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Written Question
Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance
Friday 11th September 2020

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body what plans they have to conduct an independent review (1) of the costs and benefits of the restoration and renewal scheme for the Palace of Westminster, and (2) of the attendant costs and benefits of decanting MPs and Members of the House of Lords to other sites.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Needham Market

The Restoration and Renewal Programme is considering the costs and benefits of a range of possible interventions for restoring the Palace of Westminster as part of the preparation of the outline business case for the works, which both Houses will be invited to endorse, as required by section 7 of the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019.

On 19 May the Sponsor Body announced it would conduct a strategic review of the Programme. On 1 July I wrote to all Members of the House inviting them to make submissions to that review by 7 August, which was also notified by way of a written statement (HLWS321). Members of the House of Commons were invited to do the same by the Sponsor Body spokesperson in that House.

The costs and benefits of decanting both Houses to alternative sites was previously assessed in support of the deliberations of the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster. These sites have also been considered as part of the strategic review, alongside additional alternative sites, and the outcome of that work will form part of the review’s findings.

The review will conclude in the autumn and its findings will be considered by the Sponsor Body Board and the Commissions of both Houses in the first instance.


Written Question
Middle East: Humanitarian Aid
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent on humanitarian aid in the Middle East over the last 12 months.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

2019 UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend will be published in Autumn 2020.

The UK spent £393 million of bilateral ODA on humanitarian aid in the Middle East in 2018.

The UK’s core funding to multilateral agencies also contributes to humanitarian aid in the Middle East.


Written Question
Yemen: Overseas Aid
Thursday 4th July 2019

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much aid they have given to agencies working in Yemen over the last 12 months.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

We are providing £200 million in support to Yemen this financial year (2019/20). This funding, which takes our total commitment to Yemen to £770 million since the conflict began in 2015, is providing vital support to millions of vulnerable Yemenis.

We provided £170 million in aid to Yemen last financial year (2018/19). This support included helping meet the food needs of four million Yemenis for one month.


Written Question
Syria: Humanitarian Aid
Wednesday 11th July 2018

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of UK humanitarian aid to Syria has been delivered to areas controlled by the Assad regime or its allies.

Answered by Lord Bates

DFID’s focus in Syria is on helping those most acutely in need, and we have extensive controls in place to ensure that UK aid does not benefit the Assad regime. In 2017/2018, our partners operating from Damascus delivered 31% of DFID’s spending in Syria. The majority of that aid was delivered to those most in need living in areas controlled by the Assad regime. A small proportion was also delivered from Damascus to hard-to-reach and besieged areas held by the opposition.

The remainder was delivered by agencies working cross-border from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq into areas not controlled by the Assad regime, and on monitoring and evaluation activities.


Written Question
Syria: Humanitarian Aid
Thursday 17th May 2018

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 3 May (HL7372), what is the criteria for the delivery of the UK's £2.71 billion in humanitarian aid to the people of Syria; how it is allocated; and who will receive it.

Answered by Lord Bates

The UK concentrates its humanitarian efforts in Syria on helping those most acutely in need. We have now committed £2.71 billion to the Syria Crisis to date, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. Of this, £2.3 billion has already been allocated by DFID to implementing partners including £910 million for humanitarian projects in Syria, and over £1.4 billion for projects in the region supporting Syrian refugees and host communities. DFID is currently funding 15 agencies implementing projects in Syria, including UN agencies, international NGOs, and some private sector companies.

Since 2012, our support has provided life-saving support to millions of Syrians, including over 22 million food rations, 9.9 million medical consultations, and over 9 million relief packages across Syria.


Written Question
Yemen: Humanitarian Aid
Monday 16th April 2018

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what aid they are supplying to Yemen to prevent mass starvation of the population.

Answered by Lord Bates

The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa announced £170 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen on the 3 April for the financial year 2018/2019. This funding will meet immediate food needs for 2.5 million Yemenis, and is in addition to over £400 million in bilateral support since the conflict began in 2015.

In the 2017/2018 financial year, the UK was the second-largest donor to the UN Humanitarian Appeal for Yemen and the third-largest humanitarian donor to Yemen overall, providing £205 million. This support aimed to provide enough food to meet immediate needs for 3.4 million people and fuel to mill enough wheat to feed a million people for over a year, as well as nutrition support for 1.7 million people, and clean water and sanitation for an expected 1.2 million people.

Alongside our funding, the UK has taken a leading role in calling on all parties to the conflict to allow unhindered humanitarian and commercial access throughout Yemen. As set out in the UK-led Presidential Statement adopted by the Security Council on 15 March, it is essential that all parties facilitate the safe, rapid and unhindered access for supplies, particularly through Hodeidah and Saleef ports, to help prevent mass starvation.


Written Question
Sierra Leone
Monday 15th December 2014

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will achieve the targets set by the World Health Organisation to reduce the incidence of ebola in Sierra Leone.

Answered by Baroness Northover

The UK has committed £230 million to the response in Sierra Leone. This includes supporting 700 treatment beds to help up to 8,800 patients over 6 months; and supporting over 100 burial teams and their fleet. With UK support, nationally on average 95% of reported bodies are being buried within 24 hours.


Written Question
Sierra Leone
Monday 15th December 2014

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money has been spent to date on establishing the Kerry Town medical facility in Sierra Leone.

Answered by Baroness Northover

DFID is working with a range of partners to respond to the unprecedented Ebola crisis in West Africa. Partners are selected according to need and their ability to deliver results.

As of 10 December, £16.2 million has been disbursed for the Kerry Town Treatment Centre and 52 beds are operational, including a 12-bed facility which treats Ebola patients from Her Majesty’s Government, international healthcare workers and Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals working in UK-sponsored facilities. Scale-up of the facility continues according to schedule. All patients who meet the eligibility criteria and who have been properly referred have been admitted to Kerry Town.


Written Question
Sierra Leone
Monday 15th December 2014

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many suspected ebola patients have been turned away from the Kerry Town medical facility in Sierra Leone while beds have lain empty.

Answered by Baroness Northover

DFID is working with a range of partners to respond to the unprecedented Ebola crisis in West Africa. Partners are selected according to need and their ability to deliver results.

As of 10 December, £16.2 million has been disbursed for the Kerry Town Treatment Centre and 52 beds are operational, including a 12-bed facility which treats Ebola patients from Her Majesty’s Government, international healthcare workers and Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals working in UK-sponsored facilities. Scale-up of the facility continues according to schedule. All patients who meet the eligibility criteria and who have been properly referred have been admitted to Kerry Town.


Written Question
Sierra Leone
Monday 15th December 2014

Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider transferring operation of the Kerry Town ebola medical facility in Sierra Leone to the British armed forces.

Answered by Baroness Northover

DFID is working with a range of partners to respond to the unprecedented Ebola crisis in West Africa. Partners are selected according to need and their ability to deliver results.

As of 10 December, £16.2 million has been disbursed for the Kerry Town Treatment Centre and 52 beds are operational, including a 12-bed facility which treats Ebola patients from Her Majesty’s Government, international healthcare workers and Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals working in UK-sponsored facilities. Scale-up of the facility continues according to schedule. All patients who meet the eligibility criteria and who have been properly referred have been admitted to Kerry Town.