Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the outbreak of covid-19 in refugee camps throughout the world.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the UK’s global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 and help the most vulnerable, including refugees in camps and settlements as well as host communities. This includes a contribution of £5 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
DFID recognises that individuals in refugee settings, including urban areas, may be vulnerable to acquiring diseases such as COVID-19 as well as facing associated protection risks. UN Resident Coordinators have been tasked by WHO to assess these risks and consider needs at country level, which will include refugee populations. UK officials are in discussion with humanitarian agencies including the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, to ensure that such considerations are factored into evolving plans. UNHCR are not aware of any cases of COVID-19 in refugee camps at present.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the vulnerability of people in refugee camps to a covid-19 outbreak in refugee camps.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the UK’s global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 and help the most vulnerable, including refugees in camps and settlements as well as host communities. This includes a contribution of £5 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
DFID recognises that individuals in refugee settings, including urban areas, may be vulnerable to acquiring diseases such as COVID-19 as well as facing associated protection risks. UN Resident Coordinators have been tasked by WHO to assess these risks and consider needs at country level, which will include refugee populations. UK officials are in discussion with humanitarian agencies including the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, to ensure that such considerations are factored into evolving plans. UNHCR are not aware of any cases of COVID-19 in refugee camps at present.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had on steps to prevent covid-19 outbreaks in refugee camps with the Governments of countries hosting those camps.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the UK’s global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 and help the most vulnerable, including refugees in camps and settlements as well as host communities. This includes a contribution of £5 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
DFID recognises that individuals in refugee settings, including urban areas, may be vulnerable to acquiring diseases such as COVID-19 as well as facing associated protection risks. UN Resident Coordinators have been tasked by WHO to assess these risks and consider needs at country level, which will include refugee populations. UK officials are in discussion with humanitarian agencies including the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, to ensure that such considerations are factored into evolving plans. UNHCR are not aware of any cases of COVID-19 in refugee camps at present.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether there have been any cases of covid-19 in refugee camps throughout the the world.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the UK’s global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 and help the most vulnerable, including refugees in camps and settlements as well as host communities. This includes a contribution of £5 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
DFID recognises that individuals in refugee settings, including urban areas, may be vulnerable to acquiring diseases such as COVID-19 as well as facing associated protection risks. UN Resident Coordinators have been tasked by WHO to assess these risks and consider needs at country level, which will include refugee populations. UK officials are in discussion with humanitarian agencies including the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, to ensure that such considerations are factored into evolving plans. UNHCR are not aware of any cases of COVID-19 in refugee camps at present.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether his Department plans to make additional funding available to prevent covid-19 outbreaks in refugee camps throughout the world.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the UK’s global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 and help the most vulnerable, including refugees in camps and settlements as well as host communities. This includes a contribution of £5 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
DFID recognises that individuals in refugee settings, including urban areas, may be vulnerable to acquiring diseases such as COVID-19 as well as facing associated protection risks. UN Resident Coordinators have been tasked by WHO to assess these risks and consider needs at country level, which will include refugee populations. UK officials are in discussion with humanitarian agencies including the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, to ensure that such considerations are factored into evolving plans. UNHCR are not aware of any cases of COVID-19 in refugee camps at present.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What steps she is taking to ensure that new investments made by the CDC Group contribute to poverty reduction.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
CDC invests to create jobs and reduce poverty. The five year Strategic Framework published in 2017 sets out steps CDC is taking to maximise the development impact of its investments. Almost 750,000 people are directly employed by companies supported by CDC in the poorest countries in Africa and South Asia.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the World Humanitarian Summit in advance of UN Economic and Social Council meeting in June 2017; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
I, and other Ministers, have regular conversations with other donors and Heads of agencies to discuss taking forwards reform of the international system and how we can all respond better to humanitarian crises. During the course of 2017 this has included specific conversations urging countries and institutions to step up their response to the major humanitarian crises, and pushing for a reformed system which is more efficient, innovative, transparent and accountable.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when her Department plans to release updated country-specific anti-corruption strategies.
Answered by Rory Stewart
DFID will publish country anti-corruption strategies. In doing so DFID will want to ensure that we can take into account recommendations from the International Development Committee’s report and relevant aspects of the forthcoming UK Anti-Corruption Strategy. DFID continues to deliver against the country anti-corruption strategies and efforts to tackle corruption do not hinge on when they are published.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK aid to Myanmar reaches the Rohingya people in the Rakhine State.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The UK remains deeply concerned by the ongoing persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State and allegations of human rights abuses. UK Ministers and our Ambassador have called on both civilian and military Minsters in the Government to urge a restrained security response, an independent investigation into allegations of human rights abuses, and for the immediate resumption of access for humanitarian aid. The Government of Burma has committed to restoring humanitarian access and investigating allegations of human rights abuses. Humanitarian access has improved somewhat but some restrictions on travel for international staff and on conducting needs assessments remain in place, affecting the quality and quantity of assistance that can be provided. The UK continues to raise these issues with the government of Burma at every available opportunity.
The UK does not provide funding directly to the Government of Burma.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Government and Civil Society programme run by her Department in Myanmar.
Answered by Rory Stewart
DFID Burma has a range of governance and civil society programming, including: electoral and parliamentary strengthening work and early support on civil service and judiciary reform through the Programme for Democratic Change; support for Public Financial Management in conjunction with the World Bank; support to Burma’s census; and programming to strengthen civil society quality and engagement with government. All programmes are reviewed annually as part of routine programme management, with reports available on the DFID website. All have received A or A+ ratings in the past three years.