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1224455

registered interest
date	14/07/2020
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
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 support NGOs that have experienced a significant decline in private funding as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	73830
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>We are working flexibly with existing civil society partners to respond to the pandemic, maintain delivery of essential programmes and manage the impacts on organisations and staff.</p><p>DFID is offering support to all suppliers, including civil society, in line with the provisions of the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note and associated guidance for grants. This allows for relief on services and goods provided in the UK, to DFID aid programmes as a last resort and on a case-by-case basis for DFID contracts and grants. UK-based Non-Government Organisations are also eligible for the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 20/07/2020 15:24:32 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1222431

registered interest
date	09/07/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she had with representatives from (a) NGOs, (b) aid recipients and (c) other stakeholders in advance of the decision to merge her Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	71769
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2020 answer text <p>As with any government change like this, the announcement came first to Parliament. Since then, the DFID Permanent Secretary and Baroness Sugg, who is DFID’s NGO lead, have been meeting with NGOs regularly. The Government will continue to engage closely with interested stakeholders in the weeks and months to come as we work to create the new department, which will unite our development expertise and first class diplomatic service to make the UK a force for good in the world.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 16/07/2020 15:50:01 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1222432

registered interest
date	09/07/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Sustainable Development
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office plans to make the Sustainable Development Goals a priority for that Office.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	71770
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2020 answer text <p>The UK remains committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and to the underpinning pledge to Leave No One Behind as we strive to achieve them. As the Prime Minister said in his statement to the UN Financing for Development High-Level Event on 28 May, following COVID-19 there is every need for us to work together to advance shared international objectives - including the SDGs.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 15/07/2020 15:45:06 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1222483

registered interest
date	09/07/2020
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: Religion
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 (a) Christians and (b) other religious minorities undertaking the distribution of aid in developing countries do not face discrimination as a result of their faith.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	71771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government works to ensure that those responsible for the distribution of aid in developing countries, including Christian and other religious minorities, do not face discrimination as a result of their faith. DFID works closely with the FCO to call for rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid workers to those in need and vice versa. We also strongly advocate for compliance with International Humanitarian Law and with the Humanitarian Principles, both of which serve to protect aid workers and those they seek to assist.</p><p>International Humanitarian Law states that parties to a conflict must allow humanitarian relief for civilians in need, which is impartial in character and conducted without any adverse distinction. They must not withhold consent to relief operations arbitrarily. Parties to a conflict must not discriminate against aid agencies and/or their personnel delivering aid of this nature because of their faith. DFID conducts thorough due diligence assessments of its partners to ensure that they have the ability to work in fragile and conflict afflicted states and to implement appropriate safety and security protocols.</p><p>On 8 June, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, hosted a roundtable to hear from faith leaders and faith-based development organisations about the specific challenges minority faith communities are facing during this COVID-19 pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 15/07/2020 15:53:07 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1219741

registered interest
date	01/07/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: International Organisations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government plans to maintain the same board representatives on (a) Gavi, (b) CEPI, (c) UNITAID, (d) the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and (e) other multilateral organisations after her Department's merger with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	67645
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2020 answer text <p>As we create the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the government is clear that the UK will remain a champion of the international system. COVID-19 has demonstrated that a strong, well-functioning multilateral system is in the UK’s interests, and this merger will bring together our overseas efforts on aid and diplomacy so we can maximise our influence across the world.</p><p>There are no current plans to change our level of representation in multilateral organisations. Our multilateral relationships and priorities will be considered as part of the Integrated Review, which will set an ambitious vision for the future of the UK as an active, internationalist, problem-solving and burden-sharing nation.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 08/07/2020 15:50:31 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1219797

registered interest
date	01/07/2020
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
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 ensure that UK aid reaches (a) vulnerable religious minorities and (b) other vulnerable groups of people.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	67646
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government works to ensure that all aid reaches the most vulnerable, including those from religious communities and other vulnerable groups, such as disabled people and women and girls.</p><p>The UK is committed to delivering its humanitarian aid during the COVID-19 pandemic according to internationally recognised humanitarian principles. These principles ensure that humanitarian assistance is delivered to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance. This includes vulnerable religious communities and other vulnerable groups, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.</p><p>Vulnerable groups will experience COVID-19 outbreaks differently. COVID-19 is likely to reinforce their marginalised position in society, their experience of discrimination, violence and stigma, and further limit their access to essential support and services. For this reason, guidance was circulated across DFID highlighting that inclusion must be central to our response and the specific contexts and needs of vulnerable religious communities and other vulnerable groups should be taken into account when developing practical programmes to tackle COVID-19.</p><p>On 8 June, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, hosted a roundtable with faith leaders and the chief executives of faith-based development organisations. The meeting covered how faith groups are contributing to the response to COVID-19; where those interventions have been most effective; the challenges for faith groups, and, how DFID could work more effectively with faith groups.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 08/07/2020 15:57:19 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1219799

