Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1010166

registered interest
date	19/11/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the findings of the 5th November report by the Office of the Inspector General at the United States Department of Defense concerning the diversion of USAID funding for humanitarian assistance in Syria to support the activities of the Ha’yat Tahrir Al-Sham militia.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	192766
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>hile we acknowledge that working in fragile and conflict-affected countries carries risks, DFID has robust and extensive controls in place to ensure that tax payers’ funds are used appropriately and effectively; that UK aid reaches those who need it and that it does not benefit extremist groups, such as Ha’yat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS). DFID does not provide funding unless our NGO and UN partners can assure us that it will not benefit extremist groups, and we will withdraw support if there is reason to believe UK tax payer’s money may be at risk. We remain at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis, and maintain close communication with the US, the UN and other donors to support international efforts in Syria.</p><p> </p><p>As with other DFID programmes, our work in Syria remains under constant review and scrutiny, both through internal and independent processes, including by the National Audit Office and Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), which last audited DFID’s Syria humanitarian programmes in May 2018.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 26/11/2018 14:21:13 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1006959

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether funding from her Department has been used in financial years (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19 to support humanitarian assistance programmes in areas of Syria controlled by the Ha’yat Tahrir Al-Sham militia .
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	191349
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian response providing life-saving and life-changing support for millions of people across Syria, including those living in Northwest Syria where Ha’yat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) is present.</p><p>In 2016/17 and 2017/18, DFID spent £205 million and £152 million respectively on humanitarian projects in Syria. In 2017/18, over a third of this was delivered cross-border from Turkey, mostly to Idlib governate in Northwest Syria, where in 2017 we reached over 600,000 people in need. For 2018/19, DFID plans to spend £174 million for life-saving support in Syria.</p><p>While we acknowledge that working in fragile and conflict-affected countries carries risks, DFID has robust and extensive controls in place to ensure that tax payers’ money is used appropriately and effectively, that UK aid reaches those who need it most and that it does not benefit extremist groups such as HTS. Our programmes are delivered by trusted NGO and UN partners with proven expertise and track records. We do not provide funding unless these organisations can assure DFID that it will not benefit extremists. All our assistance is monitored robustly, and DFID will withdraw support if there is a reason to believe UK tax payer’s money may be at risk. For example, in September 2018, DFID took the precautionary measure to pause all cross-border assistance at Bab Al Hawa in Northwest Syria, while we investigated concern around whether HTS collected fees from trucks delivering humanitarian aid. Whilst this situation was swiftly resolved, it demonstrates the robust approach we take to these matters, and are working with other donors to mitigate the risks of a similar situation reoccurring in the future.</p><p>As with other DFID programmes, our work in Syria remains under subject to regular review and close scrutiny, both through internal and independent processes, including by the National Audit Office and the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, which last examined DFID’s Syria humanitarian programmes in May 2018.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 191350 question first answered 21/11/2018 15:49:41 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1006960

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will ask the National Audit Office to investigate whether funding from her Department has been diverted in financial years (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19 to support the activities of the Ha’yat Tahrir Al-Sham militia.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	191350
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian response providing life-saving and life-changing support for millions of people across Syria, including those living in Northwest Syria where Ha’yat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) is present.</p><p>In 2016/17 and 2017/18, DFID spent £205 million and £152 million respectively on humanitarian projects in Syria. In 2017/18, over a third of this was delivered cross-border from Turkey, mostly to Idlib governate in Northwest Syria, where in 2017 we reached over 600,000 people in need. For 2018/19, DFID plans to spend £174 million for life-saving support in Syria.</p><p>While we acknowledge that working in fragile and conflict-affected countries carries risks, DFID has robust and extensive controls in place to ensure that tax payers’ money is used appropriately and effectively, that UK aid reaches those who need it most and that it does not benefit extremist groups such as HTS. Our programmes are delivered by trusted NGO and UN partners with proven expertise and track records. We do not provide funding unless these organisations can assure DFID that it will not benefit extremists. All our assistance is monitored robustly, and DFID will withdraw support if there is a reason to believe UK tax payer’s money may be at risk. For example, in September 2018, DFID took the precautionary measure to pause all cross-border assistance at Bab Al Hawa in Northwest Syria, while we investigated concern around whether HTS collected fees from trucks delivering humanitarian aid. Whilst this situation was swiftly resolved, it demonstrates the robust approach we take to these matters, and are working with other donors to mitigate the risks of a similar situation reoccurring in the future.</p><p>As with other DFID programmes, our work in Syria remains under subject to regular review and close scrutiny, both through internal and independent processes, including by the National Audit Office and the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, which last examined DFID’s Syria humanitarian programmes in May 2018.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 191349 question first answered 21/11/2018 15:49:41 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1002685

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Abduction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment her Department has made of the risk of kidnap for ransom to (a) aid workers and (b) other representatives of non-governmental organisations operating in Idlib province in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	188759
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2018 answer text <p>Kidnapping for ransom poses a threat to the safety and security of aid workers and NGO staff operating throughout Syria, including in Idlib province. The UK continues to call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians and humanitarian actors, so aid can reach those in desperate need, and those responding to the crisis can help the most vulnerable without fear of attack. Under a duty of care to their staff, humanitarian agencies should be conducting risk assessments and taking appropriate mitigating action to protect workers. The UK will continue to support any action to protect humanitarian actors throughout the country.</p><p> </p><p>The UK does not make ransom payments, on the basis that providing money or property fuels terrorist activity and encourages further kidnappings. Any payment to, or for the benefit of, a proscribed terrorist organisation is contrary to UN sanctions, and therefore illegal. DFID aid complies with UK and international counter terrorism legislation, and our funding agreements commit partners to understand and comply with international counter terrorism legislation. All partners undergo a stringent due diligence process and strict controls and procedures are in place to prevent diversion, to ensure that UK aid reaches its intended beneficiaries.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 188761 question first answered 13/11/2018 17:58:53 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1002687

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Abduction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether funding allocated by her Department to non-governmental organisations operating in Idlib province in Syria has been used to make ransom payments to obtain the release of kidnapped aid workers in 2018.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	188761
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2018 answer text <p>Kidnapping for ransom poses a threat to the safety and security of aid workers and NGO staff operating throughout Syria, including in Idlib province. The UK continues to call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians and humanitarian actors, so aid can reach those in desperate need, and those responding to the crisis can help the most vulnerable without fear of attack. Under a duty of care to their staff, humanitarian agencies should be conducting risk assessments and taking appropriate mitigating action to protect workers. The UK will continue to support any action to protect humanitarian actors throughout the country.</p><p> </p><p>The UK does not make ransom payments, on the basis that providing money or property fuels terrorist activity and encourages further kidnappings. Any payment to, or for the benefit of, a proscribed terrorist organisation is contrary to UN sanctions, and therefore illegal. DFID aid complies with UK and international counter terrorism legislation, and our funding agreements commit partners to understand and comply with international counter terrorism legislation. All partners undergo a stringent due diligence process and strict controls and procedures are in place to prevent diversion, to ensure that UK aid reaches its intended beneficiaries.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt grouped question UIN 188759 question first answered 13/11/2018 17:58:53 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry