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1129731

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Yemen: Internally Displaced People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department is providing to internally displaced people in Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	259950
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>The UK is providing a range of support to displaced people in Yemen in response to the displacement of 3.3 million people since the conflict began in 2015. Last financial year (2018/19), for example, we <del class="ministerial">provided</del> <ins class="ministerial">contributed to the provision of </ins>food assistance to over 490,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) and since June 2017 we have helped over 40,000 IDPs receive psychosocial support and provided over 35,000 with life-saving health care.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has also supported the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide primary healthcare and mental health services, legal assistance, child protection and support to survivors of gender-based violence. We are supporting IOM and UNHCR with £9 million this financial year (2019/20) to allow them to continue providing these vital services.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 11/06/2019 16:43:41 question first ministerially corrected 19/06/2019 10:00:52 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison previous answer version 121913 answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1015485

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	Overseas Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what mechanisms her Department has in place to monitor the spending of overseas aid to prevent abuse and corruption.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	196171
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>DFID operates in challenging contexts providing a wide spectrum of aid and assistance.</p><p>DFID has rigorous controls to ensure that aid reaches those for whom it is intended and delivers results.</p><p>DFID does not give money to organisations or governments if we are not confident that they will manage it well.</p><p> </p><p>DFID has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and has in place a wide range of standard controls and measures to protect UK aid. These include:</p><ul><li><p>Rigorous risk assessments and monitoring requirements for all programmes. All DFID programmes are assessed at inception to identify and address the risk of aid diversion, such as weaknesses in a recipient’s financial systems. Where necessary, programmes will insist on extra measures of safeguard, and we will put in place arrangements such as continuous audits.</p></li><li><p>Proactive fraud risk management – better fraud prevention through good programme design and strong monitoring. We use monitoring visits, financial spot checks and audits to ensure all funding is used for the purpose it was intended.</p></li><li><p>Programme agreements and contracts which are designed to ensure partners are accountable for all funding we provide. We expect all international agencies to have the same zero tolerance approach to fraud that we have if they are to receive taxpayers’ money.</p></li><li><p>A rigorous process of due diligence, where partners must demonstrate accountable and transparent governance structures and financial procedures before we fund them. This provides assurance on their capacity and capability to deliver DFID programmes, allows DFID to identify and understand potential risks, and ascertain if these can be mitigated and managed. Due Diligence on programme partners includes an in-depth assessment of fraud risk.</p></li><li><p>Fraud awareness sessions risk management training for staff.</p></li><li><p>Regular internal and external audits.</p></li></ul><p>Where there is suspicion of corruption and fraud DFID will always take action; and if fraud or corruption is uncovered DFID will always work to recover UK taxpayers’ money.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 04/12/2018 17:34:59 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1015486

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	Overseas Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the criteria is for her Department to allocate financial resources to an overseas country.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	196172
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>DFID supports delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Government’s objectives as set out in the 2015 UK Aid Strategy. Bilateral Official Development Assistance is allocated based on considerations of need, i.e. levels of poverty, ability of countries to fund themselves and whether DFID can add value. The 2016 bilateral and multilateral development reviews set out our approach to allocations in more detail. Our project design approach makes sure every project focuses on eradicating poverty, and projects are rigorously appraised to ensure value for money.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 04/12/2018 17:38:20 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1015487

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	Development Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the criteria her Department uses to assess the benefit to the UK of the allocation of Overseas Development Assistance.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	196173
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>Through our statutory commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on aid and the way that we spend money to reduce poverty, we promote UK values and influence in the world. We are, for example, tackling the drivers of instability and extremism, stopping infectious disease from reaching our shores, and building prosperity in our trading partners of the future. All UK aid is in the national interest.</p><p> </p><p>Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) must be spent in compliance with the eligibility criteria set out by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). DFID strives to ensure that each project on which we spend British taxpayers’ money contributes both to reducing poverty in developing countries and to the UK national interest, which is defined as a combination of health, security, prosperity and influence. DFID officials are expected to demonstrate the benefit to the UK when seeking approval for new programmes.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 04/12/2018 17:40:08 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1015488

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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to ensure that funding allocated by her Department from the public purse does not find its way into the hands of terrorists in the Palestinian Territories.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	196174
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/12/2018 answer text <p>The UK has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and robustly controls against the diversion of aid. We have strong controls in place to monitor spending, including due diligence assessments, annual financial audits of project spending and regular field visits; all to ensure that UK aid reaches the intended beneficiaries. DFID complies with UK and international counter terrorism legislation and DFID funding agreements commit partners to understand and comply with international counter terrorism legislation.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 05/12/2018 17:15:19 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1015490

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	Conflict Resolution: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress she has made on the implementation of the UK national action plan on women, peace and security 2018 to 2022, published in January 2018.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	196175
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2018 answer text <p>The first annual report to Parliament on the UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2018 – 2022 is expected to be published in December.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 03/12/2018 16:28:28 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1015491

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	Global Financing Facility
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total amount of money is that the UK Government has provided towards funding the Global Financing Facility.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	196176
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>At the Global Financing Facility (GFF) replenishment on 6 November the UK pledged an additional £50m over 3 years from 2020. This is in addition to the £30m already pledged at last year’s Family Planning Summit in London. Our 2020 funding will be released on achievement of a set of reforms agreed between the UK and the GFF. This funding will increase domestic and private sector resources for child, adolescent and women’s health and nutrition.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 04/12/2018 17:31:23 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1038558

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
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: Internally Displaced People
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 humanitarian situation in the Rukban camp in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206820
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK is extremely concerned about the dire humanitarian situation of the 40,000 – 50,000 displaced Syrians currently stranded at Rukban camp. Whilst we were encouraged by the recent aid convoy that took place in November 2018, it is crucial that this is not viewed as a one-off event. A recent UN assessment highlighted in particular the major health and protection concerns caused by the lack of sustained access provided to humanitarian actors.</p><p> </p><p>The UK urges the Assad regime and its backers, in the strongest possible terms, to facilitate full humanitarian access to enable a second convoy with winter supplies to take place followed by regular and unrestricted aid deliveries thereafter.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 16/01/2019 17:12:46 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1038559

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
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: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which objectives her Department is seeking to achieve by investing in girls’ education in developing countries.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>In the three years from 2015 to 2018 DFID supported at least 5.6 million girls to gain a decent education. The objective of our investment is to support girls to attend school, learn whilst they are there, and help ensure the critical transition from primary to secondary education. Through this work we are supporting girls to achieve basic literacy and numeracy and are helping to equip them with the skills they need to succeed in jobs of the future.</p><p>Evidence for the benefits of investment in girls’ education includes:</p><ul><li>An extra year of primary schooling for girls can increase their wages by 10-20%, most of which is likely to be reinvested in her family and community.</li><li>A World Bank study found that every year of secondary school education is correlated with an 18% increase in a girls’ future earning power.</li><li>Education helps to prevent early marriage and early pregnancy - girls with no education are 3 times as likely to marry by 18 as those with a secondary or higher education.</li><li>If all girls completed primary school in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, the number of girls getting married by age 15 would fall by 14%; with secondary education, 64% fewer girls would get married.</li><li>A UNICEF study from Bangladesh attributes the halving of the Maternal Mortality Rates from 1990 to 2008 to the increased enrolment of girls in secondary education.</li></ul><p> </p><p>We believe that investing in educating girls is both the right and the smart thing to do, both socially and economically. Our work is guided by DFID’s 2018 Education Policy – Get Children Learning. This sets out how educating girls can: support better health choices, boost earnings, build social cohesion and help institutions and public services work better.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 16/01/2019 16:30:44 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1038563

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
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: Slavery
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what programmes her Department (a) promotes and (b) funds to tackle child slavery in developing countries.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206822
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>DFID is at the forefront of the UK’s international efforts to end violence against, and abuse and exploitation of children – including the worst forms of child labour. We are promoting action to end modern slavery in all its forms in line with Sustainable Development Goals 16.2, 8.7 and 5.2 and as well as leading efforts to increase support for, and implementation of, the Prime Minister’s “Call to Action to end Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking” launched in 2017. The Call to Action has now endorsed by over 80 countries and we continue to work with governments, civil society and the private sector to push for action at all levels.</p><p>In 2017 the Government committed to doubling aid spending to tackle modern slavery to £150 million. We have exceeded this goal with UK aid committed now amounting to just over £200 million. DFID funded programmes make up the bulk of this aid and includes work to reduce vulnerability to exploitation and address the permissive environments which allow child exploitation to exist and thrive.</p><p>Full details of this work can be found at <a href="https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/</a>. Examples include: a £26 million Regional Programme to tackle the worst forms of child labour in Asia (e.g. Bangladesh and Nepal); a £10 million Children on the Move Programme (in partnership with UNICEF) to protect up to 400,000 children at risk of violence and slavery in the Horn of Africa and along dangerous migratory routes in Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia; and a new £12 million UK Aid Connect Programme to address child labour in fragile and conflict affected states in Africa (such as the DRC).</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 16/01/2019 16:32:44 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord