Organisation estimates that up to 2.4 million deaths could be avoided each and every year simply by providing good sanitation, safe water and good basic hygiene.

Poor sanitation does not only cause sickness. As the hon. Lady pointed out, women who lack toilets are at a much higher risk of sexual and other violence as they try to find secluded and private places. Without a decent toilet, women and girls cannot manage their menstrual periods privately and with dignity. Having nowhere to safely clean and dry their rags can lead to reproductive tract infections, which can be the most horrid things.

We know from the United Kingdom’s own history the importance of sanitation to the economy and health of our people. This very Chamber was closed during the “great stink” of 1858. Not long afterwards, improvement in the treatment of London’s sewage led to a great improvement in the health of our capital city. We also know from the World Bank that providing sanitation in poor countries will deliver broader economic benefits, and will mean that such countries do not suffer unnecessary economic losses. It has been estimated that countries lacking widespread access to sanitation lose between 1% and as much as 9% of their GDP every year.

The world is frequently faced with natural disasters. Last month, we saw Hurricane Sandy wreak havoc in the Caribbean before hitting the eastern seaboard of the United States. Floods, in particular, lead to disease because people have to live with dirty flood waters containing pathogens from waste that has not been disposed of. That is what leads to devastating epidemics of cholera and other diseases. Good sanitation is essential to reducing the unacceptable human cost of such disasters. It can be critical in helping communities to rebuild themselves more quickly after floods. Work supported by the Department for International Development during the 2010 floods in Pakistan showed that sanitation could really help a community to recover.

How can we start to tackle the huge unmet needs for sanitation? Well, we can start by listening to women. Sanitation is important to them, often much more important than it is to men. One study in Indonesia found that, in urban communities, women listed sanitation as their second priority for improving their communities—after improved job opportunities—while men ranked it seventh.

We need to foster and respond to demand. A latrine that is wanted is one that will be used and maintained. Approaches based on demand, such as a programme called Community-Led Total Sanitation, are proving very effective in ensuring the uptake of sanitation. We also need to keep sanitation simple. Expensive and water-hungry sewerage systems are not the answer if we want to improve sanitation for poor people. Simple technologies, such as pit latrines, are affordable and effective ways of providing the safe sanitation that we want to see.

As was mentioned by the hon. Member for Dumfries and Galloway (Mr Brown), the United Kingdom’s ambition is for 60 million people to have sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene in the countries that are furthest from meeting the millennium development goal. We have a strong track record of supporting those basic services. A portfolio review of water, sanitation and hygiene projects supported by DFID showed that UK aid in the sector was well targeted at the poorest.

The principal means by which the UK will meet our target of 60 million people is through programmes developed and managed by our offices in African and Asian countries. We currently have sanitation and water programmes in 15 countries. We are looking into how we can expand our existing programmes, and have already identified additional results that could be achieved in Ethiopia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. That builds on the successful experience of our country programmes. For example, our support in Bangladesh through UNICEF has reached more than 30 million of the poorest people in that country. We are continuing our support in Bangladesh by working through BRAC, a major national non-governmental organisation with a good record of helping the poorest. The Department also funds programmes to deliver improved sanitation through other interventions. For instance, in Yemen we are funding a nutrition programme, implemented by UNICEF, which will provide sanitation in 300 schools and benefit nearly 250,000 children.

We will achieve those results through a number of partnerships with organisations such as the Water and Sanitation Program, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor, and WaterAid. To complement those activities, we have been exploring the potential of new programmes to reach more people who currently lack access to sanitation, in more countries, through partnerships with the UN, civil society and the private sector.

In response to the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton, the UK Government are the leading donor of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, which delivers new and underused vaccines to the world’s poorest countries. UK support alone will vaccinate 80 million children and save 1.4 million lives by 2015. GAVI will roll out the rotavirus vaccine as part of its programme, protecting against diarrhoea which, as the hon. Gentleman said, is one of the leading child killers in the world, accounting for 450,000 deaths each year. With UK support, GAVI plans to help the vaccination against rotavirus of up to 50 million children in at least 40 of the world’s poorest countries by 2015.

We need solid evidence to underpin our investments, and to that end the Department for International Development is funding key research programmes to improve our evidence base. The sanitation and hygiene applied research for equity programme is developing new and robust evidence on the benefits of sanitation, and on how sanitation and hygiene behaviours can be improved most effectively. The Department has started a new programme of operational research to improve value for money and efficiency in our programmes. As part of that, we will test and evaluate innovative ways of providing sanitation services to poor people in urban areas, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Support for sanitation is also about creating the right incentives for Governments to mobilise their own resources. In June this year, the UK Government sent a strong message of our political commitment with the recognition of the right to sanitation. The Government will place an emphasis on the delivery of basic sanitation services to poor people in the long term. We will continue to invest in programmes to provide sanitation, and use the Sanitation and Water for All partnership to encourage other donors, Governments in developing countries, and civil society to do the same.

I say to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, all hon. Members, and in particular the hon. Member for Belfast East who initiated this debate, that the Government will do their utmost in this area. I hope that Members of the House will continue to support us in that essential work.

Question put and agreed to.

Oral Answers to Questions

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 31st October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Justine Greening]

The right hon. Gentleman is right. It is worth remembering that 5 million people are living in poverty in Rwanda. Our programme of support is aimed at helping those people in particular. When we came into government, we attached more conditionality to our general budget support, not least through the partnership principles. It is things such as the partnership principles that I will look at in reaching the decision we will take in December.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

I, too, congratulate the Secretary of State on her new appointment. She told my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Ian Lucas) that officials were consulted and that her predecessor sought their advice. Were other donors and allies who had suspended payments to Rwanda consulted about their views on the impact of the UK’s unilateral decision to reinstate aid?

[Justine Greening]

I was not in my role when that decision was taken, so I cannot answer the hon. Gentleman’s question directly, but the International Development Committee is planning to look at this issue, and I am sure it will be able to ask and get answers to those questions for him.

Oral Answers to Questions

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 7th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Mitchell]

My hon. Friend has seen for himself why the issue he raises is so important. A key part of our work is helping ordinary people to hold their political leaders to account, which we do through strengthening accountability and the Government’s ability to raise taxes, and through strengthening local media. I have recently given a significant accountability grant to the BBC World Service Trust to do just that.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

Climate change is having a serious impact on food security and production in Bangladesh—the production of rice and wheat is forecast to fall by around a third by 2050. What additional resources or funding will be made available to help some of the poorest in the world, given the effect of climate change on their food production?

[Mr Mitchell]

The hon. Gentleman is entirely accurate about the effects of climate change on very vulnerable people in Bangladesh, where only a fairly small rise in the water level could wipe out hundreds of thousands of homes. We are directly involved in protecting 15 million vulnerable people from those effects of climate change, and we will continue—through, for example, the development of scuba rice, which grows in very difficult circumstances—to target malnutrition.

Oral Answers to Questions

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 8th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I will certainly do that. This was a tragic incident, and, on behalf of the whole House, may I join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to his constituents and expressing our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have been affected? I am sure there will be lessons to learn, but as my hon. Friend said, the company has had a good safety record, and in an industry in which there are inherent risks. I will be happy to discuss the issue with him.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

Q13. What does it say about our society when a BBC documentary on child poverty ends with a child saying: “And I don’t want to grow up”?

[The Prime Minister]

It says that, frankly, we need to do far more to tackle child poverty, not just here in the UK, but around the world. That is one of the reasons why, despite difficult spending decisions, we have maintained the pledge of increasing our aid budget to 0.7% of gross national income by 2013. That is a difficult pledge to make, but I think that, even at times of difficulty, we should not break our promises to the poorest people in the world.

In terms of child poverty here in Britain, the biggest challenge today is not just benefit levels, but mobility: how do we help people get out of poverty and stay out of poverty? That is why this Government are putting so much emphasis on measures such as the pupil premium, which will actually help people build themselves a better future.

Oral Answers to Questions

Russell Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 12th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr O'Brien]

I thank my hon. Friend for his observations. Last month, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched the framework for results for improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health. It was developed in consultation with NGOs, and it has been widely disseminated and welcomed. Work is under way with NGOs at an international, regional and, indeed, country level to ensure that women have reproductive health choices and to improve the quality and accessibility of services such as those in Malawi, which demonstrates that real progress has been made in ensuring that we tackle the priority of population effects.

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

What assessment have the Minister and the Secretary of State made of the humanitarian situation in Côte d’Ivoire, and what support has his Department provided?

[Mr O'Brien]

We are giving support primarily through the Red Cross, and we support the measures taken by the EU and the African Union to bring about a peaceful transfer of power in Ivory Coast, which will have the greatest effect on humanitarian interests, including the EU visa ban on Laurent Gbagbo and his closest advisers. We certainly support the UN’s position in declaring the presidential election valid, and in insisting that Mr Ouattara is the legitimate winner. The UK stands ready to help through our trusted partners if the humanitarian situation deteriorates.