Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the extent to which Government funding to Marie Stopes International is used by that organisation to provide elective abortions in (a) Uganda and (b) other countries where such abortions are illegal; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
By helping the world’s poorest women access modern contraception, we will prevent an estimated 6 million unintended pregnancies and 3 million abortions on average each year.
Family planning reduces, but on its own does not eliminate, the backstreet abortions that kill women. So, where this is not against local law, the UK will consider supporting access to safe abortion in the world’s poorest countries. UK aid cannot be used to fund illegal services.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on the number of abortions which have been carried out as a result of her Department's spending in developing countries from 2011 to 2016.
Answered by Alistair Burt
By helping the world’s poorest women access modern contraception, we will prevent an estimated 6 million unintended pregnancies and 3 million abortions on average each year.
Family planning reduces, but on its own does not eliminate, the backstreet abortions that kill women. So, where this is not against local law, the UK will consider supporting access to safe abortion in the world’s poorest countries. UK aid cannot be used to fund illegal services.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that aid to the Palestinian Authority is not used to promote radicalisation.
Answered by Alistair Burt
UK funding to the Palestinian Authority is only used to help to pay the salaries of health and education public servants on a vetted list. This enables around 25,000 young Palestinians to get an education, provides up to 3,700 immunisations for children, and around 185,000 medical consultations annually. UK support to the Palestinian Authority is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding, which includes the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to uphold the principle of non-violence. The UK government deplores any act of incitement to violence and does not hesitate to raise concerns with the Palestinian Authority.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that aid provided to the Palestinian Authority does not fund radicalisation.
Answered by Rory Stewart
UK funding has helped build Palestinian institutions and promote economic growth so that any future Palestinian state will be a prosperous and effective partner for peace. DFID’s previous financial assistance to the PA was governed by a Memorandum of Understanding which reaffirms the PA’s commitment to non-violence and a negotiated solution to the conflict. As the Development Secretary has recently taken up her position, she is undertaking a full examination of DFID’s programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including our support to the PA.