registered interest
date	01/07/2020
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: Religion
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 ensure that religious identity as an indicator of vulnerability in certain communities is taken into account when allocating UK aid.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	67647
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2020 answer text <p>DFID is committed to working with all its partners, including faith-based organisations, to ensure that the most vulnerable people and groups are prioritised for humanitarian assistance, in line with international humanitarian principles. This includes religious and ethnic groups who are at risk of discrimination and persecution.</p><p>We work closely with our partners to ensure they are rigorously assessing vulnerability and needs (including those linked with religious identity) ahead of allocating assistance as well as conducting robust monitoring to ensure that aid is reaching those most in need.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 08/07/2020 15:57:55 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1219800

registered interest
date	01/07/2020
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: Religion
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 ensure that Christians and other religious minorities do not face discrimination at the frontlines of aid distribution as a result of their faith.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	67648
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government works to ensure that recipients of UK Aid, including Christian and other minority religious communities, are not discriminated against because of their faith. The UK is committed to delivering its humanitarian aid according to internationally recognised humanitarian principles. These principles ensure that humanitarian assistance is delivered to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity. This includes minority religious communities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.</p><p>Vulnerable religious minority groups will experience COVID-19 outbreaks differently. COVID-19 is likely to reinforce their marginalised position in society, their experience of discrimination, violence and stigma, and further limit their access to essential support and services. For this reason, guidance was circulated across DFID highlighting that inclusion must be central to our response and the specific contexts and needs of vulnerable religious communities and other vulnerable groups should be taken into account when developing practical programmes to tackle COVID-19.</p><p>On 8 June, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, hosted a roundtable to hear from faith leaders and faith-based development organisations to discuss how minority faith communities were facing specific challenges during this COVID-19 pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 08/07/2020 15:58:40 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1175917

registered interest
date	04/02/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Humanitarian Situation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to help tackle the humanitarian crisis in Idlib, Northern  Syria.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	12254
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2020 answer text <p>We are gravely concerned about escalating Syrian Regime and Russian military action and its humanitarian impact in Idlib. As of 6 February, the UN reports that 586,000 people have been displaced since 1 December 2019, and many more are at risk of imminent further displacement.</p><p>This financial year DFID has already allocated £103 million to organisations delivering aid cross border from Turkey primarily into North West Syria, including Idlib. This has helped to provide hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people with food, clean water, shelter, and healthcare including psychosocial support.</p><p>Given the rapidly deteriorating conditions in North West Syria, we have put options in place to increase our funding further to address the pressing needs of those displaced by the conflict. We have provided funding to response partners including the UN to preposition essential supplies to support innocent families and civilians displaced by conflict and we are supporting all our partners to respond to this humanitarian crisis.</p><p>I visited Turkey on 5-6 February and discussed the crisis in North West Syria with UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs, as well as with Turkish authorities. DFID partners on the ground are working tirelessly to provide aid to those affected by the military offensive.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 11/02/2020 17:15:39 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1147879

registered interest
date	02/10/2019
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: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to help strengthen the tax systems of developing countries in order to increase funding for services to support the poorest people.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	293578
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>The UK is committed to supporting countries to achieve the Global Goals, including working actively with countries to help raise and manage public revenues, and thereby to invest in their public services and infrastructure.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2019 we announced a new £47 million package of support to assist developing countries in strengthening their tax systems. This package will provide technical assistance and capacity building support through a number of partners. It will also help contribute to economic growth by helping to tackle tax avoidance and evasion, and by creating a more level playing field for businesses. In addition to this new package of support, the UK has a number of other initiatives underway to help strengthen tax systems; in August 2018 DFID Ethiopia launched a £35 million programme to support the Ethiopian government in transforming the country’s tax system, and HMRC’s Capacity Building Unit provides peer-to-peer expertise to raise the standards of tax systems of developing countries.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 08/10/2019 12:29:28 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon