Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on their investigation into the undisclosed loans by two London-based banks to three state owned enterprises in Mozambique.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The British High Commission in Maputo has worked with Mozambican authorities to reach out to UK authorities, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), in order to clarify issues related to the three previously undisclosed loans that were divulged in 2013 and 2016. DFID has followed these conversations, and supported the work of FCO colleagues. The FCA, however, does not comment on live investigations, even to other UK government officials.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department plans to provide for the Global Financing Facility (GFF) for Every Woman Every Child initiative at the GFF replenishment conference in Autumn 2018.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
At last year’s Family Planning Summit in London, we announced £30m over 3 years to enable the Global Financing Facility (GFF) to pilot innovative financing mechanisms. This funding is still ongoing to 2020 and will increase domestic and private sector resources for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Decisions about potential future support will be taken in due course.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she plans to launch the UK-aid food trade and resilience programme.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The new UK aid-supported Africa Food Trade and Resilience Programme, which will make it easier for commercial companies to buy from smallholder farmers and help to boost the income of 1.8 million farming families in Africa, is expected to start by early 2019.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the press release, New UK aid package will stop dirty money in its tracks and recover millions of pounds for developing countries, published by the Government on 30 August 2018, whether the programme will include tackling tax havens.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Illicit finance, including tax evasion, is a problem shared by all jurisdictions with significant financial services centres. Tackling this problem is a priority for me and for my Department. DFID is working closely with the rest of Her Majesty’s Government to do more to support the efforts of key jurisdictions including offshore financial centres to strengthen their response to illicit finance.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to Saada by humanitarian relief organisations after the military operations in that area in August 2018.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Insecurity, damaged infrastructure and bureaucratic constraints throughout Yemen, including in Sa’ada, continue to threaten the access of humanitarian relief organisations to the 22.2 million Yemenis in need of assistance across the country. As of August 2018, the UN assess Sa’ada district as having high access constraints.
We continue to work closely with our UN and NGO delivery partners, in Sa’ada and northern Yemen, who are operating under difficult circumstances to reach the most vulnerable. We also urge all parties to the conflict to ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian and commercial access across Yemen, including in Sa’ada, and to do everything possible to protect innocent civilians and demonstrate their commitment to International Humanitarian Law.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the press release, New UK aid package to meet immediate needs of Palestinians through UN Relief and Works Agency, published on 4 September 2018, whether she plans to allocate additional funding for Palestinian refugees as a result of the US administration's decision to cut its funding to the UNRWA.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The UK has announced £17 million of funding over the past four months, in addition to our original budget of £28.5 million, to protect UNRWA’s vital services. We continue to work with international partners to help unlock further funding for UNRWA and are considering the UK’s plans to help continue meeting the needs of Palestinian refugees across the region.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help improve healthcare facilities in Montserrat.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
DFID has recently financed a comprehensive study of the health sector on Montserrat, assessing need and identifying areas for improvement. The study has proposed a number of reforms to the health sector as well as options for a new hospital facility.
In addition, DFID’s annual contribution to the budget of the Government of Montserrat through its financial aid programme, provides funding for a number of health specialists to be recruited internationally. Under this programme the Government of Montserrat has recently engaged the services of a Healthcare Development Manager. This post holder will play a critical role in coordinating the implementation of recommendations from the health sector study. This will include the drafting and the implementation of a new health strategy as well as corresponding action plans for implementation.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to African migrants in migrant camps in Yemen.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The UN estimates that over 200,000 migrants and refugees have come from the Horn of Africa to Yemen over the last two years (2016 and 2017). DFID is providing up to £36 million to support displaced people and migrants in Yemen between 2017 and 2020. These funds are directed through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organisation for Migration to protect the safety, dignity and basic rights of people, including African migrants in Yemen. These funds also support the UNHCR’s work in the Kharaz refugee camp in Lahj. Their work includes responding to sexual violence and violence against women, child protection, early childhood education, refugee legal assistance and detention monitoring.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what humanitarian aid her Department is providing in the Eastern Ghouta region of Syria.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Humanitarian access to Eastern Ghouta is severely constrained by the Assad regime. Where and when access allows, DFID’s humanitarian partners are providing health and nutrition, livelihoods and food security, winter clothing, clean water, and protection.
The UK continues to press for full and sustained humanitarian access. We co-sponsored the UN Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire to enable humanitarian aid and medical evacuations, and call on all parties to the conflict to act now to ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full.