It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Amess, and it is an enormous pleasure to sit on this delightful Committee.

My hon. Friend the Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch reminded us that the hon. Member for Stone is occasionally identified with matters European; yet if I may say so, I think of him most for his excellent work on international development. When I had the privilege—because I was fortunate in the ballot—of piloting the Bill that became the International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Act 2006, one of its best supporters was the hon. Gentleman. He brought to the issue the objectivity that we would expect from him, a deep knowledge of the problems of developing countries and, above all, a commitment to the need for equality, which is reflected in the excellent Bill we are discussing. Many people might find that commitment surprising, but I do not, having observed him over the years.

Right hon. and hon. Members from all parties will have their own recollections of countries they have visited. One of the joys of being a Member of this House—and it is a joy—is that we are able to see places and meet people that otherwise would have been absolutely beyond us and would never have been part of our experience. In the spirit of the Bill, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on some of the visits I have been able to undertake.

My hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North and I visited Rwanda many years after the terrible genocide there. I am sure she will agree that when we saw how Rwanda was accepting the challenge of reconciliation—  something it has done remarkably well, responding to a situation that no one could have predicted and to the horrors that emerged—and when we saw the events that followed, it was quite clear that the role of women was absolutely pivotal, even in Rwanda. She will recall that we attended one of the village courts, which was their way of dealing with truth and reconciliation. Perhaps the most startling event was when a woman emerged from the crowd and asked—not in an angry sense, but in a way that we would all understand from a mother—what had happened to her husband and children. She then stood aside, waited to hear the prisoners’ replies and, after they had admitted their guilt, went back to her seat to reflect quietly on the day’s events.

We have had opportunities to visit other places, such as India, which has been mentioned. A few years ago I was invited to go and study the problem of tuberculosis, which is a big problem in India, as well as in other developing countries. When we visited hospitals, we realised that women suffered most and gave most in running those hospitals and dealing with that terrible problem, which can nevertheless be dealt with if the will is there.

If the objective of the hon. Member for Stone is to recognise the need for gender balance as reflected in the millennium development goals, it is significant that the third development goal specifically refers, quite rightly, to gender issues. It is unacceptable that profound, indefensible discrimination should continue against women, as reflected in the figures for infant mortality, perinatal deaths and so much more; in the fact that, even today, so many girls are denied the right to seek an education; and in the fact that, as the millennium goals strive to eradicate poverty and deliver clean water where it is required, the people doing the work needed to climb these mountains are, in the main—although not exclusively—women and girls.

It is a great honour for me to be invited by the hon. Member for Stone to serve on this Committee, support his Bill and recognise the marvellous work that he does. I will conclude by echoing what he said about DFID. In my opinion—I trust that the Secretary of State will take this as a compliment—she has the best Department of Government. I said to my right hon. Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy) when he was appointed shadow Secretary of State that he had the best post in the shadow Cabinet, because we can see that we are making a contribution in our respective roles. There is still more to be done—there are still more inequalities to be challenged, more rights to be addressed and more to do on gender equality—but we can see improvements as time goes on, and we are rightly being asked by the international community to deliver more.

This Parliament has given a good lead on these matters, although we still have more to do. In supporting the Bill, which the hon. Member for Stone presented, I offer him my warmest congratulations on his choice of subject. I know that he will continue to work closely with DFID—an excellent Department, as I have said. What he has done and is seeking to do today can only enhance the role of this Parliament, at a time when many people feel that that might be necessary.