On Wednesday 18^th October Adam asked the Department for International Development for an update on the work being made to ensure the UK continues to promote development in Commonwealth countries (11:49:26 to 11:51:10):

 

International Development Questions, 18^th October:

Adam Afriyie (Windsor, Conservative): 6. What steps she is taking to promote development in other Commonwealth countries.

Rory Stewart (Minister of State for International Development) (Joint with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office): The Prime Minister and Secretary of State have made it clear that the Commonwealth is absolutely central to our future policy, and that is not just true in respect of forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings; the 20 largest DFID recipient countries include Nigeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi and Sierra Leone, in which our programmes extend from health and education, to economic development, without which there can be no jobs or growth.

 

Adam Afriyie (Windsor, Conservative): Given the health and vibrant link between Commonwealth countries that open up to trade and their subsequent rapid economic development, does my hon. Friend agree that we have not only an economic imperative, but a moral obligation to do whatever we can with foreign aid to focus our efforts on supporting free trade?

Rory Stewart (Minister of State for International Development) (Joint with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office): Absolutely. In this, as with everything, the devil is in the detail. For example, through TradeMark East Africa, DFID is not just supporting light manufacturing and trade and tariff negotiations, but reducing delays at borders and investing in infrastructure. Of course, most importantly, we will be providing tariff-free access to the least developed countries in the world after Brexit.

 

The MP for the Windsor constituency, Adam Afriyie, said:

“Trade is the most effective helping hand for lifting global living standards. We have both an economic and a moral imperative to use our international aid help developing countries trade their way to prosperity.

 “As a Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy, I am delighted that the Government continues to promote robust development, not reliance on the types of aid that might breed dependence. Countries, such as Ghana and Guinea, want to be our trading partners, not merely submissive aid recipients. That means we must continue to reform the way we spend our development money, so that it enables business to create jobs and rising incomes that lead to rapid development.

 

“I greatly look forward to the post-Brexit opportunities to build a non-discriminatory immigration system outside the EU, strike trade deals with fast growing economies and pursue closer links across the globe.”

 

ENDS

1.    Adam Afriyie is the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ghana.

2.    He has a strong background in science, technology and innovation.

3.    He is currently Chairman of the Fintech APPG, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and President of the Conservative Technology Forum (CTF).

4.    He was shadow Minister for Science from 2007-2010 and has a background in the information services and technology sector.

5.    He is Patron of the Parliamentary Space Committee (PSC) and was Chair of the PSC between 2010 and 2015.