Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the merits of the Government's assistance for fracking in China.
Answered by David Lidington
All of the support we provide through our Prosperity Fund is already very carefully considered, including to the energy sector in China. The overall purpose of the Fund is to promote inclusive growth whilst contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Fund’s climate change and energy programmes all support the SDGs, including SDG 7 (affordable, reliable, sustainable modern energy) and SDG 13 (climate action). Sharing UK expertise, including on environmental regulation will help ensure that China’s planned development of its unconventional gas resources is done to high standards, and is managed as part of a transition to a low carbon energy system. This will reduce emissions, as well as support economic development and poverty reduction.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Joint Funds Unit will (a) conduct and (b) publish regular reviews of Conflict, Security and Stability Fund programmes for which information is not publicly available.
Answered by David Lidington
All programmes are subject to Annual Reviews, which assess a number of technical and programme management standards including financial and risk management, value for money, conflict and gender sensitivity, as well as contextual factors such as changes to the political environment.
The JFU is working hard to increase transparency and there is a presumption to publish. We have now published two Annual Reports, 76 programme summaries for 2018/19 (in addition to the 62 programme summaries published for 2017/18) and 42 Annual Review summaries for 2016/17. We are due to publish 64 Annual Review summaries for 2017/18 reviews, shortly.
Due to the highly sensitive nature of some of the CSSF’s work, it is not possible to publish details of all programmes. The two key reasons why it may not be possible to make programme documentation public are to protect national security and to protect the safety and security of beneficiaries, partners and partner Governments.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has for publication of Conflict, Security and Stability Fund programme summaries up to the end of July 2019.
Answered by David Lidington
The CSSF has published programme summaries for financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19 on gov.uk .
In November 2018, 76 CSSF programme summaries for 2018/19 programmes were published and a further seven programme summaries are due to be published shortly.
The CSSF continues to work towards greater transparency and the programme summaries for 2019/20 will be published later this year.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the amount of funding over £50,000 allocated to country programmes under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund in 2018-19.
Answered by David Lidington
The Cabinet Office is responsible for both the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and Prosperity Fund overall.
CSSF and Prosperity Fund ODA programme spend is also detailed on Devtracker and year end ODA spend is detailed by project level via the Statistics on International Development, which is published annually in November for the previous year.
The Prosperity Fund Annual Report provides details of the total spend by programme for the previous financial year. The Annual Report for 2018/19 will be published later this year. Information on Prosperity Fund ODA eligible programme spend is published regularly on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-fco-prosperity-fund-spend
The CSSF has published programme summaries, which outline the programme’s funding allocation (split by Official Development Assistance (ODA)/non-ODA), objectives and project level activities for 2018/19 - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-programme-summaries#programme-summaries-2018-to-2019
The CSSF Annual Report provides details of the CSSF’s total spend and breaks down by region and thematic area. The Annual Report for 2018/19 will be published later this year.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) amount of money contributed and (b) recipients of each of his Department's contributions in excess of £10,000 to (a) peacekeeping, (b) peacebuilding, (c) crisis management and (d) associated strengthening of international and regional systems through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund in 2018-19.
Answered by David Lidington
The Cabinet Office is responsible for both the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and Prosperity Fund overall.
CSSF and Prosperity Fund ODA programme spend is also detailed on Devtracker and year end ODA spend is detailed by project level via the Statistics on International Development, which is published annually in November for the previous year.
The Prosperity Fund Annual Report provides details of the total spend by programme for the previous financial year. The Annual Report for 2018/19 will be published later this year. Information on Prosperity Fund ODA eligible programme spend is published regularly on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-fco-prosperity-fund-spend
The CSSF has published programme summaries, which outline the programme’s funding allocation (split by Official Development Assistance (ODA)/non-ODA), objectives and project level activities for 2018/19 - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-programme-summaries#programme-summaries-2018-to-2019
The CSSF Annual Report provides details of the CSSF’s total spend and breaks down by region and thematic area. The Annual Report for 2018/19 will be published later this year.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) amount of money contributed and (b) recipients of such funding of his Department's contributions in excess of £10,000 to (a) conflict prevention, (b) early warning (c) crisis management, (d) conflict resolution or peacemaking through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund in 2018-19.
Answered by David Lidington
The Cabinet Office is responsible for both the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and Prosperity Fund overall.
CSSF and Prosperity Fund ODA programme spend is also detailed on Devtracker and year end ODA spend is detailed by project level via the Statistics on International Development, which is published annually in November for the previous year.
The Prosperity Fund Annual Report provides details of the total spend by programme for the previous financial year. The Annual Report for 2018/19 will be published later this year. Information on Prosperity Fund ODA eligible programme spend is published regularly on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-fco-prosperity-fund-spend
The CSSF has published programme summaries, which outline the programme’s funding allocation (split by Official Development Assistance (ODA)/non-ODA), objectives and project level activities for 2018/19 - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-programme-summaries#programme-summaries-2018-to-2019
The CSSF Annual Report provides details of the CSSF’s total spend and breaks down by region and thematic area. The Annual Report for 2018/19 will be published later this year.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) amount of money paid and (b) the recipients of that funding in cases where £10,000 or more has been paid from the Prosperity fund in 2018-19.
Answered by David Lidington
The Cabinet Office is responsible for both the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and Prosperity Fund overall.
CSSF and Prosperity Fund ODA programme spend is also detailed on Devtracker and year end ODA spend is detailed by project level via the Statistics on International Development, which is published annually in November for the previous year.
The Prosperity Fund Annual Report provides details of the total spend by programme for the previous financial year. The Annual Report for 2018/19 will be published later this year. Information on Prosperity Fund ODA eligible programme spend is published regularly on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-fco-prosperity-fund-spend
The CSSF has published programme summaries, which outline the programme’s funding allocation (split by Official Development Assistance (ODA)/non-ODA), objectives and project level activities for 2018/19 - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-programme-summaries#programme-summaries-2018-to-2019
The CSSF Annual Report provides details of the CSSF’s total spend and breaks down by region and thematic area. The Annual Report for 2018/19 will be published later this year.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the accounting officer for his Department has sought a written ministerial direction for expenditure on contingency planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by David Lidington
The Cabinet Office Accounting Officer has not sought a Ministerial Direction for expenditure on contingency planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what human rights risk assessments have been undertaken for each Conflict, Stability and Security Fund programme in 2018-19.
Answered by David Lidington
The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund takes its responsibility to manage human rights risk very seriously and has robust processes in place to do so. All projects must comply with the UK’s domestic and international human rights obligations. Measures to mitigate risks are embedded in the way our programme teams work. Teams are required to identify a range of risks, including human rights, ahead of starting a programme and must continue to monitor those, and any emerging risks, throughout implementation.
In addition as part of an additional risk management process all security and justice programmes must have an Overseas Security and Justice Assessment (OSJA) which has been approved at the appropriate level, if necessary by Ministers. The CSSF confirms OSJAs are in place for all security and justice programmes as part of the annual review process. The CSSF does not hold a central record of all OSJAs.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, when she plans to publish the declaration of interest of the new Attorney General.
Answered by Theresa May
On appointment to each new office, Ministers provide a list of all relevant interests to their Permanent Secretary, which are considered by the Cabinet Office, and the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests. The next list of Ministers' relevant interests will be published in due course.