Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to (a) ensure children with disabilities progress under the 12 years’ quality education for all girls by 2030 policy and (b) monitor the progress of those children.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Through DFID’s 2018 education policy and disability strategy, the UK committed to show leadership in disability inclusion.
We are making good progress. We support the ‘Inclusive Education Initiative’ with the World Bank and Government of Norway to get children with disabilities into school and learning. Our Disability Inclusive Development programme tests what works at scale in education for children with disabilities. UK Aid supports the development and publication of the annual Global Education Monitoring report. This year’s focus is inclusive education.
DFID is also scaling up support to children with disabilities through our country education programmes. In Rwanda, UK Aid will support inclusion training of one teacher in every school, and in Ethiopia, we supported establishment of inclusive education resource centres to support teachers with inclusive practice.
We are monitoring our progress through tracking of DFID’s Disability Strategy and Education Policy.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will make an assessment of whether its aid delivered through UN agencies is reaching religious minorities.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
Our humanitarian aid operates under International Humanitarian Law and is provided based on need. As such it is available to people of all faiths and of none. All our partners carry out comprehensive vulnerability assessments to ensure aid is reaching those most in need, including those from religious minorities as it is already recognised that religion may be a factor in causing vulnerability.
We keep this under close review. For example, we will take on board the outcomes of a roundtable between UNHCR, local faith leaders and faith-based NGOs which was convened in Amman, Jordan by our Embassy officials on 23 January. This forum discussed UNHCR’s systems for ensuring impartiality and assessing vulnerability and protection needs (including resettlement opportunities) for refugee groups of all faiths.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 115249 on Refugees: Disability, what information her Department holds on the number of referrals made to the disability programmes the UK Government is supporting in that region.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We do not hold specific data on referrals to disability programmes. However, we are committed to ensuring people with disabilities are systematically included in our programme portfolio, and we are asking all our partners to do more to disaggregate data by disability. Examples of programmes we support which directly benefit people with disabilities include:
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps are being taken to ensure counselling services for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are provided in their native language.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is working closely with our partners to provide targeted protection services to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, including through a network of local organisations which help people to access services in a language they can easily understand, including in local dialects. We are also providing translators where needed. Examples of the help being provided includes psychosocial and psychological support for 7,500 children, and supporting the Red Cross to provide family-linking and family-tracing services.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure access to education for child Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh?
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Education Cannot Wait initiative has committed US$3 million (£2.2 million) for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. This will help cover more than 70 percent of the emergency educational needs of Rohingya refugee children until the end of 2017. DFID is developing an ambitious new education policy to ensure that the most marginalised children begin learning now. We are reviewing options for further funding as part of our longer term response to the Rohingya refugee crisis.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to provide humanitarian support for disabled Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh?
Answered by Alistair Burt
Ensuring access to services and assistance for all vulnerable people, including people living with disabilities, is central to DFID’s approach. UK aid is supporting targeted assistance for disabled people, including outreach services providing cooked food, and cash or vouchers for essential purchases. UK assistance is supporting the provision of disabled-access emergency latrines to an estimated 70,000 people. Reducing distances to service points, increasing access into the camps, strengthening referral systems, and increasing access to information as the response continues to scale up will also support the disabled population.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to contribute to funding of the Humanitarian Support Plan for Rohingya refugees?
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID is one of the biggest donors to the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh. DFID has worked for many years in Cox's Bazar and has stepped up efforts with an additional £59 million to support the latest influx of refugees. £54 million of this is being committed to respond to needs identified in the UN-led Humanitarian Response Plan.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress her Department is making in the provision of long-term facilities such as shelters for Rohingya refugees.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is one of the largest donors to the crisis, providing support of £59m since the end of August. We are ensuring effective help is being provided for Rohingya refugees in the medium and longer term, as well caring for immediate needs. Of the £12m of new funding announced for the crisis at the end of last month, £8m will help ensure assistance is sustained after the months up to February 2018 covered by the current UN appeal, including helping improve security for women and girls. We have also provided shelter for over 130,000 people and support to make shelters more weather resistant for 450,000 people.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to ensure safety of unaccompanied Rohingya child refugees in Bangladesh?
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is working closely with its partners to provide protection services to Rohingya child refugees in Bangladesh. As part of wider efforts, UK aid is funding trauma counselling services include psychosocial and psychological support for 7,500 children. In addition to identifying unaccompanied and separated children, we are also supporting the Red Cross to provide family linking and family tracing services. Child protection support includes establishment of 30 child friendly spaces and supporting children to learn and adopt safe behaviours in settlements.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to support child protection services for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh?
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is working closely with its partners to provide protection services to Rohingya child refugees in Bangladesh. As part of wider efforts, UK aid is funding trauma counselling services include psychosocial and psychological support for 7,500 children. In addition to identifying unaccompanied and separated children, we are also supporting the Red Cross to provide family linking and family tracing services. Child protection support includes establishment of 30 child friendly spaces and supporting children to learn and adopt safe behaviours in settlements.