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 (Conservative - 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
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
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.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much overseas aid the UK provided to (a) Israel and (b) the Palestinian Territories in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Israel is not eligible to receive official development assistance (ODA) according to the international definition controlled by the OECD Development Assistance Committee. The following gives United Kingdom (UK) ODA provided to West Bank and Gaza Strip in the last five years.
Year | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
UK ODA £million | 92.4 | 119.9 | 85.5 | 56.2 | 99.9 |
Source: Statistics on International Development.
Note: These figures include UK funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and funding from all Government Departments, including the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is his policy to (a) reassess UK security (i) assistance to and (ii) co-operation with Governments that appoint individuals accused of involvement in torture to senior positions on security bodies and (b) withdraw that assistance when those allegations are deemed credible.
Answered by Mark Field
The Government applies its Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) guidance to any assistance provided overseas. The OSJA guidance is a framework to assess and manage any human rights risks associated with UK assistance . OSJA assessments completed for specific projects or cases are regularly reviewed and updated in line with developments in the country concerned. This informs how the assistance is pursued.
In countries where Her Majesty's Government is regularly engaged in security and justice assistance, the relevant diplomatic mission maintains an in-country assessment and provides it to all interested departments or agencies to aid them and provide consistency in the OSJA process.
The OSJA guidance was updated in January 2017. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office engaged with a number of human rights organisations (including members of the Foreign Secretary's Advisory Group on Human Rights), as part of the revision. I am confident that the new OSJA process remains the most comprehensive and demanding tool of its type anywhere in the world.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if the Government will commit to increasing the proportion of overseas development aid spent on waste management to at least 3 per cent in line with the recommendations of Global Waste Management Outlook.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK is already providing international development support to multilateral funds that are tackling the problem of plastic pollution and waste management, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Global Environment Facility.
DFID also carries out broader work on waste management and urban planning in developing countries – this work helps support a reduction in the amount of plastics entering the marine environment.
In line with the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government is considering what more can be done to tackle waste effectively, including plastics waste. The issue will also be on the agenda for this year’s Commonwealth Summit being held here in the UK. There are no plans to set a spending target on waste management, but the International Development Secretary is engaging other Government Departments, to seek out new and innovative ways for DFID to work with them to solve critical global challenges, including plastic pollution and environmental protection.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of increasing the proportion of overseas development aid spent on waste management to at least three percent on (a) public health, (b) environmental pollution, (c) reducing the amount of plastic entering the marine environment and (d) meeting her Department’s Leave No One Behind agenda.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK is already providing international development support to multilateral funds that are tackling the problem of plastic pollution and waste management, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Global Environment Facility.
DFID also carries out broader work on waste management and urban planning in developing countries – this work helps support a reduction in the amount of plastics entering the marine environment.
In line with the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government is considering what more can be done to tackle waste effectively, including plastics waste. The issue will also be on the agenda for this year’s Commonwealth Summit being held here in the UK. There are no plans to set a spending target on waste management, but the International Development Secretary is engaging other Government Departments, to seek out new and innovative ways for DFID to work with them to solve critical global challenges, including plastic pollution and environmental protection.