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518782

	registered interest
	date	18/05/2016
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Development Aid: Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that the new Education Cannot Wait fund will focus on the most marginalised children, including girls and children with disabilities.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL76
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2016 answer text <p>The UK has played a leading role in the development of Education Cannot Wait – a fund for education in emergencies. A key focus for Education Cannot Wait will be on ensuring that marginalised children and young people are able to access a quality education. This includes refugees and internally displaced children, as well as children facing barriers to their education because of their gender, disability or other factors.</p><p>This focus is reflected in the Fund’s indicative headline results, which commits to providing “Inclusive education [that] reaches the most marginalised children and young people in crises” with a target of “100% of supported education opportunities demonstrate increase in education for girls, disabled and those in remote locations”.</p><p>The UK will continue to engage closely during Education Cannot Wait’s inception phase, to ensure that this commitment is fully reflected in its final design and results frameworks.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 02/06/2016 15:48:27 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

752410

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government (1) what contact they have had with, and (2) what support they intend to provide to, the Nineveh Reconstruction Committee, regarding (a) the rebuilding of 13,000 homes on the Nineveh Plains, and (b) the need to ensure that those Christians internally displaced from the Plains are provided with adequate food supplies.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL856
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2017 answer text <p>The UK Government recognises the specific risks such as abduction and murder faced by religious minorities in Iraq and Syria, including those who have suffered so horrifically at the hands of Daesh, and is deeply concerned by reports of human rights abuses motivated by religious or ethnic identity.</p><p>All people in need, from any community, irrespective of religious affiliation, are eligible for humanitarian assistance. DFID’s humanitarian implementing partners, including the UN, consider a wide range of issues when assessing an individual’s vulnerability such as the impact of physical or mental disabilities, income, age, missing family members, and whether individuals are already receiving assistance from other sources.</p><p>The organisations through which we channel our support do not identify or record beneficiaries by their religion. The reason for this is because there is a risk that collecting information about the ethnicity or religion of people receiving aid could be obtained by others, including extremist groups, and used to persecute them.</p><p>We do not therefore hold information on how much UK-funded support is channelled to Yezidis and Christians either inside or outside camps. This year the UK will provide £40 million for urgent humanitarian assistance in Iraq and £4 million for the UN’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation (FFIS) to help rebuild communities affected by Daesh, including for minority communities in newly liberated areas in Iraq. The UK is also providing £500 million to support people, including refugees and internally displaced Syrians, affected by the Syria crisis in 2017. DFID does not fund the Bishops Emergency Committee.</p><p>The Nineveh Reconstruction Committee comprised of Church representatives has not contacted the UK Government or submitted a proposal for UK support for the construction of homes on the Nineveh Plains.</p><p>The UK is funding the UN’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation (FFIS), which is supporting 152 projects in mainly Christian communities in the Ninewa Plains and 70 projects in Yezidi communities in Sinjar, Rabia and Sinuni.</p><p>UN agencies are obliged to operate by the humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality which aim to ensure that no one is excluded or discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, or religion; and to also ensure that the specific risks facing minorities are addressed and that assistance reaches those who need it most. DFID considers reports from a wide range of sources, including field visits by UK officials where these are possible, to assess the effectiveness of UN operations and their compliance with humanitarian principles. The UN carries out vital work in both Syria and Iraq, and UN staff frequently risk their lives to deliver assistance to people in need, including to areas where Daesh or the Assad regime seek to prevent aid being delivered.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL852 HL854 HL855 question first answered 25/07/2017 15:00:41 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

732060

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how much it has cost to repair storm damage to Calshot Harbour on Tristan da Cunha from 1987 to date.
	tabling member printed	Lord Jones
	uin	HL113
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2017 answer text <p>DFID invested £16.1m to maintain and repair Calshot Harbour in Tristan da Cunha between 2000 and 2016. Financial information prior to 2000 is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost to the taxpayer.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 28/06/2017 15:59:52 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	530 label Biography information for Lord Jones

747381

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how the Department for International Development's strategic vision and plans reflect the specific recommendations of the UN High Level Panel (1) to support informal women workers, and (2) to invest in the recognition, redistribution and reduction of women's unpaid care work.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Goudie
	uin	HL345
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2017 answer text <p>In January 2017 the Department for International Development launched an Economic Development Strategy which includes a strong emphasis on supporting women workers to overcome barriers to opportunities; including unpaid care.</p><p>DFID is already supporting informal women workers to secure property rights and increase their access to finance and markets. In the Niger Delta DFID is working with women farmers and entrepreneurs to increase yields and sales from cassava, palm oil and fisheries.</p><p>New partnerships with business under the Work and Opportunities for Women programme, will improve job opportunities and working conditions for informal women workers in supply chains, with the intention of also addressing the burden of unpaid care.</p><p>In addition, the Department’s research on women’s economic empowerment has increased global recognition and commitments on the importance of an increased focus on care.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 10/07/2017 13:46:18 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3575 label Biography information for Baroness Goudie

747380

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how they are implementing the recommendations of the UN Secretary General's High Level Panel on women's economic empowerment.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Goudie
	uin	HL344
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2017 answer text <p>The UK is a founding member of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment.</p><p>In response to the Panel, DFID is working to deliver better jobs and working conditions across supply chains, increase access to finance and rights to land and tackle legal barriers and discrimination. For example, DFID’s new Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) programme, will work with businesses in some of the poorest countries to improve job opportunities and working conditions for at least 300,000 women in global supply chains.</p><p>The UK has a strong domestic story. In April this year the UK became one of the first countries to introduce mandatory gender pay gap reporting for businesses over 250 employees. We are also working with business to achieve 33% of women on boards by 2020 and eliminate all-male boards in the FTSE 350.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 10/07/2017 10:45:23 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3575 label Biography information for Baroness Goudie

732729

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how they expect the EU Refugee Facility for Turkey 2016–17, which helps refugees and internally displaced persons, will be spent; and what proportion of those funds will be allocated to education and training.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL167
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2017 answer text <p>The European Union Facility for Refugees in Turkey helps build schools, provide health services and makes social welfare payments for the most vulnerable refugees, and provides vital municipal infrastructure such as waste management and water treatment facilities to alleviate pressure on Turkish communities hosting refugees.</p><p>As of May 2017, 42% of the facility has been spent on education. Almost half a million Syrian refugee children have access to education and 20,000 Syrian volunteer teachers have received training in improved teaching techniques.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 03/07/2017 12:18:31 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

751993

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Nuclear Power
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure their emergency funding for displaced people from Mosul and the Nineveh Plains reaches displaced minorities such as the Yazidis and Christians; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which their policy of neutrality and impartiality will lead to the inclusion or exclusion of those who have been subject to genocide.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL828
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2017 answer text <ul><li>The UK Government recognises the specific risks faced by religious minorities in Iraq and Syria, including those who have suffered so horrifically at the hands of Daesh. We are aware of reports that fear of persecution or discrimination in camps may be deterring some people from using them, and are in close touch with our partners involved in the management of camps and the delivery of services within them, including UN agencies. They have clear guidelines, mechanisms and accountability frameworks in place to prevent discrimination by their own staff or those of their partners. DFID takes any allegations that these are not being applied effectively very seriously, and stands ready to follow up specific allegations with the partners concerned.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The security of the camps and all those living in them is the responsibility of the appropriate civil authorities (e.g. in Iraq, it lies with the Government of Iraq) and is monitored by independent humanitarian actors such as UNHCR. UK officials stand ready to report any specific allegations of persecution or violence against religious minorities within the camps to those authorities. The Government is concerned about Daesh infiltration inside camps. In Iraq the Iraqi authorities carry out screening of those entering camps in order to seek to prevent such infiltration. UN agencies have set up grievance mechanisms that allow any minority member to anonymously report abuse, persecution or discrimination; these can also be used to report on suspected extremist activity.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>DFID’s funding for Iraq is targeted towards those who are most in need including vulnerable people from minority communities such as Yazidis and Christians. It is delivered in line with the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for the whole of Iraq, which is based on comprehensive needs assessments carried out by a wide range of partners. The humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality aim to ensure that no one is excluded or discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, or religion, that the specific risks facing minorities are addressed and that assistance reaches those who need it most. In the difficult environments in Syria and Iraq, where access to vulnerable people is often very challenging especially as some actors such as Daesh and the Assad regime deliberately prevent humanitarian access, DFID regularly challenges our partners to demonstrate that they are doing all they can to meet the needs the most vulnerable people, including those from religious minorities. We welcome information from all sources to help us to hold them to account.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>DFID is not aware of scheduled meetings in 2015 with Christian representatives in Iraq that officials did not attend, but DFID officials regularly meet with representatives of Iraqi Christian and Yezidi communities. DFID Ministers have also met representatives of these communities.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>DFID has received Dr Russell Blacker’s correspondence and has responded suggesting a meeting is organised with Dr Blacker, Lord Bates and Mr Burt to discuss together.</li></ul> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL829 HL830 HL831 question first answered 20/07/2017 16:23:20 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

731047

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what action the Department for International Development (DfID) is taking to promote Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which promulgates freedom of religion and belief; how that action relates to (1) Sustainable Development Goal 16, and (2) DfID’s UK aid strategy objectives, and to the allocation of resources; and what steps they are taking to ensure that DfID's partners and projects do not discriminate on religious grounds.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL55
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2017 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) leads the government’s work to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief internationally. DFID works closely with FCO, helping to raise concerns about discriminatory legislation and practices with governments, and funding targeted project work. We are clear that promoting freedom of religion or belief is an important contributor to achieving the UK Aid Strategy’s goals and is directly relevant to Sustainable Development Goal 16 on building peaceful and inclusive societies with access to justice for all and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions. DFID’s Partnership Principles include consideration of freedom of religion or belief alongside other human rights.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 28/06/2017 16:13:57 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

752498

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking concerning the reported confiscation and destruction of EU-funded humanitarian aid projects in the West Bank.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL944
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2017 answer text <p>We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions and confiscations in Area C of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The European Union (EU) has not to date asked for compensation for EU-funded infrastructure. No decision has been made yet as to whether to claim compensation in the future.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 24/07/2017 13:48:35 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

752497

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking concerning the reported delays in ambulance response times to treat injured and sick Palestinians.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL943
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2017 answer text <p>Ambulance and permit delays can lead to missed appointments and interrupted treatments, endangering the health and lives of patients. The UK has consistently called on the Israeli Government to ease movement and access restrictions that reduce access to medical care for Palestinians. The UK supports essential health services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories through funding to the Palestinian Authority and UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 24/07/2017 13:51:16 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge