Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to increase the level of activity at the fisheries research laboratory in Monkey Bay, Malawi.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting Malawi to diversify its economy, improve inclusive growth and eradicate extreme poverty. My Department has not made an assessment of the merits of providing support to the fisheries research laboratory in Monkey Bay. However, a new programme of agricultural support is currently in design and assessing potential options for UK support, including on fisheries.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent progress has been made on developing the solar market in Malawi.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
During my visit to Malawi last year, I signed a Compact with the Government of Malawi as part of the UK’s “Energy Africa” campaign. The Compact sets out agreed actions to remove policy and regulatory barriers to Malawi’s solar market expansion. The UK is also working alongside energy companies to develop inclusive business models for solar products, providing technical support to improve markets, distribution and access to consumer and business finance.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to encourage other donors to scale up nutrition investment programmes to tackle malnutrition in high-burden countries.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
DFID is encouraging donors to prioritise nutrition, through the G7, the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, and through bilateral channels. We are encouraging both increased nutrition specific work as well as a greater nutrition focus in donors’ broader development work. We are also tracking Nutrition for Growth commitments through the Global Nutrition Report.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to monitor and report on the effect of its nutrition investment programmes in low and middle income countries.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
DFID monitors and publishes reviews on all its nutrition programmes in low and middle income countries on an annual basis. For example, DFID’s programme in northern Nigeria aims to reduce stunting and wasting by at least 4% over 7 years and includes investment with partners to monitor impact. DFID is also building the capacity of governments to collect and use nutrition data effectively. DFID supports the Global Nutrition Report which tracks progress to reduce undernutrition globally.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has for the inclusion of HIV and AIDS within its Leaving No-One Behind framework.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
The Leave No One Behind Promise means we will focus on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, which includes groups affected by HIV and AIDS. The UK’s recent £1.1 billion pledge to the Global Fund to fight AIDs, TB and Malaria is a practical example of this commitment.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the government of Malawi on growing alternative crops other than tobacco such as (a) tea and (b) maize.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
The UK has regular discussions with the Government of Malawi on the reforms needed to diversify Malawi’s agricultural base. During my recent visit to Malawi, I urged the Malawian Government to make progress on the policy environment for agribusiness, and particularly emphasised the need for reform to maize markets.
The UK provides particular support to the expansion of oilseeds and rice as alternative crops. Through the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund we also support a tea business, and through AgDevCo we invest in groundnuts, sugar, paprika/chillies and macadamia nuts.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will offer assistance to New Zealand to manage the effects of the recent earthquakes in that country.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The UK has monitored the situation since the earthquake occurred and stood ready to offer assistance if required.
The UK will not be providing a response in the aftermath of the earthquake, as the Government of New Zealand have not requested international assistance.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health on implementation of the Ross Fund.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Ross Fund is a new £1 billion fund that will be used to support the global fight against malaria and other infectious diseases. Programmes will be led by either the Department for International Development or the Department of Health. By bringing together the range of DFID and DH’s activity into the Ross Fund and ensuring coordination, we can maximise synergies and avoid duplication.
The accountability and responsibility of delivering on the individual programmes within the Ross Fund is with the respective lead department. The teams in each department are working closely together to ensure there is a complementary approach. A cross-government senior officials group (including Department for International Development and Department of Health) is also meeting on a regular basis to provide strategic direction in global health, including for the Ross Fund.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when investments pledged under the Ross Fund will be made available for research and development into infectious diseases.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Ross Fund is a new £1 billion fund that will be used to support the global fight against malaria and other infectious diseases.
Programmes under the Ross Fund will be led by either the Department of Health or the Department for International Development. Details about the exact nature and timing of investments pledged under the Ross Fund are still under development.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many (a) NHS staff and (b) NHS staff in Plymouth have been involved in operations to control the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.
Answered by Justine Greening
UK-Med is working with the Department for International Development (DFID), Department of Health and International NGOs to recruit NHS volunteers through its International Emergency Medical Register (UKIEMR) to work in a number of DFID-funded Ebola Treatment Centres in Sierra Leone.
To date, UK-Med has deployed 153 NHS volunteers including 3 NHS volunteers from Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.
I pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of the fantastic NHS workers from Plymouth who are helping to defeat Ebola, some of whom I have been lucky enough to meet in Sierra Leone. Their hard work has saved countless lives.