Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional measures they will put in place to ensure that international development spending is properly targeted and delivered to those whose need is greatest.
Answered by Lord Bates
As set out in the Bilateral Development Review, DFID will reach the poorest and most excluded groups by improving disaggregated data, evidence and understanding of what works in different contexts. For example, excluded girls and women are often ‘invisible’ and there is need for better data that is disaggregated by sex, age, disability and geography. This approach compliments our robust systems which protect the Department for International Development’s aid budget throughout the project cycle and ensure that it is directed to those who need it.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied that all funds provided to countries where international development programmes are being supported are being directed to those in need.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Bilateral Development Review, published on 1 December 2016, sets out how DFID will focus aid where it is needed most, in particular by continuing to support the world’s poorest countries, increasing our focus on fragile states and regions and intensifying our efforts to help countries transition from poverty. Once resources are allocated, robust systems are in place to protect aid budget throughout the project cycle and ensure that it is directed to those in need. Every project is subject to regular review to ensure that its objectives are being achieved. The Department has a comprehensive risk management framework which requires risk to be identified and managed at every stage of the project. Prior to the release of funding the Department undertakes rigorous due diligence on its delivery partners, with the findings re-tested annually. Once funds have been dispersed, regular internal and external audits check that aid has been delivered to the intended beneficiaries.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to either repeal or amend the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015.
Answered by Lord Bates
There are no plans to repeal or amend the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial or other assistance they are making available to the Palestinian territories currently governed by the State of Israel.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
DFID provided £72 million in financial year 2015/16 in support of Palestinian development to help build Palestinian institutions, deliver basic services and promote economic development.
As the Secretary of State has recently taken up her new role, she is conducting a full examination of our work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) to ensure UK taxpayers’ money is spent in the right places and in the right way.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK aid is able to enter Nepal by road without interference or delay.
Answered by Baroness Verma
We have been closely monitoring the movement of humanitarian and health goods over the land borders to Nepal. A number of DFID partners providing winter assistance for vulnerable households living over 1,500m affected by the earthquake have trucks that have not been able to move freely across the border. Other DFID humanitarian partners have been procuring goods from Nepal but are struggling with their distribution due to shortages of fuel.
We are actively advocating to all parties for the free movement of humanitarian and health supplies and peaceful resolution of the current disruption. The UN Resident Coordinator and the UK Ambassador met with Nepal’s Prime Minister this week to raise the issue of access to fuel for humanitarian operations. This has resulted in a positive commitment to prioritise a supply of fuel to humanitarian partners. UK ministers and senior civil servants continue to raise concerns over the current crises and need for quick resolution with concerned groups.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of aid provided by the UK following the earthquake in Nepal last year.
Answered by Baroness Verma
DFID gave £70 million to the Nepal earthquake response to support humanitarian and early recovery efforts, making us one of the major donors. The Department for International Development’s expenditure in Nepal is assessed in a number of different and complementary ways. Across the portfolio, monitoring plans are in place for every programme including our response to the 2015 earthquake. This places emphasis on results delivery, ensuring we are well placed to monitor the effectiveness of our programmes. Our strong focus on evaluation, both globally and in our country programmes, ensures we can evaluate performance and impact across the sectors in which we work.
In addition to regular monitoring and evaluation, since the earthquake DFID Nepal has set up a regional office in Gorkha district to increase oversight of humanitarian and reconstruction programmes.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial contributions or pledges of financial contributions have been made by the European Union to assist with the fight against the ebola outbreak in West Africa; and what has been the contribution of each member state of the European Union.
Answered by Baroness Northover
The UK is leading the international response to Ebola in Sierra Leone and has committed £230 million to help fight the disease.
The European Council, the European Commission and its member states pledged a total of €1 billion to the Ebola Response. According to the European Commission, as of 28 October the EU and its Member States had pledged €911 million. This includes €100 million from France, €107 million from Germany, €53 million from Sweden and €46.2 million from Italy. Adding to the Commission’s further pledge of €280 million on 6 November for Ebola research, half-funded by the private sector, this takes the current total to well over €1 billion.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the European Union's annual development aid contribution; and what is the contribution of each member state as a percentage of gross domestic product.
Answered by Baroness Northover
The provisional estimate for net Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the EU and its Member States in 2013 is € 56.6 million (approximately £44 billion). The ODA contribution for each member state as a percentage of their Gross National Income for 2013 can be found on the European Union website at http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-263_en.htm .