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1193064

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Development Aid: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2020 to Question 40723 on Overseas Aid: Coronavirus, which of her Department's planned spend and objectives have been deprioritised in order to divert resources to the covid-19 response.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	43720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>To maximise DFID’s resources for our COVID-19 response we are: using HMG’s crisis reserve, adapting and scaling up existing programmes that respond to COVID-19, and reviewing programmes that can be slowed or paused to free up resources e.g. preparation for delayed international events or support for delayed elections. We will continue to closely monitor the scenarios and impacts of COVID-19 in vulnerable countries, to ensure the best possible use of 0.7 in our response to COVID-19 and HMG’s wider development priorities.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 12/05/2020 16:15:27 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1193085

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Ventilators
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many ventilators has the UK pledged to donate to developing countries.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	43693
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is helping to lead the global response to COVID-19. We are using UK aid to its full effect to counter the health, humanitarian, and economic risks and impact of this pandemic in the developing world. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need through close collaboration with our partners. The UK has, to date, pledged £744 million of UK aid to help end this pandemic as quickly as possible.</p><p>Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those who need it the most. This includes £75 million for the World Health Organisation (WHO) to help lead the international efforts to stop the spread of this virus and help access critical medical supplies, £55 million to International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement appeals to provide medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics, build quarantine areas and disinfection facilities and a range of support to NGOs.</p><p>The WHO and UNICEF are working with governments to identify requirements and ensure that supplies reach those in need, including the critical medical equipment for oxygen therapy.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 12/05/2020 16:17:32 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1193086

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has plans to introduce a volunteering scheme to help developing countries have insufficient staff to support a covid-19 response.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	43694
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>Official responses to COVID-19 are heavily reliant on a range of volunteers, who are devoting their time and skills both at home in the UK and in developing countries. The new DFID-funded Global Standard for Volunteering sets a useful benchmark for how volunteers can be deployed in a responsible, effective and safe way.</p><p>DFID’s Volunteering for Development (V4D) programme, delivered in partnership with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), is working through volunteers to directly respond to the pandemic in 18 developing countries.</p><p>V4D volunteers are working within national response efforts to: ensure continued access to education for girls and children living with disabilities; strengthen health systems; improve emergency coordination systems; share key advice in accessible ways; and, support micro enterprise for the extreme poor.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 12/05/2020 16:18:38 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1193091

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Africa: Locusts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps her Department has taken to mitigate the effect of locust plagues in Africa.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	43698
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned about the devastating locust outbreak in East Africa, which is destroying crops, livelihoods and essential food supplies. It is compounding the impact of humanitarian disasters, conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic, putting millions of people at risk of food insecurity.</p><p>To date the UK has provided £7 million to FAO’s regional appeal for surveillance, control and coordination activities, and the Department for International Development (DFID) has significant humanitarian and development programmes in the affected regions that are adapting to support vulnerable communities in response to the outbreak. The Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa, based in Nairobi, has also been using a DFID-funded super computer to predict movements of locusts and geographically target the response.</p><p>Our support is having an immediate impact. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are ready to help further.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 12/05/2020 16:14:15 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1193253

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
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: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the need to increase the UK Government's contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to meet increased demand for core services for Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff North
tabling member printed	Anna McMorrin
uin	43743
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is a long-term supporter of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA). Our funding helps provide education to more than 533,000 children (half of which are girls), health services for around 3.1 million Palestinian refugees, and social safety net assistance for around <del class="ministerial">271,000</del> <ins class="ministerial">255,000 </ins>of the most vulnerable.</p><p>The services that UNRWA provide play a key role in helping contain and address the spread of COVID-19. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are working closely with UNRWA and the international community to ensure a co-ordinated response to the outbreak.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 12/05/2020 16:02:53 question first ministerially corrected 29/06/2020 11:21:23 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly previous answer version 20633 answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4632 label Biography information for Anna McMorrin

1193255

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Middle East: Nutrition
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 extent to which her Department’s funding for nutrition programmes in low-income and fragile states throughout the Middle East is meeting demand for those programmes.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff North
tabling member printed	Anna McMorrin
uin	43745
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>Across the Middle East, malnutrition rates, as well as food insecurity levels, are very concerning, particularly in Yemen and Syria where rates are among the highest in the world.</p><p>In Yemen, last financial year (19/20), UK support helped UNICEF screen over 400,000 children for severe acute malnutrition and enabled 45,000 children to be enrolled in nutrition programmes after screening. The UK is the second-largest donor to the malnutrition response in Yemen and we continue to encourage other donors to provide significant funding to Yemen, including for the malnutrition response.</p><p>In Syria, last financial year (19/20), the UK reached over 170,000 children under five, or pregnant or new mothers, with nutrition interventions. The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis since it began in 2011. We are at the forefront of the humanitarian response, driving other donors to help those acutely in need, including on key issues such as malnutrition.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 12/05/2020 16:04:15 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4632 label Biography information for Anna McMorrin

