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525680

registered interest
date	15/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Investment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of bilateral investment treaties between the UK and developing countries on the ability of (a) infant industries and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises in such countries to contribute to poverty reduction.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	40852
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2016 answer text <p>Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) commit both Governments to provide a reciprocal standard of treatment towards each other’s investors, including: protection and security against discriminatory action, fair and equitable treatment and a commitment not to expropriate without compensation. The content of BITs do not place specific obligations on or provide support to domestic companies, including infant industries and SMEs, aimed at delivering wider policy objectives.</p><p>Since 2012, through the Investment and Sustainable Development Programme, DFID has provided technical and legal assistance to 24 developing countries to develop and negotiate international investment agreements (including BITs) that best reflect their own interests.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Sir Desmond Swayne question first answered 30/06/2016 14:36:43 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

525681

registered interest
date	15/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Investment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of bilateral investment treaties between the UK and developing countries on the Government's ability to meet its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	40853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2016 answer text <p>Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) commit both Governments to provide a reciprocal standard of treatment towards each other’s investors, including: protection and security against discriminatory action, fair and equitable treatment and a commitment not to expropriate without compensation. BITs should not restrict a developing country’s ability to regulate on domestic policies, including those that contribute towards meeting development aims. Since 2012, through the Investment and Sustainable Development Programme, DFID has provided technical and legal assistance to 24 developing countries to develop and negotiate BiTs that best reflect their own interests.</p><p>The Sustainable Development Goals sets out several investment-related measures, including the adoption and implementation investment promotion regimes and creation of sound policy frameworks, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies that accelerate investment. The UK is fully committed to supporting the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 27/06/2016 16:05:52 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

525682

registered interest
date	15/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Investment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of investor state dispute settlement mechanisms on the ability of legal systems in developing countries to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	40841
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2016 answer text <p>Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) is an independent legal process through which investors can seek compensation if they believe a host government is in breach of provisions within a bilateral investment treaty. ISDS should not prevent any Government, which acts in accordance with due process, from changing laws, revoking or terminating contracts or regulating in the public interest. Since 2012, through the Investment and Sustainable Development Programme, DFID has provided technical and legal assistance to 24 developing countries to develop and negotiate Bilateral Investment Treaties that best reflect their own interests and understand the legal implications, including those that may lead to an escalation of an ISDS dispute.</p><p>The Sustainable Development Goals sets out several investment-related measures, including the adoption and implementation investment promotion regimes and creation of sound policy frameworks, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies that accelerate investment. The UK is fully committed to supporting the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 27/06/2016 16:04:57 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

525684

registered interest
date	15/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Women's Rights
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has for future funding from her Departmental budget for women's rights organisations in developing countries.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	40760
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2016 answer text <p>DFID supports a wide range of Women’s Rights Organisations (WROs) through specific central programmes, such as the £8 million pound commitment to Amplify Change, reaching WROs to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), child, early and forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation; through multilateral programmes, such as up to £6 million pound commitment to the UN Trust Fund to end VAWG which reaches WROs in 76 countries and territories; and through country programmes, such as the £12.5 million pound Strengthening Transparency, Accountability and Responsiveness (STAR) programme in Ghana.</p><p>Future plans are to continue these mechanisms, ensuring their effectiveness and expanding or extending where appropriate, and in implementing DFID’s Civil Society Partnership Review to develop and share learning on reaching WROs and small-scale organisations, so that collectively we achieve a systemic approach to supporting a resilient and effective women’s rights movement.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Sir Desmond Swayne question first answered 27/06/2016 16:51:08 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

525685

registered interest
date	15/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Yemen: Military Intervention
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 the de-listing of the Saudi-led coalition in the UN Secretary-General's report on Children and Armed Conflict, published in April 2016, on civilian protection and the wider humanitarian situation in Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
tabling member printed	Stephen Twigg
uin	40771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2016 answer text <p>We are aware of the UN Secretary General’s annual report on Children in Armed Conflict, which includes a section outlining the impact of the conflict in Yemen on children. It is important that all sides to the conflict conduct investigations into incidents of concern. To that end, we welcome the announcement by the UN Secretary General on 6 June that the United Nations and the Saudi-led Coalition will review jointly the cases and numbers cited in the text. In parallel, we continue to urge all parties to the conflict to take all reasonable steps to ensure civilians, particularly women and children, are protected in Yemen, and to allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Sir Desmond Swayne question first answered 30/06/2016 14:34:46 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	167 label Biography information for Stephen Twigg

525686

registered interest
date	15/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Southern Africa: Food Supply
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 tackle food insecurity in Southern Africa.
tabling member constituency	Gordon
tabling member printed	Alex Salmond
uin	40683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2016 answer text <p>Southern Africa’s unprecedented El Nino-related drought has triggered a second year of hunger and hardship. More than 31 million people are estimated to be food-insecure across the region. DFID was one of the first donors to respond to the crisis and has already increased the levels of our humanitarian assistance in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zambia. We have also allocated additional funding to support the regional response. As well as responding to the immediate humanitarian needs, we will have increased our efforts to ensure our programme portfolios continue to build resilience and preparedness.</p><p>DFID is using its influence within the international community to encourage the scaling up of support and to strengthen coordination regionally and at country level. We are also using our influence with partner governments to advocate for the logistical measures to improve the transport of supplies into and within the region.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 27/06/2016 14:54:57 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	577 label Biography information for Alex Salmond

525687

registered interest
date	15/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to support the International Trade Centre's She Trades initiative; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
uin	40678
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2016 answer text <p>DFID is a strong supporter of women’s economic empowerment. The Secretary of State is on the UN High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, which will accelerate global action on this agenda. The SheTrades Initiative is a consequence of DFID’s funding for the International Trade Centre’s women and trade programme, which helps women entrepreneurs from developing countries to trade and access markets. To date this programme has directly supported 2,600 women entrepreneurs, and indirectly contributed to 12,000 women benefiting from market access opportunities.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Sir Desmond Swayne question first answered 27/06/2016 16:48:11 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

525018

registered interest
date	14/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: HIV Infection
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2014, to Question 902851, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that the 12 collaborative TB-HIV activities recommended by the World Health Organisation are being implemented through its bilateral programmes; and what assessment has been made of the effect to date of the steps taken.
tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
uin	40615
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2016 answer text <p>DFID actively seeks to incorporate WHO guidance into its programmes. WHO urges national TB and HIV programmes to incorporate its recommendations, so our investments contribute to them implementing the 12 point package of collaborative TB/HIV activities. We have ensured our health advisers are aware of the WHO guidance so that they are able to discuss these with the TB and HIV control programmes in the countries we support.</p><p>Assessments of progress are drawn from publically available UNAIDS and WHO Global reports; these show significant advances in recent years. UK support, notably through the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, has been instrumental in the achievement of these gains.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 29/06/2016 14:29:57 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

525019

registered interest
date	14/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Burma: Overseas Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is giving to Eastern Kachin and Northern Shan states in Burma.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Ann Clwyd
uin	40599
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2016 answer text <p>The UK has provided over £18.1 million in essential humanitarian and health assistance in Kachin and Northern Shan states from 2012 until the end of the last financial year, and plans to spend at least a further £5 million this year. DFID is the biggest contributor to the multi donor funds working in these areas to improve food security, and to provide maternal, new-born and child health care services including immunisation, prevention of HIV among people, Malaria testing and treatment. DFID also provides significant support to education in Kachin and Northern Shan, through UNICEF and the Myanmar Education Consortium.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Sir Desmond Swayne question first answered 30/06/2016 14:33:10 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
tabling member	553 label Biography information for Ann Clwyd

525020

registered interest
date	14/06/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Sub-Saharan Africa: Albinism
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 reduce the number of attacks on and murder of people with albinism in sub-Saharan African countries.
tabling member constituency	The Wrekin
tabling member printed	Mark Pritchard
uin	40480
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2016 answer text <p>The UK is concerned by any reports of violence perpetrated against people with albinism. The UK, both the FCO and DFID, raises concerns about human rights violations and abuses in the region whenever possible. For example, our High Commissioner to Malawi raised this issue during his meeting with the Malawian Foreign Minister on 27 April and we will continue to do so.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 27/06/2016 16:02:24 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	1576 label Biography information for Mark Pritchard