Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role the Global Fund plays in his Department's broader strategy for international development and global health.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our investments in the Global Fund play a critical role delivering the Government's international development priorities: to create a world free from poverty, on a liveable planet, putting equality at the heart of all we do. This includes strengthening health security, improving preparedness and response and protecting citizens and economies from health and climate threats.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps ensure that second-class Saturday deliveries remain part of the universal service obligation for Royal Mail.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, is responsible for ensuring the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service that meets users’ needs.
Ofcom’s statement of 5 September set out potential reforms to the universal service obligation and its plans to carry out further in-depth research among postal users. Ofcom expects to publish any proposals for public consultation in early 2025, which will provide an opportunity for interested parties (including magazine publishers) to contribute their views. More information is available on Ofcom’s website: www.ofcom.org.uk/post/royal-mail/securing-the-future-of-the-universal-postal-service.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that funds allocated to the Global Fund is administered (a) effectively and (b) transparently.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
FCDO's Global Fund contributions are delivered in line with the Programme Operating Framework, which is intended to maximise UK aid's effectiveness and impact. This includes rules on aid transparency, value for money and equity to help reach the vulnerable.
FCDO engages regularly with the Fund to monitor and drive progress against its mission and UK priorities, including regular assessments of performance. We do this through our Board and Committee representation, alongside others, and bilateral strategic and programmatic levers.
5 per cent of UK funding is channelled through the Global Fund Accelerator programme, which acts as an additional lever to deliver UK priorities.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the Global Fund’s programmes are (a) inclusive and (b) reach the most vulnerable people.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
FCDO's Global Fund contributions are delivered in line with the Programme Operating Framework, which is intended to maximise UK aid's effectiveness and impact. This includes rules on aid transparency, value for money and equity to help reach the vulnerable.
FCDO engages regularly with the Fund to monitor and drive progress against its mission and UK priorities, including regular assessments of performance. We do this through our Board and Committee representation, alongside others, and bilateral strategic and programmatic levers.
5 per cent of UK funding is channelled through the Global Fund Accelerator programme, which acts as an additional lever to deliver UK priorities.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department takes with international counterparts to maximise the impact of contributions to the Global Fund.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
FCDO's Global Fund contributions are delivered in line with the Programme Operating Framework, which is intended to maximise UK aid's effectiveness and impact. This includes rules on aid transparency, value for money and equity to help reach the vulnerable.
FCDO engages regularly with the Fund to monitor and drive progress against its mission and UK priorities, including regular assessments of performance. We do this through our Board and Committee representation, alongside others, and bilateral strategic and programmatic levers.
5 per cent of UK funding is channelled through the Global Fund Accelerator programme, which acts as an additional lever to deliver UK priorities.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of Royal Mail’s proposed stamp price increases on magazine publishers.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s commercial decisions, including the prices of stamps and other services.
In setting its prices, Royal Mail must observe the regulatory framework set by Ofcom which imposes price controls, ‘safeguard caps’, on certain second-class products to ensure a basic universal service is available to all at affordable prices.
Information on Ofcom’s decisions regarding retail price caps on Royal Mail’s universal postal services to apply from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027 is available on its website: www.ofcom.org.uk/post/deliveries-and-charges/consultation-review-of-second-class-safeguard-caps-2024.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to Royal Mail’s universal service obligation on magazine publishers.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, is responsible for ensuring the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service that meets users’ needs.
Ofcom’s statement of 5 September set out potential reforms to the universal service obligation and its plans to carry out further in-depth research among postal users. Ofcom expects to publish any proposals for public consultation in early 2025, which will provide an opportunity for interested parties (including magazine publishers) to contribute their views. More information is available on Ofcom’s website: www.ofcom.org.uk/post/royal-mail/securing-the-future-of-the-universal-postal-service.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of changing levels of funding on the Global Fund’s ability to help tackle (a) HIV, (b) AIDS, (c) tuberculosis, and (d) malaria.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK wants to see a successful Global Fund 8th replenishment in 2025. We are considering all our health investments in the round to make strategic funding decisions and maximise impact. Effective coordination across Global Health Initiatives will be needed to secure sustainable resources and deliver for the global health challenges ahead.
As an active Board and Strategy Committee member, the UK is playing a strong role, alongside others, in supporting the Global Fund to identify and manage risks ahead of the 8th replenishment. This includes planning for a range of funding scenarios.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the UK's financial contribution to the Global Fund was in (a) the 2023-24 financial year and (b) each of the previous 10 financial years.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In November 2022 the UK pledged £1 billion to the 7th replenishment to support efforts to tackle malaria, TB and HIV and strengthen health systems between 2023 and 2025. This funding is being disbursed across three years; £850 million of the pledge was paid in financial year 2023/2024.
The UK has disbursed over £5.5 billion to the Global Fund to date; previous UK pledges are as follows:
Replenishment Cycle | UK pledge |
4th replenishment 2014-2016 | £1 billion |
5th replenishment 2017-2019 | £1.1 billion |
6th replenishment 2020-2022 | £1.4 billion |
7th replenishment 2023-2025 | £1 billion |