Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2014 to Question 215721, if she will place in the Library the calculation which found that the cost of providing the information requested in that Question was disproportionate.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
A sizeable number of files would need to be reviewed to answer this question. DFID’s database shows over 500 files for the department which dealt with the Overseas Territories for file period 1995/97 alone. It costs £1.50 to access each file. The costs associated with archive research covering the period 1994 to 2004 would therefore be considerable. In addition to financial costs there would also be substantial associated staff costs with carrying out this archive research.
On the basis of the disproportionate cost threshold for written questions, it was assessed that this information could not be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports or assessments have been commissioned into child protection proceedings in the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies since 1994; when each such report or assessment was commissioned; which jurisdiction was the subject of each such report or assessment; and which external agency was involved in each case.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
Details of reports or assessments commissioned into child protection since 1994 would require extensive archive research at a disproportionate cost to the UK taxpayer.
DFID has supported the Overseas Territories (OTs) in developing capacity to manage and improve child safeguarding since 2005, working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). This has included the joint commissioning of a number of reports and assessments, primarily:
· Pitcairn Child Safeguarding Reviews 2009, 2011 and 2013, conducted by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and independent Social Work experts from New Zealand
· St Helena Child Safeguarding Review 2013, conducted by Lucy Faithfull Foundation
· In July the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced it would be establishing an independent Inquiry into child abuse allegations on St Helena. The aim of this inquiry is to establish the truth surrounding allegations of a HMG and St Helena Government conspiracy to cover up child abuse in St Helena and make recommendations. Sasha Wass QC will be leading the inquiry and this was announced to Parliament on 20 November.
DFID does not provide support to the Crown Dependencies.