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International Health Partnership

Indeed I do. The hon. Gentleman brings the issue into stark focus with his point about Ethiopian doctors. As I said just before he intervened, it is not only our Government who need to take a lead on this issue; it is a matter for Europe and the G8, where America and others can be brought into the debate. Nobody questions the fact that health professionals and health workers will come to this country, and there are many complex reasons why they wish to do so. However, in seeking to balance such movements—I do not want to use the word ““restrict””—we must ensure that there are proper facilities and procedures, so that those who wish to gain access to training and support here can still do so and can then return to their own country to provide the input that is so necessary in their own health services. Lord Crisp's report made several good recommendations, and I hope that the Government will publish an updated response to them at some point. He highlighted several interesting ideas, including that we should have a global health partnership centre in this country. Such a centre would be a one-stop shop for all the different parts of the national health service, non-governmental organisations, other donors and Government efforts and would allow people in recipient countries and in this country to know how they could contribute efficiently. Lord Crisp also talked about a global health exchange, or health bay, as he put it, which would offer the opportunity to share best practice, expertise and information. Another idea that stood out was that we should encourage and facilitate volunteering by people in the NHS, so that they can go to other countries, make a major contribution and benefit from the experience so that they can understand the challenges that others face. Given the pressures on the House this week, the debate may prove to be shorter than it deserves to be, but the issues that it raises and the Government efforts that it highlights are fundamental to Britain's contribution to reaching the millennium development goals and ensuring that we never lose sight of the truly appalling lives that many people lead and the short lives that many others have led. At the outset, the Minister set out the scale of the challenge facing us, and I hope that she will be able to answer some of our questions when she concludes.