Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the high incidence of mental health disorders in countries (a) with poor mental health support services and (b) that are experiencing conflict or have recently emerged from conflict; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justine Greening
DFID is funding work on mental health in several of our focus countries. For example in Malawi, under the Health Partnership Scheme DFID is helping to establish a community-based programme to improve care of people with common and severe mental health illnesses.
The UK is also providing mental health services through the provision of mobile clinics, healthcare and emergency surgery for Syrian refugees caught up in the ongoing crisis
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she plans to take to support the provision of real and sustainable employment to young refugees in states with high youth unemployment.
Answered by Justine Greening
Over the next five years, DFID will build on its economic development work to ensure productive employment opportunities for young people are increased, including those in situations of protracted displacement.
Significant commitments to support Syrian refugees gain employment were made at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London on 4 February, which was co-hosted by the UK alongside Norway, Germany, Kuwait and the UN.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to assist people in poverty in southern Africa to mitigate the effects of the severe drought in that region.
Answered by Justine Greening
DFID is providing additional support to help mitigate the impact of El Niño-related drought in southern Africa. We are delivering humanitarian assistance to drought-affected communities, boosting disaster preparedness activities and improving the resilience of households to future climate shocks. Building resilience against climate shocks is a key component of all our climate-related work across Africa.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the destruction by lethal yellowing of coconut palms in Antigua.
Answered by Justine Greening
The identification and control of significant plant and animal diseases is an important part of DFID’s research programmes, delivered through co-funded projects with the UK research councils, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and through the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on the potential effect on tribal communities of planned sugar cane plantations in South Omo, Ethiopia; and whether her Department plans to take steps to help communities whose lands may be lost to such plantations.
Answered by Justine Greening
DFID Ethiopia’s programmes predominantly support provision of basic and other services across the whole country. This includes programmes focussing on health, climate investment, primary education and many other areas of development.
DFID holds necessary information to run effective programmes in Ethiopia.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on steps that the Ethiopian government has taken to prevent potential widespread starvation in South Omo.
Answered by Justine Greening
The Government of Ethiopia is assisting people in South Omo through food or cash via the Government’s Productive Safety Net Programme to help them through the leanest months of the year. Additionally, the local government is working with the World Food Programme to meet humanitarian needs, allocating over 4,000 MT of food for distribution in South Omo over the coming six months.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which projects her Department funds in South Omo and Bench Majji, Ethiopia.
Answered by Justine Greening
DFID Ethiopia’s programmes predominantly support provision of basic and other services across the whole country. This includes programmes focussing on health, climate investment, primary education and many other areas of development.
DFID holds necessary information to run effective programmes in Ethiopia.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has met relevant bodies to discuss the issue of the arms trade and development since giving evidence to the International Development Committee on 27 January 2016.
Answered by Justine Greening
I did not provide evidence to the International Development Committee on 27 January.