Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK maintains its expenditure of 0.7 per cent of GDP on development aid during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
There has never been a more important time to deliver on our 0.7% commitment, a commitment that this government has enshrined in law.
The UK has plans in place to meet this commitment whilst delivering value for money for the taxpayer and ensuring that we continue to support coronavirus response efforts.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of the UK's aid assistance to the Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Rory Stewart
As I have recently taken up my new role, I am conducting an examination of DFID’s support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories to ensure UK taxpayers’ money is spent in the right places and in the right way. The UK remains committed in its support for a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the need for humanitarian aid and assistance in Yemen.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The United Nations’ 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP), published in January 2016, reports that 21.2 million people in Yemen require some kind of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs or protect their fundamental rights, particularly for food, water and sanitation, healthcare, and support to internally displaced people. The YHRP is currently 26% funded with donations of £351 million. The UK has so far committed to spending £72 million in Yemen over 2016-17. We continue to call on other donors to provide funding for the crisis.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage (a) development of oil and mineral production and (b) other economic development within South Sudan.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Sustainable economic development in South Sudan will require peace and political will from the country’s leaders. This means appointing a transitional government of national unity as soon as possible and implementing the peace agreement signed in August 2015. The UK remains committed to the people of South Sudan. DFID supports livelihoods and basic services for the people of South Sudan alongside life-saving humanitarian support. We support economic development by helping to improve the capacity of key institutions, and through our support to improving the effectiveness and transparency of customs operations. DFID has no plans to support the development of oil and mineral production beyond seeking to ensure a greater degree of transparency in the sector.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures she is taking to assist humanitarian agencies in distributing food and supplies to people affected by the conflict in Yemen.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The UK is the 4th largest donor to the crisis in Yemen and has more than doubled its humanitarian support over the last year to £85 million for 2015/16. We have so far helped more than 1.3 million Yemenis who have been affected by the conflict with food assistance, medical supplies, water, and emergency shelter, as well as supporting refugees and migrants in Yemen.
We work through International Non-Governmental Organisations and the United Nations agencies, including the World Food Programme who provide emergency food to over 570,000 people, either through direct delivery of food or providing cash or vouchers to enable people to buy food. These distributions are prioritised to the areas of greatest need. We are also funding the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism to improve the supply of essential commercial goods, including food, into Yemen.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to protect and support the rights of women and girls in South Sudan.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The UK continues to press the Government of South Sudan to progress its commitments to tackle violence against women, to push for both the Government and Opposition to meet the agreed quotas for women’s participation in the transitional government of national unity.
Our development programmes in country dovetail with HMG’s overall efforts to support the rights of women in South Sudan. Through our Access to Justice Programme we seek to improve access to justice for those subjected to sexual and gender based violence. Our education programmes seek to empower women including the Girls Education South Sudan programme which operates in all South Sudanese states to help 200,000 girls complete secondary school. Our humanitarian support funds projects in the conflict-affected Greater Upper Nile region to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence against women and girls. Women’s empowerment projects in Lakes and Central Equatoria states are funded through the cross-governmental Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and the FCO’s Human Rights and Democracy Programme.