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1227223

registered interest
date	22/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Development Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that ODA's achieve better value than cash transfers during the next three financial years.
tabling member constituency	Rotherham
tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
uin	78676
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>FCDO has strong processes in place to ensure Official Development Assistance is well spent and the principles of value for money are driven throughout each stage of the programme cycle.</p><p>Cash transfers can be an effective means of delivering ODA, which is why we use them in appropriate contexts. For example, FCDO currently supports social protection and/or humanitarian cash transfer programmes in more than 30 countries, including Fragile and Conflict Affected States, which support people who are vulnerable to the economic impact of COVID-19 and helps deliver the Global Goals. ICAI conducted a review of DFID's use of Cash Transfers in 2017 which noted that that the portfolio &quot;presents a strong value for money case&quot; and that DFID has &quot;used evidence and learning well to strengthen its results.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 08/09/2020 09:43:19 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1227234

registered interest
date	22/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Corruption
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to help ensure that the proceeds of corruption in developing countries do not enter the UK financial system.
tabling member constituency	Rotherham
tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
uin	78677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>This Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the integrity of the UK's financial system. Our efforts to tackle economic crime, including corruption in developing countries, are set out in the Economic Crime Plan 2019-2022, a joint public-private initiative. DFID works closely with Her Majesty's Treasury and other Government Departments to implement the international elements of that plan. That has included contributing Official Development Assistance to the establishment of the National Economic Crime Centre, through DFID's Tacking Illicit Finance Globally Programme, enabling it to work with developing countries around the world. It has also included increasing support to developing countries to tackle illicit finance by sharing UK expertise, establishing new Illicit Finance specialist posts in Kenya, Somalia, Mauritius and Nigeria.</p><p>The UK's efforts to prevent and pursue the proceeds of corruption from developing countries with a UK connection of course pre-date the current Economic Crime Plan. For example, FCDO has funded the International Corruption Unit in the National Crime Agency, leading to 30 people and companies being convicted of corruption offences linked to developing countries and almost £1bn of stolen assets stolen being restrained, confiscated or returned to developing countries.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 08/09/2020 10:35:48 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1227344

registered interest
date	22/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the debt levels of lower-income countries on their ability to tackle the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	78806
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government is deeply concerned by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on developing countries. Many entered the COVID-19 crisis in an already vulnerable position. For example, half of low-income developing countries already had high public debt levels. The crisis has brought an exceptional set of shocks: much lower exports, lower export prices, fewer financial inflows and reduced earnings from tourism. Lower GDP forecasts have made existing debt levels more worrying: the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that the average level of debt-to-GDP will be 5.1 percentage points higher in low income developing countries in 2020 than expected, and 7.3 percentage points higher in Africa. Some countries will have limited scope for additional borrowing and this, together with any increase in debt service costs could impact the availability of resources for crisis response and recovery, particularly for those countries which entered the crisis at high risk of debt distress.</p><p>In response to the crisis, the UK, alongside the G20 and the Paris Club of official creditors, has committed to a temporary suspension of debt payments from the poorest countries. So far, 42 countries have sought support and over $5 billion of debt service is expected to be deferred, allowing countries to redirect finances towards mitigating the health and economic impacts of Covid-19. This initiative will help countries tackle the Covid-19 pandemic whilst providing time to assess what future support is required.</p><p>The UK has also committed up to £150 million to the IMF's Catastrophe and Containment Relief Fund, so far benefitting 29 of the poorest countries through covering their debt repayments to the IMF. We have also committed £1 million to the African Legal Support Facility to advise African countries on debt.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 14/09/2020 16:59:24 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1227381

registered interest
date	22/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	CDC: Azalaï Hotel Group
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding has been in invested by the CDC Group in Azalai Hotels Group to date.
tabling member constituency	Stockport
tabling member printed	Navendu Mishra
uin	78895
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2020 answer text <p>CDC's investment into Azalai is centred on creating jobs and stability in some of the world's most challenged countries: Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, and Cote d'Ivoire. Since 2015 the company has created over 150 new permanent jobs in the formal economy. In addition to job creation, the investment has wider benefits to the local and national economies. For example, by purchasing locally sourced goods and services and by improving economic infrastructure.</p><p>CDC's investment into Azalia is via two funds: AfricInvest III and Cauris Croissance. CDC's partnership model, investing through fund managers, helps it achieve impact at scale by supporting hundreds of SMEs across Africa and South Asia. In addition to backing local teams of investors, and equipping them with strong Environmental, Social and Governance practises, the model helps support the development of self-sustaining local finance markets.</p><p>CDC publishes the amounts it invests directly into businesses and into investment funds on its website www.cdcgroup.com. Amounts invested by fund managers into individual companies are not published as this information is commercially sensitive.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 23/09/2020 10:18:55 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4811 label Biography information for Navendu Mishra