1193256

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Middle East: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the need to tackle (a) malnutrition and (b) food scarcity among vulnerable people throughout the Middle East.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff North
tabling member printed	Anna McMorrin
uin	43746
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>On Friday 17 April, the Secretary of State for International Development spoke with the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, David Beasley. Their discussion covered COVID-19, the need for humanitarian access in Yemen (to enable the delivery of food to vulnerable people) and the current food scarcity risk posed by locusts in the Middle East and Africa.</p><p>On Monday 27 April, I spoke with the Government of Yemen’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Hadrami, where we discussed ways of stabilising Yemen’s economy (which will be critical for ensuring food imports and preventing a further deterioration in food scarcity).</p><p>On Thursday 23 April, DFID’s Acting Permanent Secretary discussed ways of improving humanitarian funding levels in Yemen, including in response to malnutrition and food scarcity, with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock.</p><p>Ministers and UK officials also remain in close contact with other donors on malnutrition and food scarcity across the Middle East.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 12/05/2020 16:01:55 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4632 label Biography information for Anna McMorrin

1192716

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on developing a debt-relief plan for developing countries.
tabling member constituency	Putney
tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
uin	43183
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government is deeply concerned about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public finances of low-income developing countries. In this time of crisis, it is vital that creditors work together to ensure that servicing debts does not prevent countries protecting their citizens and economies.</p><p>The UK, alongside the G20 and the Paris Club of official creditors, has committed to a temporary suspension of debt service repayments from the poorest countries. This official sector effort could provide up to $12 billion of additional fiscal space until the end of the year, allowing countries to redirect finances towards mitigating the health and economic impacts of COVID-19.</p><p>In the future, some countries, especially those entering the crisis with significant debt vulnerabilities may require debt relief. If debts do require restructuring or reduction, this will need to be done evenly amongst creditors, including non-Paris Club G20 creditors and the private sector. The G20 initiative provides more time to assess countries’ debt positions and explore possible solutions with other stakeholders whilst, importantly, freeing up resources to allow countries to respond to the crisis.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 12/05/2020 16:07:23 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1192718

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to help tackle the economic effects of covid-19 on local economies in developing countries.
tabling member constituency	Putney
tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
uin	43184
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is actively supporting the poorest countries and most vulnerable people at a time when the secondary economic impacts of COVID-19 are running ahead of the health impacts in many countries.</p><p>First, we are supporting countries to free up the fiscal space that they need to reorient spending to responding to the crisis. The UK has made a leading contribution of up to £150 million to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, to fund the poorest countries’ debt repayments to the IMF. The UK and other G20 countries have also committed to suspend debt service payments for International Development Association-eligible and the UN Least Developed Countries until the end of 2020, providing up to $12 billion of additional fiscal space. We are also providing advisory support to countries covering economic policy and their broader response, including trade-offs associated with containment measures.</p><p>Second, we are working with the International Financial Institutions to make additional resources available. We have committed to doubling our existing £2.2bn loan to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, to support concessional financing for the poorest countries. The UK also pushed early for a capital increase of the World Bank in 2018 and, thanks to these efforts, the World Bank Group has been in a position to respond rapidly to this crisis, making $160bn of financing available over 15 months.</p><p>Third, at a time when many investors are retreating from these markets, CDC, the UK’s Development Finance Institution, is committed to investing patiently and working alongside other Development Finance Institutions to help companies access the finance they need and to protect supply chains and jobs overseas.</p><p>Fourth, the UK is also committed to directly supporting the most vulnerable people affected by the economic fallout of COVID-19. We are currently supporting social protection and/or humanitarian cash transfer programmes in 35 countries, in addition to wider support through multilateral institutions.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 12/05/2020 16:09:06 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1192720

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help support the informal economy in developing countries during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Putney
tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
uin	43186
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>DFID currently supports social protection and/or humanitarian cash transfer programmes in 35 countries, enabling the most vulnerable people - including those who work in the informal sector - to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19.</p><p>Beyond social protection, other DFID programmes are being adapted to support informal sector workers in response to COVID-19. For example, we are supporting the Kampala Capital City Authority with emergency provisions to assist the most vulnerable in the city, including providing shelter to vendors in the informal markets.</p><p>We have supported the Multilateral Development Banks to provide much-needed working capital for small businesses and supply chains, which informal workers depend on in developing countries.  This includes $8 billion of fast-tracked support from the International Finance Cooperation.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 12/05/2020 16:10:22 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson