Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Joint Funds Unit will (a) conduct and (b) publish regular reviews of Conflict, Security and Stability Fund programmes for which information is not publicly available.

All programmes are subject to Annual Reviews, which assess a number of technical and programme management standards including financial and risk management, value for money, conflict and gender sensitivity, as well as contextual factors such as changes to the political environment.

The JFU is working hard to increase transparency and there is a presumption to publish. We have now published two Annual Reports, 76 programme summaries for 2018/19 (in addition to the 62 programme summaries published for 2017/18) and 42 Annual Review summaries for 2016/17. We are due to publish 64 Annual Review summaries for 2017/18 reviews, shortly.

Due to the highly sensitive nature of some of the CSSF’s work, it is not possible to publish details of all programmes. The two key reasons why it may not be possible to make programme documentation public are to protect national security and to protect the safety and security of beneficiaries, partners and partner Governments.