Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult Human Rights Watch, the Forum for Regional Thinking and the local authorities in North-East Syria on how to reduce the number of refugees and internally displaced persons in al-Hol and other nearby camps, and to improve internal security and living conditions.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the potential for developing solar energy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the benefit of the indigenous population.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to take account of the report by the London School of Economics and Political Science Middle East Centre Women, Peace and Security and Displacement in the Middle East, published in July, when planning future aid and development programmes.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research paper by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House Principled Aid in Syria: A Framework for International Agencies, published in July.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We welcome the recent Chatham House paper, and note the report’s concerns over alleged Assad regime interference in the delivery of humanitarian aid, including the risk of diverting aid for military and political purposes.
Our aid contribution in Syria is targeted towards those most in need and distributed, impartially, in line with humanitarian principles. On this basis, our partners do work in regime-controlled areas. However, DFID does not work directly with the Assad regime, and our programmes have a range of safeguards in place to mitigate the risks of regime interference and aid diversion.
These measures include independent third-party monitoring of programmes and tight financial controls, which include requiring our partners to record and provide detailed information and evidence about the use of funds. We have a high degree of confidence in these measures, but will continue to keep this position under review.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 18 June (HL16009), whether they will seek to divert refugees and migrants away from detention centres in Libya.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The detention centres in Libya are the responsibility of the Libyan authorities. The UK is clear that civilians in areas affected by the current conflict, including refugees and migrants, must be immediately evacuated to safety. We continue to press the Libyan authorities to pursue alternatives to detention and implement a better functioning migration system that respects human rights.
Through our contribution to the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), the UK has supported the EU and Africa Union joint commitment to significantly increase voluntary returns of those who want to leave Libya, as agreed at the EU-AU Summit in November 2017. Since then, more than 57,000 people have been supported to return home, with most of these returns from Libya and Niger.
Our contribution also supports the UNHCR-led evacuation of those in need of international protection from Libya to Niger and other countries (over 3,600 people to date), and their ongoing resettlement subsequent to their evacuation. Following UNHCR’s urgent appeal for resettlement places, the UK has committed to participate in the resettlement of the most vulnerable refugees who have been evacuated by UNHCR from Libya to Niger. This will include unaccompanied minors.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to require verification of how UK aid to Pakistan is used, in particular to establish whether non-Muslims receive a fair share of aid; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
UK aid prioritises support for the poorest and most excluded people and communities in Pakistan regardless of race, religion, social background or nationality. Our programmes target the most marginalised, some of whom are likely to be from religious minority groups; and some UK projects in Pakistan specifically aim to tackle the drivers underpinning intolerance and discrimination, through promoting greater understanding between communities.
DFID Pakistan uses a range of approaches to monitor and evaluate our programmes. Every programme within the portfolio is required to develop a comprehensive monitoring plan to enable assessment and verification of how our aid is used and see whether the programme is achieving planned results and impact.