Over 2 million children vaccinated during recess

While Parliament rose yesterday for recess and Members returned to their constituencies, the work of the Department for International Development continues to have a transformative effect on the lives of the world's poorest people.

Secretary of State Andrew Mitchell and his Ministers have over the last year:

• Conducted fundamental bi-lateral and multi-lateral reviews;
• Cut aid to countries that don't need it and organisations that weren't spending it effectively;
• Set up an International Aid Watchdog;
• Introduced a new Aid Transparency Guarantee;
• And set out plans for a radical new Cash on Delivery approach to aid - where money is only handed over if results have been achieved.

The targeting of the Department's funding to the places it will have the best effect means that by the time Parliament returns from recess Britain will have: vaccinated over 2 million children against diarrhoea and six other killer diseases; provided over 1.5 million people with the means to work their way out of poverty; secured schooling for 350,000 children; saved the lives of over 1,500 women in pregnancy and childbirth; stopped over 8,000 newborn babies dying needlessly; supported over 125,000 people to hold authorities to account; helped over 300,000 women to access justice through the courts, police and legal assistance; given over 450,000 people access to clean drinking water; and improved sanitation for 800,000 people.

Richard Harrington MP, Member of the International Development Select Committee said:

"To know that by the time we return to Parliament over 2 million children will be have been vaccinated against killer diseases and 1.5 million people given the means to work their way out of poverty is a matter of great pride to me. I have seen firsthand the excellent projects that DfID fund and I know that all over the world people are benefiting from the value-for-money efficiencies enacted by the Government. To see the numbers who will be helped in just this one summer is amazing"