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1055180

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Gaza
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 28 January (HL12814), what improvements they hope to see in the conditions in Gaza in the next five years.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL13482
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>Within the next five years the UK Government hopes to see an improvement in access to clean water, energy and jobs in Gaza. We would also like to see all parties ease movement and access restrictions. This would make it easier for Gazans to sell their goods to Israel and other countries in the region; and for small businesses to grow and create jobs. DFID's new economic development programme will support all these activities.</p><p> </p><p>However, we are clear that a durable agreement is needed to address the underlying causes of the conflict and to transform the situation in Gaza. This is why the UK continues to support progress towards a two-state solution that permanently ends the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Such an agreement should ensure that Hamas and other terrorist groups permanently end rocket fire and attacks against Israel and accept the Quartet Principles; the Palestinian Authority resumes control in Gaza and restores effective and accountable governance; and that Israel lifts its restrictions to ease the suffering of ordinary Palestinians and allow the Gazan economy to grow.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 19/02/2019 15:19:41 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

1059612

registered interest
date	12/02/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Pakistan: Religious Freedom
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 12 February (HL13192), whether they will now answer the question put.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL13635
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>We have regular discussions about the importance of religious freedom and inclusion in all aspects of public policy, including employment, but we have not specifically raised the issue of the advertisements.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are not aware of any cases of discrimination on the grounds of religion linked with programmes supported by DFID to create employment, including in the public sector. Our Partnership Agreement with the Government of Pakistan makes clear that commitment to human rights (including minority and religious rights) is vital and discrimination in the delivery of UK aid is not acceptable. Compliance with this and other key Partnership Principles is reviewed on an annual basis.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As mentioned in the previous answer, DFID Pakistan’s Skills Development Programme will provide 330,000 poor and vulnerable people, including those from minority communities, with technical and vocational training to improve their employment prospects.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 26/02/2019 17:20:33 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1087519

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Pakistan: Public Sector
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Pakistan Annual Statistical Bulletin of Federal Government Employees 2017–18, published by the government of Pakistan on 26 February, what assessment they have made of (1) the number of people employed from that country’s religious minorities, (2) the nature of the occupations open to them, and (3) the numbers working in either menial jobs or senior management grades; and what assessment they have made of the impact that UK aid programmes have had on those statistics.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL14445
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2019 answer text <p>We have not conducted an assessment of the composition of federal government employees as reported in the Annual Statistical Bulletin of Federal Government Employees 2017–18. However, DFID and the FCO continue to raise the issue of human rights of minorities at the highest levels of government, including in our annual Bilateral Assistance Talks. We advocate greater tolerance and action against abuses when they occur. DFID Pakistan’s Skills Development Programme will provide 330,000 poor and vulnerable people, including those from minority communities, with technical and vocational training to improve their employment prospects.</p><p> </p><p>Our aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of its commitment to our Partnership Principles, including to promote and safeguard human rights. Our aid targets the poor, regardless of race, religion, social background or nationality. Our portfolio of programmes contributes either directly or indirectly to the protection of minority rights by strengthening systems for delivery of services and by adopting a ‘do no harm’ approach.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 25/03/2019 16:10:50 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1090514

registered interest
date	18/03/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Internally Displaced People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2017, published on 25 June 2018, which estimates that (1) on average, 44,400 people were forced to flee their homes each day, (2) 68.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, and (3) there were 40 million internally displaced people, in 2017 as a result of persecution, conflict, or generalised violence; and what steps they are taking to devise, encourage and promote international initiatives to tackle the root causes of current levels of mass migration.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL14611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2019 answer text <p>UNHCR’s Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2017 is an important tool in informing our support for refugees and internally displaced persons around the world.</p><p> </p><p>At least half of DFID aid is focussed on fragile and conflict affected states and regions – the drivers of forced displacement. DFID’s aid programmes seek to address drivers of conflict, instability and lack of economic opportunities which in turn help to tackle some of the root causes of displacement. By creating jobs and livelihoods, improving education, and facilitating labour mobility we are giving people more opportunities to build a decent life at home or in their region.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Government has been actively involved in the development of the UN <em>Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration</em> and the <em>Global Compact on Refugees</em>, both of which have now been adopted. These two Compacts offer a cohesive and forward-leaning framework to improve the international response to large movements of people.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is also supporting the UN and member states to set up a High-Level Panel on internally displaced persons. The overarching goal of the Panel is to galvanise action to reduce the number of internally displaced persons, whilst providing more effective protection and assistance, and reinforcing the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 01/04/2019 15:43:06 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1061365

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	UNRWA: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the expected funding requirements of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East based on population projections in (1) 2020, (2) 2025, and (3) 2030.
tabling member printed	Lord Pickles
uin	HL13745
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has made no formal assessment on expected funding based on population projections in (1) 2020, (2) 2025, and (3) 2030. Our future funding commitments will be reviewed at regular intervals; UNRWA budgeting models are agreed by the general assembly every two years and were most recently approved for 2019. UNRWA’s current Medium-Term Strategy extends to 2021. The UK has been a consistent top five donor to UNRWA. A long-term solution requires a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for Palestinian refugees. Until that happens the UK remains firmly committed to supporting UNRWA and Palestinian refugees. We recognise that UNRWA will continue to face funding challenges and are having proactive discussions with them about how to ensure the continued delivery of their essential services, recognising strides that they have already made in cost savings initiatives.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 26/02/2019 17:18:21 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	33 label Biography information for Lord Pickles

1104659

registered interest
date	25/03/2019
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: Yazidis
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much financial support, if any, they plan to provide for psychological services to those members of the Yazidi community captured by ISIS and now located in Syria.
tabling member printed	Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale
uin	HL14784
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2019 answer text <p>UK humanitarian support is distributed on the basis of need, to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. However, we remain concerned about appalling crimes committed against minorities in Syria and Iraq, including the Yezidi community. We expect our partners, including the UN and NGOs which implement our aid programmes, to ensure they are doing all they can to support the most vulnerable people, including those who have suffered religious persecution.</p><p> </p><p>In Iraq, UK aid is primarily delivered through UN OCHA's Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund (IHF), to which the UK was the largest donor in 2018. The IHF is the main international humanitarian mechanism in Iraq and health - including psychosocial support - is its largest component. Work to provide healthcare services to 1.2 million more people this year, including Yezidis, has already begun. UK aid has also enabled the UN Trust Fund to support the Free Yezidi Foundation which runs a centre in Northern Iraq providing access to a psychologist and a trauma programme for women and children who have suffered under Daesh. The UK is providing £75,000 in support to the SEED Foundation which delivers gender-focused mental health and psycho-social support training in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This work will benefit women from many communities across the Kurdistan Region, including Yezidis.</p><p> </p><p>In Syria, UK aid has provided more than £40 million this financial year to support the most vulnerable people in areas liberated from Daesh. Across Northeast Syria, this includes mental health support, child protection and education, support to demining and assisting survivors of Gender-Based Violence.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL14786 question first answered 03/04/2019 15:24:36 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4168 label Biography information for Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale

1104661

registered interest
date	25/03/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Iraq: Yazidis
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much financial support, if any, they plan to provide for psychological services to those members of the Yazidi community captured by ISIS and now returned to Iraq.
tabling member printed	Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale
uin	HL14786
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2019 answer text <p>UK humanitarian support is distributed on the basis of need, to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. However, we remain concerned about appalling crimes committed against minorities in Syria and Iraq, including the Yezidi community. We expect our partners, including the UN and NGOs which implement our aid programmes, to ensure they are doing all they can to support the most vulnerable people, including those who have suffered religious persecution.</p><p> </p><p>In Iraq, UK aid is primarily delivered through UN OCHA's Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund (IHF), to which the UK was the largest donor in 2018. The IHF is the main international humanitarian mechanism in Iraq and health - including psychosocial support - is its largest component. Work to provide healthcare services to 1.2 million more people this year, including Yezidis, has already begun. UK aid has also enabled the UN Trust Fund to support the Free Yezidi Foundation which runs a centre in Northern Iraq providing access to a psychologist and a trauma programme for women and children who have suffered under Daesh. The UK is providing £75,000 in support to the SEED Foundation which delivers gender-focused mental health and psycho-social support training in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This work will benefit women from many communities across the Kurdistan Region, including Yezidis.</p><p> </p><p>In Syria, UK aid has provided more than £40 million this financial year to support the most vulnerable people in areas liberated from Daesh. Across Northeast Syria, this includes mental health support, child protection and education, support to demining and assisting survivors of Gender-Based Violence.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL14784 question first answered 03/04/2019 15:24:36 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4168 label Biography information for Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale

1109557

registered interest
date	03/04/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Pakistan: Shanty Towns
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when their officials working in Pakistan last visited the shanty towns on the periphery of Islamabad to report on the conditions in which the residents live; and whether they are collecting data on the percentage of people from Pakistan’s minorities living in such areas.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2019 answer text <p>UK aid prioritises support for the poorest and most excluded people and communities in Pakistan. Thus, whilst we recognise that there are poor people living in Islamabad, UK aid is focussed in the provinces with the highest number of poor people and on strengthening capacity of those provinces to deliver basic services to their populations.</p><p> </p><p>DFID strive to visit as many programme locations as possible to gather feedback from communities, including minority communities. DFID Pakistan also has projects that work directly with minorities and aims to tackle the drivers underpinning intolerance and discrimination, through promoting greater understanding between communities.</p><p> </p><p>DFID Pakistan is striving to better disaggregate its results through a data disaggregation action plan which focuses on 4 key areas: sex, age, disability and geography. This will improve our understanding of those who benefit from our programmes. We do not currently have plans to collect data on religion as we recognise the risks associated with potentially revealing such sensitive information for religious minorities.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 16/04/2019 13:29:25 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1109558

registered interest
date	03/04/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Pakistan: Minority Groups
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reconsider their policy of disregarding the status of Pakistan’s minorities in determining and allocating development aid.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15027
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2019 answer text <p>UK aid prioritises support for the poorest and most excluded people and communities in Pakistan regardless of race, religion, social background or nationality. Our investment will not only assist Pakistan to become a more prosperous country that will help millions of its citizens living in poverty, but will also improve stability and security in Pakistan, the region, and beyond.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 16/04/2019 13:54:05 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1088557

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Overseas Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to test the effectiveness of aid spending through the UK Official Development Assistance budget.
tabling member printed	Baroness Brady
uin	HL14517
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2019 answer text <p>UK ODA is scrutinised by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), which focuses on the delivery of value for money and maximising the impact and effectiveness of UK aid. ICAI reports directly to Parliament through the International Development Committee (IDC) ensuring both independence and accountability of the ODA. The National Audit Office also scrutinises departmental spending including the effectiveness of ODA spending.</p><p> </p><p>As part of DFID’s programme approval process, an accredited Evaluation Advisor reviews the evaluation plan for the ongoing effectiveness of the programme. DFID reviews all programmes annually, providing an assessment of performance, ongoing relevance, value for money, lessons learned, and any remedial action required. Individual government departments are responsible for design, evaluation and governance of their Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budget. However, DFID makes available some relevant evaluation tools to support other departments.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 25/03/2019 16:12:07 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4339 label Biography information for Baroness Brady