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1029333

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Israel: Palestinians
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 the recently reported reductions in funding from the US to co-existence projects in Israel-Palestine on peace efforts in that region.
tabling member constituency	Bury North
tabling member printed	James Frith
uin	204610
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2019 answer text <p>DFID is aware of reports that USAID is currently unable to support coexistence projects in the West Bank and Gaza. The UK supports coexistence work both within green line Israel and across the Israel-OPTs boundary. All types of coexistence work can be valuable and help to foster greater understanding between communities from both sides of the conflict. Ultimately, however, the only way to achieve lasting coexistence is through a negotiated two-state solution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 10/01/2019 15:30:29 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4637 label Biography information for James Frith

1029337

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Department for International Development: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff were employed in her Department on (a) 20 December 2018 and (b) 23 June 2016.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	204535
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2019 answer text <p>As at 20 December 2018 DFID employed 2728 Home Civil Servants (HCS), 2022 HCS were employed on 23 June 2016.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 09/01/2019 14:33:09 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1029393

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Sub-Saharan Africa: Debts
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 effect on poverty reduction in sub-Saharan countries of the increasing levels of debt owed by those countries.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	204380
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2019 answer text <p>We keep debt levels in sub-Saharan African countries under regular review along with other key macroeconomic indicators. Average debt levels in Sub-Saharan Africa have grown from 28% of GDP in 2010 to 48% in 2018 although this is still significantly lower than the 68% of GDP in 2000. As of 1<sup>st</sup> November 2018, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) classify 6 countries in sub-Saharan Africa as being in debt distress with a further 10 as being at “high risk of debt distress”. DFID remains concerned about rising debt levels in Africa and the UK continues to raise the need for action on this issue, both with international institutions such as the World Bank and IMF and international fora such as the G7 and G20. The relationship between debt and poverty reduction is complex. Every country is different, and we work closely with governments, the IMF, World Bank and other development partners to ensure the impact on poverty is factored into decisions relating to public finance.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 07/01/2019 16:54:11 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1029404

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Nutrition
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 ensure nutritional support is considered by all teams and divisions within her Department.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	204437
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2019 answer text <p>'Saving lives, investing in future generations and building prosperity – the UK’s Global Nutrition Position Paper’, which was published in October 2017, committed DFID to strengthen the breadth and quality of its nutrition-sensitive, multi-sector investments.</p><p>Since the Paper was published, DFID has for example developed a strategic approach to integrating nutrition into relevant areas of its economic development work. This includes supporting private sector investment within different parts of the food system in order to make safe nutritious foods more affordable and accessible to poor people, in particular women, adolescent girls and children under five.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 10/01/2019 15:31:24 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1029405

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Nutrition
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 the sharing of expertise on nutrition with Governments in her Department’s priority countries.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	204438
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2019 answer text <p>DFID has been enabling governments that are part of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement to access technical expertise in nutrition since 2012 through the Maximising Quality for Scaling Up Nutrition and the Technical Assistance for Nutrition programmes. As part of this, tools and guidance have been developed for use by government as they design, implement and monitor multi-sector nutrition policies.</p><p> </p><p>Both programmes have also supported learning and exchange between governments that are facing similar challenges. More recently, DFID’s support has enabled sharing of good practice on addressing malnutrition in fragile and conflict-affected countries such as Yemen, Somalia and South Sudan, strengthening national data systems and improving budget analysis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 10/01/2019 15:34:05 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1029419

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
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 Compact for Migration
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what commitments the UK is legally bound by as a result of signing up to the UN Global compact on migration.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	204586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2019 answer text <p>The UN Global Compact on Migration is not legally binding. It sets out a series of guidelines for improved international action and co-operation on migration, whilst importantly respecting a State’s sovereign right to determine its own migration policy. The UK is not legally bound by any new commitments as a result of endorsing the Compact.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 08/01/2019 16:12:28 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1029536

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Aid Workers: Vetting
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 (a) make employment in the aid sector a regulated activity and (b) bring disclosure and barring requirements in line with other professions that work with children and vulnerable adults.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	204603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2019 answer text <p>Since early 2018 DFID has intensified work to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector. As part of that we have considered a wide range of potential measures, including the two proposed in the question. Neither of those would, however, cover employees of foreign organisations, many of whom help deliver UK funded programmes. Therefore, we believe there are alternative non-legislative mechanisms which better address this issue, such as those announced at the 18 October Safeguarding Summit. These include an Interpol pilot to improve background checks, provide advice to employers on international vetting and identify high-risk individuals; a new passport for aid workers to prove an individual’s identity and provide their vetting status; and a Disclosure of Misconduct scheme for the NGO sector to allow organisations to share information about an employee’s past misconduct. These tools are designed to work alongside existing mechanisms, such as DBS, and we are confident they will lead to tangible improvements in safeguarding standards and better protection of vulnerable adults and children in the aid sector.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin grouped question UIN 204604 question first answered 09/01/2019 14:30:09 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1029537

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Aid Workers: Vetting
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 potential merits of regulating employment in the aid sector.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	204604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2019 answer text <p>Since early 2018 DFID has intensified work to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector. As part of that we have considered a wide range of potential measures, including the two proposed in the question. Neither of those would, however, cover employees of foreign organisations, many of whom help deliver UK funded programmes. Therefore, we believe there are alternative non-legislative mechanisms which better address this issue, such as those announced at the 18 October Safeguarding Summit. These include an Interpol pilot to improve background checks, provide advice to employers on international vetting and identify high-risk individuals; a new passport for aid workers to prove an individual’s identity and provide their vetting status; and a Disclosure of Misconduct scheme for the NGO sector to allow organisations to share information about an employee’s past misconduct. These tools are designed to work alongside existing mechanisms, such as DBS, and we are confident they will lead to tangible improvements in safeguarding standards and better protection of vulnerable adults and children in the aid sector.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin grouped question UIN 204603 question first answered 09/01/2019 14:30:09 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1029552

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Yemen: Armed Conflict
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 the conflict in Yemen on that country's economy; and what steps her Department is taking to support economic recovery in that country.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
uin	204385
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2019 answer text <p>As Mark Lowcock, the UN Under Secretary General, explained to the UN Security Council on 23 October, Yemen’s recent economic crisis threatens to tip the country into famine, with the Yemeni Riyal losing over 40% of its value from June to October 2018.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK led discussions with the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates so the Central Bank of Yemen could release $270 million, provided by Saudi Arabia, in letters of credit to support commercial food importers with foreign currency to purchase wheat and other staples for import. These measures have resulted in an appreciation of the Riyal, and prices of staples are starting to decline which means that ordinary Yemenis are more able to buy food that is in the markets.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>However, much more remains to be done. We welcome the positive outcomes of consultations in Stockholm and continue to encourage further constructive and urgent engagement on the economy. A political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 08/01/2019 14:03:57 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

1029553

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Yemen: 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 her Department is taking to strengthen local service delivery in Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
uin	204386
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK is working closely with partners in Yemen to support the delivery of local services on which Yemenis rely. This includes the Yemeni Social Fund for Development, a national development institution established in 1997 to improve basic services, enhance economic opportunities, and reduce the vulnerability of the poor.</p><p> </p><p>Between 2010 and 2018, DFID contributed £108 million to the Yemen Social Fund for Development to provide hundreds of thousands of Yemenis with work opportunities restoring roads, health clinics, and agricultural land, as well as providing training, infrastructure improvements, and clean water to thousands more. We will be funding the Yemen Social Fund for Development again this year.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 08/01/2019 14:06:30 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz