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1015839

registered interest
date	27/11/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Palestinians: Overseas Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 23 November (HL11378), whether they have made any assessment as to whether the non-publication of the audit reports relating to UK direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority is compatible with provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Palestinian National Authority and the Government signed on 7 July 2011 and extended on 22 December 2014 relating to the provision of effective public oversight of budget formulation and other key areas.
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL11840
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2018 answer text <p>The Memorandum of Understanding included a commitment to the UK’s Partnership Principles. One of those Principles was about improving domestic accountability through oversight mechanisms for Palestinian citizens to scrutinise budget formulation and implementation. The Principle did not relate to publishing audits of UK contributions. In line with Section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act (2000), we withheld the audit reports of the Palestinian Authority (PA) from 2010 – 2015.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 11/12/2018 17:28:50 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

1005607

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Palestinians: Overseas Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 20 June 2016 (HL413), whether they will make available the independent audits relating to UK direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority.
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL11378
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2018 answer text <p>In line with Section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act (2000), we withheld the audit reports of the Palestinian Authority (PA) from 2010 - 2015, in order to protect delivery of our poverty focused objectives.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 23/11/2018 14:16:30 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

1005608

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Palestinians: Overseas Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 20 June 2016 (HL413), what is their assessment of (1) the adequacy of independent audits relating to UK direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority, and (2) the regular reviews of those audits, following of PwC’s response to a complaint submitted to the UK National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises that the narrow scope of its auditing work did not require it to consider the distribution of funds to individuals implicated as terrorists.
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL11379
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2018 answer text <p>UK officials safeguard and continuously monitor the expenditure of UK aid in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. UK aid is channelled through the EU Palestinian-European Socio-Economic Management Assistance Mechanism (PEGASE). Our money goes into a special, dedicated bank account before being paid to individuals who have been vetted in advance. Independent auditors then check that the money paid out of the UK dedicated bank account only goes to these vetted individuals after every disbursement. We remain confident that these measures enable us to adequately monitor and evaluate our support to the Palestinian Authority.</p><p> </p><p>The UK National Contact Point has published its Initial Assessment of the complaint made by a UK NGO. This concluded that the issues raised in the complaint merit further examination. The Initial Assessment is not an indication of any wrongdoing by the respondent. The UK National Contact Point is now working with both parties to facilitate mediation on the issues raised. In line with its procedures, the NCP will not be expected to publish further information on the case until this stage of the process is complete and a Final Statement has been prepared.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 23/11/2018 14:14:19 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

890697

registered interest
date	24/04/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Palestinians: International Assistance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Palestine regarding the payment of salaries from international aid to convicted terrorists and their families.
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL7219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2018 answer text <p>No UK aid is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners or their families. UK financial assistance to the PA is only used to help to pay the salaries of health and education public servants in the West Bank. Only named public servants - including nurses, doctors and teachers – from a pre-approved EU list are eligible.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 09/05/2018 16:12:55 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

524608

registered interest
date	13/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Hilda Murrell
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the 2013 Report of the European Court of Auditors <i>EU Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian Authority </i>said (1) that a number of civil servants in Gaza were being paid without going to work, and (2) that the EU was not using its leverage on the Palestinian Authority to promote reforms; and what assessment they have made of the EU allocation of 252.5 million euros to the Palestinian Authority in 2016 through PEGASE.
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL641
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2016 answer text <p>The European Court of Auditors report of the EU’s Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian Authority assessed the European External Action Service’s and the European Commission’s management of the direct financial support provided through the PEGASE mechanism to the Palestinian Authority. The report is accessible in the public domain.</p><p>The UK is supportive of the EU’s programme of financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority, which supports delivery of essential basic services to Palestinians and helps maintain the viability of the two-state solution.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 27/06/2016 16:07:06 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

523901

registered interest
date	08/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Special Constables
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Decision on health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory adopted at the 69th World Health Assembly, whether they will bring forward resolutions at the Assembly concerning people in urgent need of health care in Yemen and attacks on medical facilities in Syria.
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2016 answer text <p>Tackling emergency healthcare needs in Yemen is absolutely critical. According to the United Nations, more than 14 million people lack access to basic healthcare in Yemen in 2016 and 2.1 million women and children are malnourished, of which an estimated 320,000 are severely malnourished children. We are currently focussed on helping to meet those needs and have no plans for a resolution at this stage. Since January 2015, UK assistance has helped provide healthcare to more than 120,000 Yemenis and improved sanitation for over 650,000 people.</p><p>In Syria, it is unacceptable that parties to the conflict continue to carry out flagrant human rights violations, indiscriminate attacks against densely populated areas and targeting of civilian infrastructure. We are particularly concerned by continued attacks against health facilities and personnel, with only 40 percent of public hospitals reported as functioning.</p><p>The UK has consistently supported the need for accurate reporting and accountability for the atrocities that have been committed in Syria. The UN Secretary General and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, already provides monthly reports to the UN Security Council on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law inside Syria. These updates include detailed reports on attacks on medical facilities.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 20/06/2016 12:22:58 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

522860

registered interest
date	06/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Gaza: Electricity
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 11 May (HL8116), whether the Deloitte auditors who determine the eligible Palestinian beneficiaries under the PEGASE mechanism are regulated by any British regulator.
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL411
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2016 answer text <p>Deloitte is a registered audit firm that employs certified public accountants who conduct their assignment in compliance with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) standards.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 20/06/2016 13:02:59 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

522861

registered interest
date	06/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Brexit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 25 April (HL7413), whether the independent auditor of UK payments to the Palestinian Authority that are channelled through a trust fund administered by the World Bank is regulated by any British regulator.
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2016 answer text <p>Deloitte is a registered audit firm that employs certified public accountants who conduct their assignment in compliance with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) standards.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 20/06/2016 12:34:41 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

522862

registered interest
date	06/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Christmas Bonus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 11 May (HL8116), what is their assessment of the view expressed in section 4.1.1 of the Overseas Development Institute’s Final Report of November 2015 <i>Evaluative Review of the Statebuilding Grant and the Palestinian Governance Facility—DFID Palestinian programme </i>that "the manner in which DFID’s funds are demonstrated to have only paid the salaries of PEGASE-approved employees is of questionable efficacy", and the "accounting exercise" "undertaken <i>ex post </i>to show that DFID funds are less than the outstanding amount needed to fund salaries of PEGASE-approved PA employees" "is of questionable robustness, as this kind of notional earmarking provides few fiduciary assurances."
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL413
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2016 answer text <p>UK direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority is used for the sole purpose of paying the salaries of civil servants responsible for providing essential services. Our support is provided through a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, which carries out close monitoring of PA expenditure. Only named civil servants from a pre-approved EU list are eligible, and the vetting process ensures that our funds do not benefit terrorist groups. The process is subject to independent auditing, which is regularly reviewed and strengthened accordingly.</p><p>As the ODI report itself makes clear, UK support to the PA is delivering real results, improving lives and is instrumental in preventing economic collapse and violent escalation.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 20/06/2016 12:33:41 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

522863

registered interest
date	06/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Devolution: England
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 11 May (HL8117) what assessment they have made of paragraph 27 of the Third Report of the House of Commons International Development Committee <i>The UK’s Development Work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories</i> which states "We are nevertheless concerned that DFID is not taking adequate measures to prevent its funds from being misused. Given the scale of the operation, with 85,000 civil servants being paid with UK money, there is a serious risk of abuse. We do not regard a six-monthly audit as an adequate protection to secure the integrity of UK aid money."
tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
uin	HL414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2016 answer text <p>We investigate thoroughly any claims that UK funds are misused. UK aid to the PA is subject to rigorous scrutiny, with safeguards in place to ensure its being used for proper development purposes.</p><p>UK support to the PA funds named civil servants from a pre-approved EU list only. The EU PEGASE mechanism is used to earmark funds to payment of vetted PA civil servants and pensioners. The list of approved recipients is subject to a vetting process that includes screening against international and ad hoc sanctions lists. The screening covers over 20 different risk categories, including terrorism financing and is updated daily.</p><p>The EU PEGASE mechanism is independently audited, as is UK direct financial assistance to the PA.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 20/06/2016 15:22:22 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech