Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with the donor co-ordination group for the Democratic Republic of the Congo with regard to providing funding for the forthcoming local, provincial and general elections in 2015 and 2016 in that country.
Answered by Baroness Northover
DFID has been in close and continuous discussion with the donor co-ordination group on the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We have discussed specifically how to coordinate support to civic education and local observation. Alongside other partners we are also engaged in an on-going discussion with the United Nations Development Programme who have prepared a new programme to support the electoral cycle. We have also participated actively in the MONUSCO-led discussions on support to elections.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have taken place with the government of Malawi and international institutions with regard to the recent floods in Malawi.
Answered by Baroness Northover
The UK continues to work closely within the coordination structures established by the Government of Malawi and the UN to ensure our support is part of a well-coordinated relief and recovery response.
The UK fully supports the efforts of the Malawian Department of Disaster Management Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development. However, no UK funding is channelled directly through Government of Malawi systems.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what organisation or body they have established to assist with the rebuilding of homes, infrastructure and agricultural development following the recent floods in Malawi.
Answered by Baroness Northover
The UK has not established any new organisation or body to support floods recovery. DFID Malawi has committed to provide up to £4.1 million in response to the floods, which includes supporting communities to rebuild their homes and their livelihoods through existing programmes and through multilateral partners.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken, including provision of any financial support, to help with the humanitarian problems caused by recent floods in Malawi.
Answered by Baroness Northover
DFID Malawi has committed to provide up to £4.1 million to support both emergency response and early recovery efforts. These are funds from DFID Malawi’s 14/15 budget, including contingency humanitarian funds and the use of value for money savings. This is additional to the £3.4m already provided in response to meet the humanitarian needs of the food insecure during the lean season. DFID is working closely with partners to ensure that flooding support reaches those that need it most, in line with the Government of Malawi’s Preliminary Response Plan and coordinated through Government-led structures. No UK funding is channelled through Government of Malawi systems.
UK commitments so far include:
· £1m to the World Food Programme which is supplying 370,000 people with food for the first weeks, including by air to areas cut off by rising waters;
· £665,000 to UNICEF to provide emergency water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to prevent the spread of disease in displacement camps;
· Over £1m through NGO and private sector partners to provide seeds and tools to smallholder farmers whose crops have been damaged by the floods.
· £800,000 through the UN Humanitarian Fund, in support of particular coordination and camp management, nutrition, protection and health activities, plus funds for specialist UN personnel to coordinate the response.
In addition, a number of NGOs have also accessed the Start Fund, a funding mechanism for delivering rapid humanitarian assistance which is jointly funded by the UK and Irish Governments. ActionAid, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide and Save the Children have used £350,000 from the fund to provide vital resources to those displaced by the floods.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in regard to recent protests in Kinshasa and in the eastern provinces of that country.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 23 February to the noble Lord Chidgey (HL4967).
Officials continue to raise the ongoing detention of protestors with senior members of the Congolese government.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in relation to the alleged human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, committed by national forces during Operation Likofi.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Officials have raised the issue of human rights violations during Operation Likofi with senior members of the Congolese government on a number of occasions since late 2013. This includes meetings with the Minister of Interior, his successor, the Vice Prime Minister for Interior and Security and the Chief of the National Police. In these meetings we called for a robust investigation into the allegations.
As such an investigation had not started, the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Ms Greening), took the decision in February to terminate their Security Sector Accountability and Police Reform programme, and informed the Congolese government accordingly.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when their commitment to introduce the vaccination for Meningitis B is expected to be delivered; and what has been the progress of negotiations with the manufacturer.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Department of Health is continuing negotiations with the manufacturer to seek to agree a cost-effective price for the supply of the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine, Bexsero®, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. These negotiations will be completed as quickly as practicable.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 January (HL3454) about female genital mutilation, how many of the 17 community projects funded by the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Government Equalities Office include Scotland or are based in Scotland.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department for Communities and Local Government and Government Equalities Office are funding 17 female genital mutilation and honour-based Violence projects for a total sum of £270,000. None of the projects cover Scotland or are based in Scotland as this is within the devolved remit of the Scottish Government.
The 17 projects are based across England in Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bristol, Essex, Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Rotherham. The projects are as follows:
Projects against female genital mutilation
Projects against honour-based violence including forced marriage
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 January (HL3454) about female genital mutilation, whether the declaration signed by faith leaders covered the whole of the United Kingdom or just England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
DCLG worked with activists to draw up a Faith Leaders Declaration against Female Genital Mutilation. This short Statement makes it clear that Female Genital Mutilation is not condoned by any faith and establishes a commitment to work together to end it.
Over 300 people including representatives from every major faith have signed the declaration. Faith leaders from any part of the United Kingdom will be very welcome to sign the declaration, and can do so by making contact with DCLG.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with regard to recent protests in Kinshasa and in the eastern provinces of that country.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
I refer the noble Lord to my previous response of 12 February (HL4593). During the recent period of unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa were in regular contact with the DRC authorities, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued a press statement on 20 January urging calm and restraint and calling on the DRC government and Parliament to listen to the concerns of protesters.
Our Ambassador was in contact with the Government of DRC at the highest levels and with opposition politicians throughout the protests. He urged for a consensus on electoral reform to be built that would help to forge the path to free, fair and peaceful elections in 2016. On 25 January a revised electoral law was passed, and on 26 January an FCO press statement welcomed the revised electoral law which sought to address some of the protestors’ concerns. We are pleased that calls for an end to violence were heeded.