Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further support they will provide to international institutions, non-governmental organisations or the government of Malawi in order to prevent the escalation of the humanitarian problems caused by the recent flooding in Malawi.
Answered by Baroness Northover
The UK has moved quickly to meet the immediate needs of those affected by the floods, and food supplies, water and sanitation, blankets and cooking utensils funded by the UK Government are getting through to affected households. We are also working to support communities to recover in the months to come, to allow displaced persons to return to their homes and rebuild their farms and their livelihoods. For example, we are providing funding to a consortium of NGO’s led by Concern Universal and to the Farmers’ Union of Malawi to enable them to distribute seeds and tools to help 54,000 smallholder farmers whose crops have been damaged by the floods. This funding will help ensure that as many as possible of those affected by the floods are still able to harvest crops this season, mitigating the threat of food insecurity. We have also provided funds to the World Food Programme, which will help feed 370,000 people affected by the floods and replenish the food stocks set aside for seasonal food insecurity.
The UK provides long-term support to Malawi to help build the resilience of communities against the threat of climate-related disasters, such as flooding and droughts. Our Enhancing Community Resilience Programme (ECRP) works with over a million vulnerable Malawians in eleven districts both to diversify their sources of income and prevent environmental degradation. With the help of this programme, some communities in flood-prone areas had already been supported to relocate their homes before the floods, and the programme had also installed flood early warning systems that were effective in saving lives. Our ECRP partners will be working in the coming months to help those farmers affected by the floods to rebuild their livelihoods.
We recognise the long-term challenges that climate change poses to Malawi. Over the next three years, the UK will use International Climate Fund resources to scale-up our efforts to enable vulnerable communities to be more resilient to climate shocks.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial support they have provided to the government of Malawi, international institutions or non-governmental organisations in response to the recent flooding in that country, broken down by organisation and amount.
Answered by Baroness Northover
The UK does not provide financial support to the Government of Malawi but we are working with the UN and our NGO partners in support of the Government’s Preliminary Response Plan. UN agencies and NGOs are the best mechanisms through which DFID can ensure quick delivery of UK aid to the people who need it most. We are working closely within the coordination structures established by the Government of Malawi and the UN to ensure our response evolves with the changing conditions on the ground. DFID Malawi will mobilise up to £4.1m to help meet the immediate needs of those affected by the floods, and to support early recovery to allow displaced persons to return to their homes and rebuild their livelihoods. Commitments so far include:
· £1m to the World Food Programme which has enabled them to supply 370,000 with food for the coming weeks;
· £665,000 to UNICEF to provide emergency water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to prevent the spread of disease in displacement camps;
· £575,000 to a consortium of NGO’s led by Concern Universal, £240,000 to the Farmers’ Union of Malawi and £30,000 through our private sector programme to provide seeds and tools to smallholder farmers whose crops have been damaged by the floods. Funding for the Concern Universal consortium is also financing the delivery of food, blankets, and household utensils to the worst hit areas in the first week of the flooding, as well as solar lighting – which is essential for the safety and protection of those living in camps – and fuel-efficient cook-stoves with sustainably harvested firewood.
· £800,000 through the UN Humanitarian Fund, in support of coordination, nutrition, protection and health activities – including support to the World Health Organisation to help prevent the outbreak of diseases and to provide reproductive health services to those living in displacement camps; and support to the International Organization of Migration to support camp management and coordination, and;
· Up to £230,000 to support 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.
All of our partners who are directly receiving UK funds work with and through a range of national and international organisations, with strong and long-standing connections to communities on the ground.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent floods in Malawi and the impact on the population both immediately and in relation to the damage to public services and the economy of Malawi.
Answered by Baroness Northover
DFID has rapidly responded to the current floods in Malawi. Our response has been based on priorities identified through detailed assessments carried out by the United Nations and the Government of Malawi, validated by DFID officials on the ground. The floods are having a devastating impact on families, homes and livelihoods in the most affected areas. Recent assessments conducted by the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) now suggest that 104 people have died and 172 people are still missing. The number of people displaced to temporary shelters is now estimated at 230,000. DFID has responded to assist those in immediate need, particularly those now sheltering in Government and UN-coordinated displacement camps.
According to figures from the Government of Malawi, approximately 415 schools have been affected by the floods, either by being damaged or due to their use as shelter by displaced communities. District Government Officials are working hard to coordinate with international support to help affected students resume their learning as soon as possible. Around 2% of Malawi’s arable land has been flooded and DFID is working with its partners in Malawi to ensure that affected households are supported with seeds and tools, to allow them to return to their land as the water subsides and to replant their crops.
The latest updates from the Malawi Department of Disaster Management Affairs and United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator can be found at: http://www.humanitarianresponse.info/operations/malawi
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bates on 19 December (HL3453, HL3455 and HL3456), whether any of the data collected in studies funded by the Home Office covers the whole of the United Kingdom or just England and Wales; and whether any United Kingdom-wide data has been disaggregated for the four nations of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government is committed to tackling female genital mutilation (FGM). The multi-agency practice guidelines on FGM are designed for application in England
and Wales. The guidelines include a weblink to information on the Scottish Government’s work on FGM.
The 42 joint protocols between the police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service apply in England and Wales only.
The 2007 and 2014 prevalence studies part-funded by the Home Office cover the number of girls and women affected by FGM in England and Wales. The full version of the 2014 study including data disaggregated at a local level in England and Wales will be published shortly.
The Government’s new specialist FGM Unit will work in consultation with partners in Scotland, as appropriate, to ensure a joined up approach to tackling FGM across the UK.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bates on 19 December (HL3453, HL3455 and HL3456), whether any of the 42 joint protocols between the police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service have any impact in Scotland; and whether any joint protocol has been established between police and prosecution services in England and Wales and in Scotland.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government is committed to tackling female genital mutilation (FGM). The multi-agency practice guidelines on FGM are designed for application in England
and Wales. The guidelines include a weblink to information on the Scottish Government’s work on FGM.
The 42 joint protocols between the police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service apply in England and Wales only.
The 2007 and 2014 prevalence studies part-funded by the Home Office cover the number of girls and women affected by FGM in England and Wales. The full version of the 2014 study including data disaggregated at a local level in England and Wales will be published shortly.
The Government’s new specialist FGM Unit will work in consultation with partners in Scotland, as appropriate, to ensure a joined up approach to tackling FGM across the UK.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bates on 19 December (HL3453, HL3455 and HL3456), whether the multi-agency guidelines to support better co-ordination of guidance on protecting girls from female genital mutilation have any relationship to public agencies in Scotland; and if not, what coordination exists between those guidelines and the guidelines that operate in Scotland.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government is committed to tackling female genital mutilation (FGM). The multi-agency practice guidelines on FGM are designed for application in England
and Wales. The guidelines include a weblink to information on the Scottish Government’s work on FGM.
The 42 joint protocols between the police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service apply in England and Wales only.
The 2007 and 2014 prevalence studies part-funded by the Home Office cover the number of girls and women affected by FGM in England and Wales. The full version of the 2014 study including data disaggregated at a local level in England and Wales will be published shortly.
The Government’s new specialist FGM Unit will work in consultation with partners in Scotland, as appropriate, to ensure a joined up approach to tackling FGM across the UK.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with regard to the planned closures of the camps for internally displaced persons in the eastern province of North-Kivu, in particular in the light of the recent launch of military operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda rebel group.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains challenging, and at times dangerous, for civilians.
On 30 January the Government of the DRC announced that military action had begun against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), but it is our assessment that comprehensive operations are yet to fully commence. Officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa have reiterated to the Government of the DRC that international expectations remain high: the threat posed by the FDLR to civilians and to the security and stability of the region must be tackled.
The Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the UN Organization Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) must ensure that efforts to minimise the impact on civilians remain forefront in planning for military operations against armed groups. We are also working closely with the humanitarian community and MONUSCO to minimise the risk to civilians during forthcoming operations. This includes liaising with and providing financial support for organisations working to develop and finalise contingency plans to manage any potential humanitarian impact.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assurances they have received from the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the DRC with regard to the protection of civilians in relation to the launch of military operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda rebel group.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains challenging, and at times dangerous, for civilians.
On 30 January the Government of the DRC announced that military action had begun against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), but it is our assessment that comprehensive operations are yet to fully commence. Officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa have reiterated to the Government of the DRC that international expectations remain high: the threat posed by the FDLR to civilians and to the security and stability of the region must be tackled.
The Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the UN Organization Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) must ensure that efforts to minimise the impact on civilians remain forefront in planning for military operations against armed groups. We are also working closely with the humanitarian community and MONUSCO to minimise the risk to civilians during forthcoming operations. This includes liaising with and providing financial support for organisations working to develop and finalise contingency plans to manage any potential humanitarian impact.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 January (HL3454), what process is in place to handle enquiries received by the female genital mutilation unit from individuals or organisations based in Scotland.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government is clear that female genital mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical
and psychological suffering to women and girls.
The Home Office has provided £100,000 through the FGM Community Engagement Initiative. The fund was open to organisations across all parts of the UK to bid for up to £10,000 to carry out community work to raise awareness of FGM amongst women already affected by FGM, young at-risk girls, as well as men in the community.
The Government’s specialist cross-Government FGM Unit launched on 5 December. The Unit will provide outreach support to local areas in England and Wales, act as a hub for effective practice, work with the police and develop cross-government policies on FGM.
The Unit does receive enquires from individuals and organisations in Scotland which are dealt with through appropriate consultation with partners in Scotland.
Asked by: Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 January (HL3454), whether the new female genital mutilation unit is conducting nationwide outreach across the whole of the United Kingdom or just England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government is clear that female genital mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical
and psychological suffering to women and girls.
The Home Office has provided £100,000 through the FGM Community Engagement Initiative. The fund was open to organisations across all parts of the UK to bid for up to £10,000 to carry out community work to raise awareness of FGM amongst women already affected by FGM, young at-risk girls, as well as men in the community.
The Government’s specialist cross-Government FGM Unit launched on 5 December. The Unit will provide outreach support to local areas in England and Wales, act as a hub for effective practice, work with the police and develop cross-government policies on FGM.
The Unit does receive enquires from individuals and organisations in Scotland which are dealt with through appropriate consultation with partners in Scotland.