Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the government of Kenya, and (2) Marie Stopes International Kenya about the announcement by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board that Marie Stopes has been (a) directed immediately to cease offering any form of abortion services in all its facilities in Kenya, (b) instructed to review its existing Guidelines for Reproductive Health Services to ensure conformity with the law, and (c) admonished for contravening the Medical Practitioners and Dentists (Practitioners and Health Facilities) (Advertising) Rules 2016; and whether they intend to halt any funding provided to Marie Stopes International Kenya through Official Development Assistance as a result of that announcement.
Answered by Lord Bates
The British High Commissioner to Kenya has requested a meeting with the Kenya Cabinet Secretary of Health alongside representatives from a number of other governments, to discuss the ban. The Cabinet Secretary has indicated she will convene a meeting once an internal investigation into Marie Stopes Kenya’s activities reports to her office in December. DFID Kenya officials met the Country Director of Marie Stopes Kenya at the end of November to discuss the matter. DFID Kenya does not currently fund Marie Stopes Kenya.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have committed to Marie Stopes International and any of its international subsidiaries in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, and (4) 2022.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Department for International Development’s budgets for future years have not been finalised.
We expect to continue to fund Marie Stopes International (MSI) through a mix of central and country level programmes. For example, as part of our recently announced Women’s Integrated Sexual Health programme, MSI has been awarded a contract of £77 million for the period 2018-2021.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have provided to Marie Stopes International and any of its international subsidiaries for its work in countries outside the UK in each of the last 20 years.
Answered by Lord Bates
To date DFID has a grand total spend with Marie Stopes International of £241,162,224.57 as of financial year 2002/2003.
Financial Year | Amount |
2002/2003 | 2,979,222.00 |
2003/2004 | 1,683,992.00 |
2004/2005 | 1,698,460.00 |
2005/2006 | 716,599.15 |
2006/2007 | 1,031,737.45 |
2007/2008 | 900,853.00 |
2008/2009 | 769,612.98 |
2009/2010 | 639,915.31 |
2010/2011 | 547,910.00 |
2011/2012 | 9,119,706.02 |
2012/2013 | 17,888,022.87 |
2013/2014 | 22,691,676.00 |
2014/2015 | 38,325,132.00 |
2015/2016 | 45,273,206.71 |
2016/2017 | 39,740,622.80 |
2017/2018 | 57,155,556.28 |
Grand Total | 241,162,224.57 |
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any estimate of the number of abortion procedures undertaken by Marie Stopes International and its international subsidiaries in 2017 that were funded by the UK taxpayer.
Answered by Lord Bates
DFID takes an integrated approach to our programming on sexual and reproductive health and rights in order to meet a wide range of women’s reproductive health needs - for example providing a woman with holistic care for gender-based violence, HIV, counselling, post-abortion care and information on family planning. Because these services are integrated, it is not possible to disaggregate figures solely relating to safe abortion procedures.
The aim of DFID’s work on sexual and reproductive health and rights is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, increase the use of voluntary family planning, and give women control over their own bodies and lives.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they work with delivery partners in other countries that provide abortions which are illegal in those countries.
Answered by Lord Bates
DFID’s policy on safe abortion takes an evidence-based, public health approach that aims to reduce death and disability caused by unsafe abortions. In countries where abortion is highly restricted, we can help make the consequences of unsafe abortion more widely understood and can consider supporting policy reform. We do not undertake any activity that is against local laws.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government in which countries where abortion is limited, highly restricted or prohibited they have funded initiatives aimed at legal and policy reform on abortion in each of the last seven years; what estimate they have made of how much of that funding has been spent on that issue in each of those countries; to which organisations in those countries they have provided such funding for that purpose; and how much money they have given to each of those organisations, and for what purpose.
Answered by Lord Bates
Our work on safe abortion policy reform is integrated into wider DFID programming and so it is not possible to disaggregate this information. DFID’s policy on safe abortion takes an evidence-based, public health approach that aims to reduce death and disability caused by unsafe abortions.