Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what Official Development Assistance qualifying spending over £1 million she has (a) authorised, (b) suspended and (c) transferred to other Government Departments since 15 January 2020.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Dev Tracker (https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/) publishes all our approved programming and disbursements, all of which flow from Secretary of State (or via her delegated approval). Ministers have made no decisions yet on suspension of activities. It is too early to catch changes to our planned spending for 2020/21 on our management information systems.
Pursuant to my answer on 16 March, the Department will provide details of all budget transfers to other Government Departments in our Memorandum to the International Development Committee on the publication of the department’s Main Supply Estimate.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for International Development will remain the UK Government Department responsible for administering overseas aid; and whether the goal of that Department will continue to be “to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty”.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
DFID continues to lead the UK’s work to reduce poverty and deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, maximising opportunities to work jointly with other government departments as demonstrated by the cross-Government response, jointly led by DFID and FCO, to supporting global efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The PM has appointed a fully joint junior ministerial team, along with separate Secretaries of State for the Foreign Office and DFID, to ensure the departments will work more closely overseas to deliver the Government’s objectives. DFID ministers retain authority over decisions on DFID aid spending and accountability for all financial resources remains within existing departmental lines.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government who has responsibility for (1) programme design, and (2) delivery of, Official Development Assistance compliant projects; and whether that person will continue to have that responsibility.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Design and delivery of Official Development Assistance projects is the responsibility of the individual spending department.
DFID ministers retain authority over decisions on aid spending and accountability for all financial resources remains within existing departmental lines.
Departments will work more closely together overseas to deliver Her Majesty’s Government’s objectives and ensure the UK’s international operations are fully integrated.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability on the provision of official development assistance to support counter-narcotics projects overseas.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The UK government works overseas to tackle drugs supply to the UK alongside other serious and organised crime (SOC) threats in line with the direction and ambition set out in the SOC Strategy 2018.
Overseas counter-narcotics activities are part of wider funded activities (both Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA) designed to tackle the underlying drivers, enablers and consequences associated with serious and organised crime in developing countries as well as tackling penetration across borders.
The Home Office is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in all its aid projects, in line with the UK Aid Strategy. Significant progress has been made to that effect, with the 2020 UK Aid Transparency Review listing the Home Office as one of just three departments to have been publishing good quality results data, but we recognise there is more to be done. We will continue to work closely with DfID and other HMG departments on best practices to improve UK aid and its impact.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many countries are receiving official development assistance to support counter-narcotic operations.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The UK government works overseas to tackle drugs supply to the UK alongside other serious and organised crime (SOC) threats in line with the direction and ambition set out in the SOC Strategy 2018.
Overseas counter-narcotics activities are part of wider funded activities (both Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA) designed to tackle the underlying drivers, enablers and consequences associated with serious and organised crime in developing countries as well as tackling penetration across borders.
The Home Office is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in all its aid projects, in line with the UK Aid Strategy. Significant progress has been made to that effect, with the 2020 UK Aid Transparency Review listing the Home Office as one of just three departments to have been publishing good quality results data, but we recognise there is more to be done. We will continue to work closely with DfID and other HMG departments on best practices to improve UK aid and its impact.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding the Government has allocated to support operational anti-narcotic services in developing countries.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The UK government works overseas to tackle drugs supply to the UK alongside other serious and organised crime (SOC) threats in line with the direction and ambition set out in the SOC Strategy 2018.
Overseas counter-narcotics activities are part of wider funded activities (both Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA) designed to tackle the underlying drivers, enablers and consequences associated with serious and organised crime in developing countries as well as tackling penetration across borders.
The Home Office is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in all its aid projects, in line with the UK Aid Strategy. Significant progress has been made to that effect, with the 2020 UK Aid Transparency Review listing the Home Office as one of just three departments to have been publishing good quality results data, but we recognise there is more to be done. We will continue to work closely with DfID and other HMG departments on best practices to improve UK aid and its impact.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of overseas aid is delivered through (1) non-governmental organisations, (2) government departments, and (3) other agencies.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) is provided by official bodies only. In 2018, Department for International Development accounted for 74.9% of UK total ODA, other Government Departments and agencies for 20.4% and non-departmental ODA (such as Scottish and Welsh Government) for 4.8%.
UK official bodies can deliver ODA programmes using non-government agencies such as charities, and agencies such as the UN.
Asked by: Baroness Brady (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to test the effectiveness of aid spending through the UK Official Development Assistance budget.
Answered by Lord Bates
UK ODA is scrutinised by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), which focuses on the delivery of value for money and maximising the impact and effectiveness of UK aid. ICAI reports directly to Parliament through the International Development Committee (IDC) ensuring both independence and accountability of the ODA. The National Audit Office also scrutinises departmental spending including the effectiveness of ODA spending.
As part of DFID’s programme approval process, an accredited Evaluation Advisor reviews the evaluation plan for the ongoing effectiveness of the programme. DFID reviews all programmes annually, providing an assessment of performance, ongoing relevance, value for money, lessons learned, and any remedial action required. Individual government departments are responsible for design, evaluation and governance of their Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budget. However, DFID makes available some relevant evaluation tools to support other departments.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to strengthen the UK's diplomatic relationship with Tanzania.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
We have enjoyed good relations with the United Republic of Tanzania since its independence in the 1960s. A range of Whitehall Departments, including Department for International Development (DFID) are represented in our High Commission in Dar es Salaam covering the broad range of interests we share with the Government of Tanzania. Tanzania is one of the largest recipients of British Overseas Development Aid (around £150m per annum).
In a sign of our deep and long-term relationship with Africa, we are increasing the British diplomatic presence in sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, so we can develop more effective partnerships and achieve our mutual goals. And finally the appointment of the Hon Member for Romford as the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Tanzania will only serve to cement further our bilateral relationship.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that government departments that allocate Official Development Assistance funding to ensure that Departments' work is (a) poverty focused, (b) effective and (c) transparent.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
DFID is committed to supporting other government departments to strengthen the quality of their aid spending and maximise their impact on poverty through an extensive offer of support. Working through established cross-government oversight mechanisms we share good practice and provide specific advice on the government’s transparency commitments, Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) eligibility, and programme design and management. Ultimately departments remain accountable to Parliament and taxpayers to ensure their spend meets the ODA rules and represents value for money.