Lord Evans of Weardale (CB)

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Bates, on securing this debate. I declare an interest as chairman of the Halo Trust, the global mine and explosives removal charity. I recognise that the pressing nature of the security threats we face may mean that other spending needs to be curtailed, but if this is to include ODA then the cuts need to be made strategically and in a way that retains a distinctive UK contribution. Humanitarian mine action is just such a UK contribution. It is a strategic asset for this country—one that saves lives, helps stabilise fragile regions and contributes to the UK’s bilateral relations with a number of vital states. In 2023, 69% of civilian personnel mine clearance globally was carried out by either the Halo Trust or the Mines Advisory Group. Both are British charities. This is an area where we do not merely contribute; we lead, drawing on decades of experience and credibility that no other country can match, and operating in many of the most troubled parts of the world—places that matter to the United Kingdom, such as Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Zimbabwe and Gaza. I therefore ask the Minister whether the Government will maintain their commitment to the global mine action programme, which is a great British success story. Do the Government recognise that the integrated security fund should increase its focus on preventing conflict, which, in the longer term, is more effective than responding to crises as they arise? If the ISF is genuinely to be integrated then it must be used upstream to prevent conflict, not simply to respond once instability reaches our shores.