Results 1-20 of 3,941 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Douglas Alexander

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Copenhagen Summit (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: Climate change today poses the greatest risk to the poorest countries. To achieve a fair and equitable outcome at Copenhagen, it is therefore essential that the most vulnerable countries have a voice in the decisions that are taken. The UK has provided considerable financial and technical support to developing country negotiators and civil society, helping them to prepare for and engage in...

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Copenhagen Summit (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: Yes, I can give my hon. Friend the undertaking that she seeks. We have been tireless in our efforts to ensure that the voices of sub-Saharan African countries and other developing countries are heard at the negotiations. We welcome the engagement of Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, speaking up for and representing the interests of the African Union, but only last month I travelled to...

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Copenhagen Summit (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: The surest way to help the people of the Maldives and, indeed, all the developing world is to ensure that we get a global deal on carbon in Copenhagen. However, I hope that in the weeks between now and the summit we will see throughout the House a genuine consensus emerge on the key issue of development and climate finance, because although the Government have pledged that we recognise the...

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Copenhagen Summit (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: My hon. Friend, who has a great deal of knowledge of the subject, leading as I understand he does the all-party group on Nigeria, is right to recognise the issue of gas flaring. There have been considerable challenges in the delta, and I understand that there are continuing discussions on the issue, but I shall write to him.

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Copenhagen Summit (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: I have heard the voices of developing countries, and they have said clearly and unequivocally that they do not want development funds rebadged in toto as climate finance funds. That is why we as a Government have made a commitment that only up to 10 per cent. of our official development assistance will be used as part of the public contribution to what we hope will be a global deal in...

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Copenhagen Summit (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: The General Affairs and External Relations Council has two sessions each year on development issues. Climate change was a focus of the May meeting, and we will again be looking at climate change in the November meeting, as well as ensuring that we are represented at these meetings. I take numerous opportunities to discuss the road to Copenhagen with my EU counterparts.

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Copenhagen Summit (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: The right hon. Gentleman is entirely right in recognising that there needs to be a genuine engagement with the developing countries. That was one of the reasons I recently travelled to India to engage with dialogue there on the issue of climate change. In relation to the 10:10 campaign, I can confirm that my Department has signed up to that campaign; that is a powerful signal of the...

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Copenhagen Summit (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: My hon. Friend is right to recognise that there are intertwined challenges of dealing with dangerous climate change and with global poverty. Unless we are successful in Copenhagen in securing a global deal, then dangerous climate change threatens the attempt to make poverty history for millions of our fellow citizens around the world. That is why we have worked so hard to ensure that the...

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Afghanistan (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development is supporting the work of the Afghanistan national development strategy to establish a more effective state; to encourage economic growth, providing alternatives to poppy growing; and to promote stability and development in Helmand province. We work with the wider UK Government strategy for the region to strengthen state institutions, counter the...

Oral Answers to Questions — International Development: Afghanistan (21 Oct 2009) has video

Douglas Alexander: These are exactly the issues that we are discussing at the moment with both the Government of Afghanistan and Governor Mangal in Helmand province. We welcome the fact that we have moved to a position in which more than half the provinces in Afghanistan are poppy-free. Amidst all the complexity, there is a basic equation: where we can deliver security, we are more likely to reduce the level of...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: With permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a statement about the White Paper on international development that I am publishing today. Copies of both the White Paper and this statement have been placed in the Vote Office. We stand at a critical juncture for international development. Although millions have been lifted out of poverty over the past decade thanks to sustained economic...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: I thank the hon. Gentleman both for his welcome of the White Paper and his warm words of congratulations to the staff of the Department. It has been a great privilege for me over the past couple of years to work with an extremely expert, experienced and dedicated staff, and I think that there is a consensus on both sides of the House that they are among the best of British and that they...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his welcome endorsement of the themes of conflict and climate change in the White Paper, and indeed for his broad agreement, if that is not to prejudge the debate that I hope we can have in the months ahead on the themes that the White Paper sets out. I am happy to give the confirmation that he seeks that the focus of the Department will remain poverty...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: Let me begin by succinctly paying tribute to my right hon. Friend's long-standing concern and campaigning on development issues. I am able to give her the assurance that she seeks. As recently as last week, when Helen Clark, the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, was in the Department, I was able to discuss with her the importance of the coherence of the UN's effort,...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: I fear that I will have the opportunity to answer the right hon. Gentleman's questions in a great deal more detail shortly, when I appear before his Committee. Let me record my gratitude for the work of the Committee; it has been invaluable in framing our analysis and our prescription in the latest White Paper. On the specific point that the right hon. Gentleman raises, this is not a sudden...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: As in so many areas, I hope the Department has the opportunity to lead by example. I do not see a choice between increasing the resources to the multilateral system and improving our policy influence over those multilateral institutions. I believe we can demonstrate to other donors a continuing—indeed, increasing—commitment to those institutions, at the same time as convincing...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: I know that the right hon. Gentleman has prior knowledge of many of those issues from the globalisation report that he published some time ago, but, as the Minister of State, Department for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Thomas) suggests from the Front Bench, in relation to economic partnership agreements, some progress has been made on one of the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: Yes, I am very happy to give my hon. Friend the assurance that he seeks. Distinguished members of the Labour party do not propose that approach; it is, however, the approach of the former Prime Minister and the former Foreign Secretary from the Conservative party.

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: I hear that it is not the position of Conservative Front Benchers. They do not seem to command the support of the former Prime Minister, the former Foreign Secretary or the prospective candidates of the Conservative party: quite whom they speak for is really for them to answer.

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Building our Common Future (6 Jul 2009)

Douglas Alexander: Once again, Conservative Back Benchers seem to be rather at odds with Conservative Front Benchers, because, if I recollect properly, the leader of the Conservative party recently made a speech in which he said that the European Union had a key role to play in climate change and in tackling global poverty. However, I do not want to intrude on private grief. On the hon. Gentleman's substantive...