Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2019 to Question 265408 on Palestinian Authority: Pay, whether his Department's disbursements to the Palestinian Authority (PA) been reduced to reflect the PA's partial salary payments.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
DFID has not reduced its funding to the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) health and education sectors for financial year 2019/20. While PA salaries have recently been reduced, our contribution still comprises only a proportion of the PA’s total health and education sector wage bill. UK aid to the PA’s health and education sectors is used exclusively to pay the salaries of vetted health and education public servants, including teachers, doctors and nurses, in the West Bank. The PA’s decision to make partial salary payments to public sector officials does not affect the robust financial safeguards that ensure UK financial aid reaches its intended beneficiaries.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 261075, whether the wages of any UK-funded Palestinian Authority public servants have been reduced as a result of Palestinian Authority spending cuts.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
DFID officials are aware that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has begun to make partial salary payments to public sector officials earning 2,000 NIS (£425) or above a month and can confirm that this includes health and education sector public servants whose salaries are funded through UK aid. The UK continues to support a stable PA which can act as an effective partner for peace with Israel. UK aid to the PA’s health and education sectors is used exclusively to pay the salaries of vetted health and education public servants, including teachers, doctors and nurses, in the West Bank. The EU vets the list of PA health and education sector employees before every disbursement of financial aid to ensure only eligible beneficiaries receive UK aid, at a range of grades based on the PA payroll system. These payments are then independently audited. The PA’s decision to make partial salary payments to public sector officials does not affect the robust financial safeguards that ensure UK financial aid reaches its intended beneficiaries.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to his Department's Memorandum of Understanding with the Palestinian Authority (PA), what discussions his Department has had with the PA on reports that the PA President's spokesperson describing convicted Palestinian terrorists as soldiers who act on their behalf and receive orders from them.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK strongly condemns all forms of violence and incitement on both sides of the conflict. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to avoid engaging in or encouraging any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict. Officials are looking into the specific allegation raised.
Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority (PA) includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. The March 2019 assessment of the terms of the 2018-19 Memorandum of Understanding found that the PA continues to demonstrate a credible commitment to DFID’s ‘partnership principles’, including the principles of non-violence, under increasingly volatile conditions. As in other parts of the world where DFID works, this does not mean that we agree on all of the government or authority’s policies or actions – but rather that there is a credible foundation on which to work to tackle poverty and work towards the Sustainable Development Goals. We continue to press the Palestinian Authority to reform the prisoner payments system, as I did so personally during my recent visit in Ramallah.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the average salary is of employees of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education whose salaries are paid for by his Department through the PEGASE scheme.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
UK financial aid to support the Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) health and education sectors is used exclusively to pay the salaries of vetted health and education public servants, including teachers, doctors and nurses, in the West Bank. The EU vets the list of PA health and education sector employees before every disbursement of financial aid to ensure only eligible beneficiaries receive UK aid, at a range of grades based on the PA payroll system. These payments are then independently audited. The average salary and number of employees earning in excess of 2,000 NIS per month who receive UK aid therefore could change each time a disbursement is made. The data necessary to calculate figures for every DFID disbursement is held by the EU.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many employees of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education employees whose salaries are paid for by his Department through the PEGASE scheme receive a salary in excess of 2000 NIS per month.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
UK financial aid to support the Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) health and education sectors is used exclusively to pay the salaries of vetted health and education public servants, including teachers, doctors and nurses, in the West Bank. The EU vets the list of PA health and education sector employees before every disbursement of financial aid to ensure only eligible beneficiaries receive UK aid, at a range of grades based on the PA payroll system. These payments are then independently audited. The average salary and number of employees earning in excess of 2,000 NIS per month who receive UK aid therefore could change each time a disbursement is made. The data necessary to calculate figures for every DFID disbursement is held by the EU.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the average salary is of employees of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health whose salaries are paid for by his Department through the PEGASE scheme.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
UK financial aid to support the Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) health and education sectors is used exclusively to pay the salaries of vetted health and education public servants, including teachers, doctors and nurses, in the West Bank. The EU vets the list of PA health and education sector employees before every disbursement of financial aid to ensure only eligible beneficiaries receive UK aid, at a range of grades based on the PA payroll system. These payments are then independently audited. The average salary and number of employees earning in excess of 2,000 NIS per month who receive UK aid therefore could change each time a disbursement is made. The data necessary to calculate figures for every DFID disbursement is held by the EU.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many employees of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health employees whose salaries are paid for by his Department through the PEGASE scheme receive a salary in excess of 2000 NIS per month.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
UK financial aid to support the Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) health and education sectors is used exclusively to pay the salaries of vetted health and education public servants, including teachers, doctors and nurses, in the West Bank. The EU vets the list of PA health and education sector employees before every disbursement of financial aid to ensure only eligible beneficiaries receive UK aid, at a range of grades based on the PA payroll system. These payments are then independently audited. The average salary and number of employees earning in excess of 2,000 NIS per month who receive UK aid therefore could change each time a disbursement is made. The data necessary to calculate figures for every DFID disbursement is held by the EU.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) India and (b) Bangladesh on support for regions affected by Cyclone Fani.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK closely monitored Cyclone Fani as it advanced towards and hit both India and Bangladesh. Using existing crisis mechanisms, both countries’ governments have led on the preparedness and response. The UK has not received any formal requests for support from either Government.
No discussions have been held between the International Development Secretary and the Government of Bangladesh in response to this situation. The DFID Bangladesh team was, however, in close contact with the Government during and immediately following Cyclone Fani. Given the Government response and the limited impact of the cyclone in Bangladesh, the Government did not seek funding or other help from DFID.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the outcome was of her meeting at the World Bank to attract donors to make long-term reconstruction investments in Mozambique following Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Kenneth.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The meeting was successful in raising international awareness, coordinating support and increasing funding for the Cylone Response including reconstruction. Following the meeting a number of donors substantially increased their support. The World Bank have set out plans for a regional operation, covering Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. This will focus on “building back better” and climate resilient infrastructure. The UK also welcomes the news that Mozambique plans to host a reconstruction conference in the coming months. On 3 May, the World Bank announced that it had mobilised over half a billion dollars in new resources to help people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to her Department's Memorandum of Understanding with the Palestinian Authority (PA), what discussions her Department has had with the PA on the naming of a PA Ministry of Education sports festival at the Beitunia Upper Elementary School for Girls after terrorist Dalal Mughrabi.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK strongly condemns any language or actions that could stir up hatred and prejudice. Our support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding which requires the PA to commit to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. We have held meetings with the PA that will inform the 2019 assessment, which we are currently finalising. The UK regularly raises allegations of incitement in the education sector in our conversations with the PA, and had a detailed discussion on this topic as recently as 21 March 2019.