Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered question first ministerially corrected answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

448678

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Overseas Aid
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 the UN on its aid agencies requiring permission from the Syrian regime in order to deliver aid within that country.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Greg Mulholland
uin	24656
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2016 answer text <p>The &quot;Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016&quot; Conference was held on 4 February last week, and more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. The outcomes of the conference are reflected in the Co-hosts' statement available on the Conference website <a href="http://www.supportingsyria2016.com/" target="_blank">www.supportingsyria2016.com</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for International Development continues to hold regular conversations with the UN and International non-governmental organisations (INGOs) on the issue of humanitarian access inside Syria. We have provided support to the UN and INGOs since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria. Our funding model inside Syria is designed to give maximum flexibility to UN agencies to respond quickly when pockets of humanitarian access open up.</p><p> </p><p>However, in the past year, only 10% of all requests submitted by the UN to the regime to access besieged and hard to reach areas have been approved and delivered. That is why the UK lobbied hard for UN Security Council resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258, enabling the UN to deliver aid across borders without the consent of the regime. As a result, 240 shipments of cross-border aid have been delivered by road to Syrians in need.</p><p> </p><p>Attempting to deliver humanitarian assistance without the consent of the parties to the conflict is extremely challenging. There is a risk that shipments of humanitarian assistance would be physically stopped and confiscated, humanitarian staff placed in danger and that convoys could come under attack. Likewise, delivering assistance without consent may risk undermining ongoing negotiations on humanitarian access to the 4.6 million people in hard to reach areas across Syria.</p><p> </p><p>Consequently, the most effective way to get food to people who are starving and stop these needless and horrific deaths is for Assad and all parties to the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law. We continue to call on all parties to allow immediate and unfettered access to all areas of Syria. On 4 February, the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference also brought leaders together to demand an end to these abuses and obstruction of humanitarian aid.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Mr Desmond Swayne question first answered 08/02/2016 16:49:54 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	1540 label Biography information for Greg Mulholland

448729

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	International Assistance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the implications are for the timescale of projects her Department funds in developing countries of the 15 year timescale that has been set for achieving the sustainable development goals.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	24754
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>The Global Goals will be the starting point for all DFID’s work in the coming years. All DFID programmes have to consider at the design stage what longer-term impact they will have and how the envisaged benefits of the programme will be sustained beyond the period of DFID's support, and all individual DFID programmes and DFID's overall portfolio are reviewed on a regular basis, with the rate of progress towards the Global Goals a key factor.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Mr Desmond Swayne question first answered 04/02/2016 14:13:21 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

448730

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Malawi: Inflation
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 effect of high inflation in Malawi.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	24743
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>Malawi has one of the highest rates of inflation in Africa: double digit inflation is commonplace. High inflation, alongside high fiscal deficits, debt and interest rates, are lowering business confidence and crowding out private investment. Social services are being delivered from a constrained budget with high levels of government borrowing. Poor harvests in 2015 and poor rainfall due to the ongoing El Nino are affecting the national economy and Malawi is now facing its worst food insecurity crisis in a decade. The UK and international partners are responding.</p><p>DFID Malawi works closely with other development partners, in particular the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to monitor the macroeconomic situation in Malawi. The IMF’s Article IV Consultation in December 2015 concluded that <em>“an appropriately tight fiscal policy is needed to support monetary policy actions aimed at placing inflation on a downward trajectory.”</em> DFID is working with the World Bank to inform the Government of Malawi’s next Development Strategy.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 04/02/2016 15:58:36 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

448731

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Malawi: Malnutrition
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 address the prevalence of hunger in Malawi.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	24744
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>DFID has a significant programme of ongoing support in health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation and economic development, particularly in rural areas and with the private sector, for growth, jobs, incomes and food insecurity. We support increasing access to justice for women and vulnerable groups, accountability and governance reforms.</p><p>The UK was one of the first development partners to respond to Malawi’s international appeal for emergency aid in October 2015. The UK has now committed £14.5m through partners including the World Food Programme, UNICEF and an International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) consortium led by Save the Children. This support includes:</p><ul><li>Food for over 800,000 people, including pre-positioning of food, nutrition supplies and livestock vaccines.</li><li>Cash transfers for up to 450,000 people who live near functioning markets but do not have the means to purchase food</li><li>Mass screening of up to 800,000 children to identify urgent nutritional support needs</li><li>Specialist supplies for up to 75,000 children and others suffering from acute malnutrition</li><li>Vital protection support to vulnerable people, including women and girls, in displacement and refugee camps</li></ul> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 04/02/2016 15:58:57 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

448732

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
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: Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government has to contribute to the funding agreed at the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015 to assist developing countries in adapting to the effects of climate change.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	24753
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>The Government will provide £5.8 billion over the next five years to support developing countries in tackling climate change through the UK International Climate Fund, including at least £1.76 billion in 2020, ensuring that the UK plays its part in achieving the goal of mobilising $100 billion of climate finance a year by 2020. We plan to spend 50% of our climate finance on adaptation and 50% on mitigation.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 04/02/2016 15:59:21 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