1227643

registered interest
date	22/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	India: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 22 July 2020 to Questions 76098 and 76102 on India: Coronavirus, what estimate he has made of the number of UK residents stranded in India as a result of the covid-19 pandemic who registered for charter flights with his Department but remain in India.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	78834
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>There is no requirement for residents to report their return to the UK via other means. However we estimate that many will have done so given the ability to travel on other services run by airlines, which have taken place since our last charter to India on 05 June. These include regular Air India &quot;Vande Bharat&quot; flights and, more recently, flights run by British Airways to the UK. The British government worked hard to ensure these flights could operate and is continuing to support other UK airlines resume their services, maximising options for UK residents who wish to return to the UK.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams grouped question UIN 78835 78836 question first answered 08/09/2020 14:28:02 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1227644

registered interest
date	22/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	India: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 22 July 2020 to Questions 76098 and 76102 on India: coronavirus, how many instances there have been of multiple registrations by (a) the same person and (b) people who were not eligible to register.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	78835
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>There is no requirement for residents to report their return to the UK via other means. However we estimate that many will have done so given the ability to travel on other services run by airlines, which have taken place since our last charter to India on 05 June. These include regular Air India &quot;Vande Bharat&quot; flights and, more recently, flights run by British Airways to the UK. The British government worked hard to ensure these flights could operate and is continuing to support other UK airlines resume their services, maximising options for UK residents who wish to return to the UK.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams grouped question UIN 78834 78836 question first answered 08/09/2020 14:28:02 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1227645

registered interest
date	22/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	India: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 22 July 2020 to Questions 76098 and 76102 on India: coronavirus, how his Department determined the number of repatriation flights required to return UK residents from India without information on the number of UK residents requesting flights.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	78836
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>There is no requirement for residents to report their return to the UK via other means. However we estimate that many will have done so given the ability to travel on other services run by airlines, which have taken place since our last charter to India on 05 June. These include regular Air India &quot;Vande Bharat&quot; flights and, more recently, flights run by British Airways to the UK. The British government worked hard to ensure these flights could operate and is continuing to support other UK airlines resume their services, maximising options for UK residents who wish to return to the UK.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams grouped question UIN 78834 78835 question first answered 08/09/2020 14:28:02 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1226721

registered interest
date	21/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Iran: Nuclear Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has been made in discussions with his Iranian counterpart on the Dispute Resolution Mechanism.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	77579
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>Iran's non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) raises serious proliferation concerns, which is why the UK, with France and Germany, triggered the JCPoA's Dispute Resolution Mechanism on 14 January in good faith and in hope of finding a diplomatic way forward, preserving the agreement and bringing Iran back to full compliance with its commitments under the JCPoA. The Foreign Secretary in his statement with France and Germany on 19 June urged Iran to pursue substantial discussions and actions in coordination with us and the other remaining JCPoA participants.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 07/09/2020 15:30:04 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1226728

registered interest
date	21/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
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 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many of his Department's staff are (a) working at posts overseas and (b) have returned from posts overseas as a result of the covid-19 outbreak; and what plans he has to ensure that those overseas posts will be maintained after the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Rotherham
tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
uin	77633
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>We have sought to protect Health and Humanitarian capacity across our network wherever possible.</p><p>Our priority is to help enable our staff to return to post as quickly as possible to deliver Her Majesty's Government priorities. However, this will only happen when it is safe to do so.</p><p>As the global impacts of COVID-19 evolve, along with the subsequent implications for our work, we are working to provide as much clarity as is feasible on how and when we can bring staff back to post and return to normal operations.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 08/09/2020 14:47:01 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1226729

registered interest
date	21/07/2020
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	United Nations: Human Rights
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Review of the UN Human Rights Treaty Body System announcement by the President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on 2 June 2020, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that that review enhances the effectiveness of that system in protecting international human rights.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	77539
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>We welcome the announcement by the President of the 74th UN General Assembly on 2 June regarding the Review of the UN Human Rights Treaty Body System. The UK Government remains committed to standing up for human rights, including through the UN. We strongly support the Treaty Body System as an essential tool to support the protection and promotion of human rights, and we are committed to developing the system's effectiveness. We are actively engaging in the review process, our initial response to the call for consultation can be found here (https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRTD/Pages/Co-Facilitation-Process.aspx) and on 27 July the UK took part in a consultation with the facilitators appointed to lead the review in New York.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 07/09/2020 16:32:06 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson