HC Deb 01 March 2000 vol 345 cc409-11
2. Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome)

What steps she is taking to encourage the promotion of education on development issues in schools. [111174]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. George Foulkes)

In the White Paper we said that all children in the United Kingdom should be educated about development issues so that they can understand the key global issues that will shape their lives, so our Department has participated in curriculum reviews throughout the UK and secured enhanced opportunities for development issues to be included in the mainstream curriculum. We are working to ensure that teachers have the back-up to achieve that.

We have also doubled support for school linking projects, which I know that the hon. Gentleman is particularly interested in. There are now 822 recorded, and we are ready to consider further support for such schemes.

Mr. Heath

That is extremely welcome. The Minister obviously understands the huge value in helping young people to understand the enormity of events such as those in Mozambique by learning about the everyday life of people in developing countries. Will he celebrate with me the work that is going on in schools throughout the country? May I renew my invitation to him and the Secretary of State to visit Ansford community school in my constituency, which is doing outstanding, and now nationally recognised, work with Zambia?

Mr. Foulkes

I certainly hope that one of us can take up that offer. We really enjoy visiting schools. I went to Holy Cross school in Croy in Lanarkshire, where the children had been studying Victorian times in history. When they read about child labour, they suddenly realised that the same thing is happening in our world today, and we need to do something about it.

I then went to Tunbridge Wells. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Yes, we go anywhere: there are no no-go areas for new Labour. There, the kids had accessed the DFID internet site. They knew all about me, including my age, and they had accessed photographs of me. They had also accessed the House of Commons website, and they had a photograph of you, Madam Speaker, which was much better than the ones of me.

Madam Speaker

Perhaps Mr. Pike can do better than that for me.

Mr. Peter L. Pike (Burnley)

Is it not most encouraging that the two things about which young people most often write to Members of Parliament are the environment and international development? Does not that show that there is a great future for our young people and that education in those areas is already working?

Mr. Foulkes

I agree. When I visit schools I am greatly encouraged by the depth of knowledge and understanding of such issues, but we are not complacent: we inherited a budget of £750,000 for development education, and next year it will be £5 million.

Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley)

Will the Minister consider how his Department can encourage schemes whereby the increasing number of young people who have a gap year after school can visit third world countries and contribute directly to development there?

Mr. Foulkes

Yes, I am certainly happy to look at that—we look at all sorts of things. I have met with my hon. Friend the Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith), who is the Scottish Education Minister, and with Martin McGuinness when he was the Minister responsible in Northern Ireland, and I intend to meet Welsh Ministers. We shall discuss all those opportunities for school and post-school activities.