GOVERNMENT FAILS TO BE TOUGH ON CAUSES OF INSECURITY

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 1st Dec 2004

"The Queen's Speech pretends to be tough on insecurity, but it is not tough on the causes of insecurity", says David Rendel MP.

Mr Rendel spoke in yesterday's House of Commons debate on the Queen's Speech.

He said:

"115 million children worldwide have no access to education. Providing for them would cost $5.6 billion dollars a year according to the United Nations. But our Government prefers to spend £3 billion on going to war in Iraq. How does this make us more secure, when the gap between the rich and the poor is the main cause of international terrorism?

"Meanwhile, Government policies are making it harder for international students to study in the UK and harder for UK students to study foreign languages at school or in university. The decline in Middle Eastern Studies threatens our future security.

"In short, Labour's approach to education makes us less secure, while tuition fees and top-up fees restrict opportunity."

ENDS