To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Department for International Development: Public Expenditure
Monday 20th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 Question 67776 on Department for International Development: Public Expenditure, when her Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2019 to 2020 will be published.

Answered by Wendy Morton

DFID’s Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20 will be laid in Parliament and published on gov.uk on 21 July 2020.


Written Question
Overseas Aid
Monday 20th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 67777 on Overseas Aid, what the value is of the allocations that have been made from the £200 million un-allocated component of the ODA Crisis Reserve in 2020-21 so far; to what programmes that funding has been allocated; and whether any of the £300 million re-deployable component of the ODA Crisis Reserve has been redeployed.

Answered by Wendy Morton

The UK ODA Crisis Reserve is an annual allocation of £500 million. This consists of a £200 million un-allocated reserve and a £300 million re-deployable reserve.

We used initial the £200 million to respond to COVID-19. We have now replenished this through using the redeployable element of the reserve. To date DFID Secretary of State has approved a total of £5 million from the 2020/21 ODA Crisis Reserve. The £5 million was approved by DFID SoS in February 2020 to the World Health Organisation to provide resilience to vulnerable countries in response to the global pandemic (£10 million approved from 19/20 crisis reserve and £5 million from 20/21 crisis reserve).


Written Question
Department for International Trade: Public Expenditure
Monday 20th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the value of promissory notes her Department planned to issue in 2020-21 was for (a) each institution at the Main Estimate stage in 2020 by date to each institution; and the planned value of promissory note issuance is by institution for the remainder of the calendar year 2020.

Answered by Wendy Morton

DFID uses promissory notes with organisations such as international development banks. A promissory note allows that organisation to commit to an activity in full, in advance of funding being transferred.

DFID’s made no adjustment at Main Estimates 2020-21 to the Net Cash Requirement as a result of Promissory Notes.


Written Question
Overseas Aid
Monday 20th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to allocate the match funding to her Department's partners in compliance with the Aid Match agreements that have been agreed.

Answered by Wendy Morton

All government departments are working through how their plans will need to change in light of the risk of a significant recession this year. DFID is no exception. The Government’s 0.7% GNI target is directly linked to the performance of the UK economy. No decision has been taken, but we are considering the full range of our work. In the short term, we have paused new financial arrangements while we agree our future work in close cooperation with other aid spending Departments.


Written Question
Department for International Development: Public Expenditure
Wednesday 8th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the planned level of promissory note issuance was to each institution in (a) calendar year 2020 and (b) financial year 2020-21 in the Main Estimates.

Answered by Wendy Morton

DFID uses promissory notes with organisations such as international development banks. A promissory note allows that organisation to commit to an activity in full, in advance of funding being transferred.

DFID’s made no adjustment at Main Estimates 2020-21 to the Net Cash Requirement as a result of Promissory Notes.


Written Question
Department for International Development: Gender
Wednesday 8th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many gender technical experts are working in her Department as at 1 July 2020.

Answered by Wendy Morton

As of 1 July 2020, the Department for International Development has 102 Social Development Advisers, all of whom are technical experts on gender equality and shape DFID’s work in this area. These advisers undergo continuous assessments and are quality assured as they progress up the grades, in terms of both depth and breadth of this expertise, to ensure that they can effectively advance gender equality and women’s rights globally.


Written Question
Overseas Aid: Coronavirus
Tuesday 7th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the (a) current position and (b) provisional outcome is of her Department’s gold, silver and bronze grading of projects in response to the covid-19 pandemic.

Answered by Wendy Morton

All government departments are considering how their plans need to change in light of the risk of a recession linked to the impact of COVID-19. DFID is working with the FCO and other ODA spending departments to assess how to manage the 0.7% commitment this year. No decision has been taken, but we are considering the full range of our work.


Written Question
Department for International Development: Public Expenditure
Tuesday 7th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what budget (a) reprofiling, (b) repurposing and (c) additional allocations for 2020-21 have already taken place in relation to each regional programme in each country office.

Answered by Wendy Morton

DFID’s Annual Report and Accounts is due to be published on 14 July and will set out baseline programme budgets for 2020/21 spend by DFID spending unit.

DFID is working with the FCO and other ODA spending departments to assess how to manage the 0.7% commitment this year, in light of the risk of a fall in Gross National Income. No decision has been taken, but we are considering the full range of our work.


Written Question
Overseas Aid
Tuesday 7th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the most recent funding allocations are for the (a) central contingency and (b) portfolio components of the 2020-21 Crisis Reserve.

Answered by Wendy Morton

DFID do not hold a central contingency budget and have not requested any funding from the central exchequer reserve held by HM Treasury.

The UK ODA Crisis Reserve is an annual allocation of £500 million. This consists of a £200 million un-allocated reserve and a £300 million re-deployable reserve. This enables ?exible, quick and effective cross government responses to crises as they happen as set out in the UK Aid Strategy published in 2015. We do not report on expenditure drawn down from the ODA Crisis Reserve.


Written Question
Department for International Development: Public Expenditure
Monday 6th July 2020

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department’s 2020-21 programme plans were at the start of that financial year; and what changes in internal funding allocations have been made since the Main Estimates.

Answered by Wendy Morton

Since the Main Estimates were published in May this year, HMG has had to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated risks to the UK economy. All government departments are considering how their plans need to change in light of COVID-19.