448842

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Burundi: Humanitarian Aid
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 need for humanitarian assistance in Burundi and the potential role of the churches in meeting the needs of Burundian refugees and internally displaced persons.
tabling member printed	Lord Boateng
uin	HL5622
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2016 answer text <p>The UK is gravely concerned about the ongoing political and human rights crisis in Burundi. Reported abuses by security forces against civilians are deplorable. All allegations should be investigated and those responsible held accountable. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights pointed at increasing signs of ethnic targeting which is very concerning and is being monitored. DFID is coordinating closely with the Foreign Office on the situation as well as with international partners including the African Union.</p><p>The humanitarian situation in Burundi itself is not critical at this stage, but it remains fragile and will deteriorate as long as the political crisis continues. DFID will continue to assess whether humanitarian assistance is required within the country. At the same time, our teams in Tanzania, Rwanda, the DRC and Uganda, are working hard providing humanitarian support to Burundian refugees. The UK has committed £18.15 million for the refugee response being led by UN agencies, such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), and international NGOs. This funding includes £14.25 million to support refugees in Tanzania, and £3.9 million to support refugees in Rwanda. We are keeping our funding levels under constant review according to need. We have deployed a humanitarian adviser to the region to support the regional refugee response and we have provided technical support, in the form of secondment of experts, to support UN agencies working in Burundi. This includes support to the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to strengthen humanitarian coordination in Burundi.</p><p>DFID recognises that churches and faith groups can have great legitimacy and a wide reach, and therefore can make an important contribution to both refugees and internally displaced persons.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 10/02/2016 15:04:22 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	147 label Biography information for Lord Boateng

448844

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Burundi: International Assistance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their contribution to multilateral development assistance to Burundi; and what is their assessment of the impact of this funding.
tabling member printed	Lord Boateng
uin	HL5624
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2016 answer text <p>The UK’s imputed share of multilateral net ODA to Burundi was £28.7 million in 2013, the latest year for which figures are available. DFID selects its partners on the basis of their ability to spend funds where they will have the greatest impact and DFID has rigorous systems in place to ensure that funds are spent effectively. The World Bank, for example, has a country-level results framework to track and manage progress and impact; currently over two-thirds of the outcome indicators for Burundi have already been achieved or are on-track to being achieved.</p><p>In addition to core funding to multilaterals, DFID also provides resources for multilateral organisations through bilateral and central programmes. A preparedness programme has enabled the UN and World Food Programme to assist up to 10,000 people in Burundi and to strengthen humanitarian coordination. Since the start of the crisis DFID has contributed £21 million to support the regional refugee response and DFID’s contribution to the Central Emergency Response Fund in Burundi is in excess of £2 million in 2016.</p><p>DFID is working with the EU, international financial institutions, UN Agencies and NGO community to review their support to Burundi and to ensure that humanitarian needs are met. DFID has a humanitarian adviser based in the region as well as advisers in the UK monitoring the situation in Burundi and ensuring that DFID funds are being spent in a way that achieves value for money for the UK taxpayer</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 10/02/2016 15:07:30 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	147 label Biography information for Lord Boateng

449474

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Mental Health
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 has taken to promote improvement in standards of mental health globally.
tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
tabling member printed	Dr Poulter
uin	903411
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2016 answer text <p>DFID’s principal approach is to strengthen health services, improving coverage, access and quality so that services better address all major causes of ill health including mental health. We also support research, together with specific work on mental health in some countries.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 03/02/2016 16:27:40 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter

450074

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	West Bank: Housing
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 humanitarian effect of the planning process in Area C of the West Bank.
tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough
tabling member printed	Andy McDonald
uin	903417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2016 answer text <p>According to the UN, Palestinians in the OPTs face a range of serious threats including threats to life, destruction of homes and forced displacement. Planning helps stop demolitions and displacement, which have a negative humanitarian impact and continue to undermine development. The UK strongly supports development of Area C and continues to fund the development of Palestinian outline plans to improve communities’ access to services.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Mr Desmond Swayne question first answered 03/02/2016 14:01:11 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	4269 label Biography information for Andy McDonald

450075

registered interest
date	28/01/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations her Department made at the pre-replenishment meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Tokyo on 17 December 2015.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	903412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2016 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The Secretary of State for International Development has had no discussions on the 1955 tax treaty between the UK and Malawi with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Issues relating to tax treaties are a matter for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Department’s Director General for Policy and Global Programmes attended the pre-replenishment meeting of the Global Fund in Tokyo, at which he urged all countries to contribute their fair share to the 2017-2019 Global Fund replenishment to support the delivery of the global goals.</ins></p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 03/02/2016 16:34:20 question first ministerially corrected 03/02/2016 16:41:46 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd previous answer version 43152 answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon