Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, on how many occasions Ministers in her Department have visited Hebron since 2010.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
According to a review of relevant records in the provided time window, four visits have been made to Hebron by DFID Ministers since 2010. UK officials continue to monitor the situation in Hebron, especially following the withdrawal of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What steps the Government is taking to respond to the risk of mass famine in Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is playing a lead role preventing famine in Yemen, with our funding meeting the immediate food needs of 4 million Yemenis this year.
We also recently announced support for UNICEF to screen over 2 million children for severe acute malnutrition, and provide treatment for 70,000 of the most vulnerable children.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings she has had in Israel with which officials since June 2017.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
My Rt Hon Friend the member for Witham (Ms Patel) resigned as Secretary of State for International Development on 8 November. I refer the Hon Lady to the exchange of letters between my Rt Hon Friend and my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister on her resignation; and to the statement issued by my Rt Hon Friend on 6 November:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-international-development-secretary-priti-patel
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings she has had in the West Bank with Palestinian Authority officials since June 2017.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Department holds no information about meetings between my Rt Hon Friend the member for Witham in the West Bank with Palestinian Authority officials since June 2017.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has supplied any electrical equipment to villages in the West Bank.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Through funding to the Palestinian Market Development Programme, DFID has helped to supply electrical equipment to businesses in the West Bank including computers, and food processing and Laboratory equipment. Through the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, DFID funded the rehabilitation of a well in the West Bank including the provision of electrical equipment.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to the UN's Step It Up for Gender Equality initiative.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
We support UN Women as an important partner for the UK. As the campaign asks, we have put gender equality and the empowerment of women at the heart of our development policy and programming, and are achieving impressive results for women and girls at scale.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, who the diversity champion is on her departmental board.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The diversity champion on the Departmental Board is Joy Hutcheon, Director General for Finance and Corporate Performance.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her strategic objectives are in relation to women and girls in developing countries.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
DFID’s Strategic Vision for Girls and Women, published in 2011, sets out four, interlinked game-changing ‘pillars’ critical for empowering girls and women:
1. Girls’ completion of primary and secondary education
2. Economic empowerment
3. Ability to live free from violence
4. Universal sexual and reproductive health and rights.
DFID is committed to delivering the Prime Minister’s promise on tackling modern slavery and the 2015 government manifesto. ‘We will promote girls’ education, encourage equal access to property rights and work to achieve access to family planning for everyone who wants it. We will continue to lead efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, end FGM and combat early and forced marriage, both at home and abroad’.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2016 to Question 55212, how she will assess the (a) value for money and (b) performance; and by when decisions will be made on project cancellations in the 2017-18 financial year.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Secretary of State regularly reviews the progress of projects and takes decisions, as and when required, about closing or restructuring projects that no longer offer value for money for taxpayers. The assessment focuses on progress towards objectives and whether the balance between costs, risks and expected returns remains appropriate.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2016 to Question 55212, on what previous occasions the Overseas Development Assistance budget has been reduced since 2010.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Government will continue to meet the commitment to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in every year of the Parliament. In line with this commitment, and to reflect the latest economic forecasts, adjustments were announced at Spring Budget 2016 and at Autumn Statement 2016.