Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Mr Ameer Kotecha was given a leave of absence from her Department to (a) run the Platinum Pudding Competition and (b) write the Platinum Cookbook.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is no record of Mr Kotecha being granted a period of unpaid leave during his employment with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). His work on producing the cookbook and running the pudding competition over the course of 2021-22 was carried out in tandem with his preparations to take up a new post at the consulate in Ekaterinburg.
The FCDO did not hold any staff events on Sunday 15 August 2021, the day that the Taliban captured Kabul. The event to which Mr Kotecha has referred took place on Wednesday 15 September 2021, a month after the fall of Kabul, and almost three weeks after the UK's final evacuation flight from Afghanistan. It was a lunchtime panel discussion organised by the Civil Service Race Forum panel, and held online for staff networks across Whitehall. The FCDO had no involvement in its organisation, and no FCDO staff were featured on the panel.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether an event was held within her Department to mark World Afro Day in August 2021.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is no record of Mr Kotecha being granted a period of unpaid leave during his employment with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). His work on producing the cookbook and running the pudding competition over the course of 2021-22 was carried out in tandem with his preparations to take up a new post at the consulate in Ekaterinburg.
The FCDO did not hold any staff events on Sunday 15 August 2021, the day that the Taliban captured Kabul. The event to which Mr Kotecha has referred took place on Wednesday 15 September 2021, a month after the fall of Kabul, and almost three weeks after the UK's final evacuation flight from Afghanistan. It was a lunchtime panel discussion organised by the Civil Service Race Forum panel, and held online for staff networks across Whitehall. The FCDO had no involvement in its organisation, and no FCDO staff were featured on the panel.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it has conducted an impact assessment of the recent announcement to reduce its development budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income by 2027.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 19 March outlining the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for the period up to 2028-29, and the accompanying documentation setting out the impact of those allocation decisions. I also refer him to the evidence provided by the Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State for International Development at the International Development Committee on 24 March, where they addressed questions at length about the Government's ODA policies and allocation decisions.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the exact figure is of ODA that will be spent on International Climate Finance.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 19 March outlining the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for the period up to 2028-29, and the accompanying documentation setting out the impact of those allocation decisions. I also refer him to the evidence provided by the Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State for International Development at the International Development Committee on 24 March, where they addressed questions at length about the Government's ODA policies and allocation decisions.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking through its international development programmes to reduce maternal sepsis linked to poor hygiene conditions during childbirth.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 26 March in response to Question 122018.
At the heart of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's future health programming is a clear commitment to strengthening health systems, and raising the overall level of primary healthcare provision - including hygiene standards - that influence outcomes for women in childbirth.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will mandate British International Investment, as a Government-owned body, to provide salary transparency when advertising roles.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
British International Investment operates under a publicly available remuneration framework that sets out how salaries are determined and governed, which is agreed with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and considered to be consistent with best practice.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with colleagues in the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of developing country debt held by financial institutions based in the UK on the ability of those countries to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Supporting developing countries to tackle unsustainable debt is a key development priority of this government. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Treasury to support countries facing high debt burdens and struggling to finance their development priorities.
The UK plays a leading role in mobilising private finance for development, leveraging the City of London's global strengths and our track record on innovative financial instruments. We are committed to ensuring finance is sustainable, which is why the Chancellor established the London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt last year. The Chancellor and the Minister for International Development will attend the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings and the Minister for International Development will join discussions with borrowing countries on how the London Coalition can help them tackle their debt challenges.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she will mandate British International Investment, as a Government-owed body, to recognise a trade union.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
British International Investment complies fully with UK employment law, including all statutory rights regarding trade union recognition or membership. There is no detriment for staff who join a union, support recognition of a union, or take part in union activity.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what is the monetary value of the London Allowance for FCDO SCS staff based in London.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The value of the Location Allowance for London-based staff, including senior civil servants, was increased from £3,250 per year to £4,250 in 2013. It has remained unchanged at its current level of £5,000 since April 2018.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the decision to increase defence spending alongside a reduction in the international aid budget on spending priorities for global development objectives and international commitments.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 19 March outlining the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for the period up to 2028-29, and to the accompanying documents setting out the impact of those allocation decisions. I also refer him to the evidence provided by the Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State for Development at the International Development Committee on 24 March, where they addressed questions at length about the Government's ODA policies and allocation decisions.