International Development Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden, Conservative)
I, too, welcome you to the Chair, Mr. Griffiths. This is the first time that I have served under your chairmanship, and I look forward to that. I concur with the view that there is a broad measure of consensus on the Bill, which is likely to be conducive to the good working of the Committee, but obviously this is the opportunity for the Opposition to probe the Government on aspects of the Bill. It is not the first time that the matter has been subject to parliamentary scrutiny, as the previous Bill went through all its Commons stages in the previous Parliament, and this Bill has already received the attentions of those in another place. Therefore, there is already quite a body of information for the Committee to refer to, but there are fresh aspects that we should like to bring to the attention of the Government.
The conflict in Afghanistan has served as a litmus test of the workability of legislation on international development, especially in relation to humanitarian assistance. That sharpens all our minds in determining how effective the Bill will be and how it will cope with similar situations in future.
I should like to place one important point on the record this morning. In the previous Parliament the Conservative Opposition in another place strove hard to have the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development convention on bribery and corruption incorporated into the international development legislation. We were pleased to learn at the end of last week that the Home Secretary had seen fit to incorporate that convention into the emergency legislation on international terrorism, the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill, which had its Second Reading last night. We appreciate the fact that the Home Secretary publicly stated that that was done in response to a Conservative request to enact that convention. That was welcome, and it demonstrates the spirit of bipartisanship that has been an integral part of the role of Opposition and Government throughout the crisis.
We are keen for the work to proceed, but we are happy that this morning's debate should be restricted to a debate on the sittings motion. I shall briefly explain why, for the benefit of the record and for members of the public who may have joined us this morning. We have the bounty of the opportunity to go and hear the Secretary of State address the Select Committee, which is meeting simultaneously with this sitting of the Standing Committee. As many members of the Standing Committee have an interest in hearing what the Secretary of State says to the Select Committee, we hope that it will be possible to facilitate that this morning.