Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which infrastructure projects were funded through or supported by the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2016; how much funding for each such project was (a) provided through PIDG and (b) leveraged from other sources; and whether each such project is operational.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The table attached shows all PIDG supported projects. The table indicates whether the support for projects was initiated before or after 01 January 2010. As support for many projects initiated before 2010 will have continued into the timeframe set out in the question, we have also listed all projects where support was started before 01 January 2010. There is no other straightforward way to filter the data. Further information is also available online (http://data.pidg.org/) .
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many undergraduates studying (a) soil biology, (b) soil chemistry and (c) combined soil biology and chemistry her Department is sponsoring at (i) UK universities and colleges and (ii) universities and colleges in third countries.
Answered by Nick Hurd
DFID is not currently centrally funding any undergraduates studying (a) soil biology, (b) soil chemistry or (c) combined soil biology and chemistry at (i) UK universities and college or (ii) universities and colleges in third countries.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what research and development her Department is funding into the potential role of agroforestry in improving soil health and condition and prevention of erosion.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Department for International Development supports a number of research programmes that assess the use of agroforestry to promote soil health and prevent as well as reduce erosion. This includes, for example, work with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the global Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security research programme (CCAFS).
My Department also supports a wide range of development programmes with agro-ecological components, from agroforestry, soil and water conservation, land use management to climate resilience and conservation agriculture. These include, for example, The Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), and Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED). The full range of our programmes can be found on our Development Tracker website.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department provides support to farmer networks and farmer-to-farmer training to promote good soil management.
Answered by Nick Hurd
DFID is supporting farmer networks and farmer to farmer training on soil management. For example we fund the International Fund for Agriculture Development’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP). This is assisting farmers networks on the promotion of better land and soil management practices and technologies including those developed under our support by the international agriculture research organisation the CGIAR.
For example in Nigeria ASAP is supporting the establishment and strengthening of community development associations for 200,000 smallholder farmers to adopt agricultural practices that both reduce soil erosion and their risks to climate change.
We are also funding farmer to farmer training under our country programmes. In Zambia this is focussed on climate smart agriculture and better management of soils. While in Malawi our support on conservation agriculture has helped 60,000 smallholder farmers to increase their crop yields and incomes by 25% on average.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the potential contribution of measures to support freedom of religion and belief to achieving (a) Sustainable Development Goal 16 and (b) other sustainable development goals.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The UK will continue to promote universal human rights as an integral part of building prosperity and stability around the world and attaches great importance to ensuring that people of all faiths can participate fully in society and live without fear of abuse or discrimination. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) leads on the UK’s work in promoting freedom of religion and belief overseas. DFID works closely with the FCO to raise concerns about freedom of religion with partner governments to ensure that all citizens can claim their rights. This is indeed part of our work to promote the golden thread of democracy, and achieve Goal 16 and the other Sustainable Development Goals. For the UK, the Sustainable Development Goals’ pledge to leave no one behind is one of the most important principles of the post-2015 Agenda. We have been a champion of Goal 16 to promote peaceful and inclusive societies and access to justice for all. We are working to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals will be monitored closely.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it is her Department's policy to support the G7 Initiative on Climate Risk Insurance.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The UK supports the G7 Climate Risk Insurance Initiative and is committed to contributing to meeting the collective target set out in the Elmau declaration of helping up to an additional 400 million people in the most vulnerable developing countries to gain access to climate risk insurance by 2020.
UK support under the Initiative includes contributions to the African Risk Capacity and the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative. In September the Prime Minister announced that the UK would provide at least £5.8 billion of climate finance over the next five years which will include support for climate risk insurance.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussion she has had with the European Commission's (a) Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department and (b) Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development on responding to humanitarian needs in Burundi.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The UK Government is extremely concerned by the ongoing political unrest in Burundi and its humanitarian consequences, including internally displaced persons and the flow of Burundian refugees to neighbouring countries.
The Secretary of State attended the Foreign Affairs Council for Development on 26 October where it was agreed to launch Article 96 consultation procedures with Burundi. Senior Officials from DFID have raised Burundi with appropriate interlocutors, including in Brussels.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has to provide humanitarian funding to (a) refugees from and (b) internally displaced persons in Burundi.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The UK Government is extremely concerned by the ongoing political unrest in Burundi and its humanitarian consequences, including internally displaced persons and the flow of Burundian refugees to neighbouring countries.
The UK is the second largest bilateral donor to the regional appeal, after the US. DFID offices across the region, including in Tanzania, DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, are working closely to monitor the situation, review preparedness activities and provide humanitarian support. £18.15 million has been committed by DFID for refugee response in the region through UN agencies, such as UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP, and international NGOs. This funding includes £14.25 million to support refugees in Tanzania and £3.9 million to support refugees in Rwanda. We are staying in close contact with these agencies about future funding needs. DFID has deployed a Humanitarian Advisor to the region in support of the response and to monitor funding provided so far.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with the World Health Organisation (WHO) over the structural reforms required to the WHO following the lessons learned from the organisation's response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Answered by Grant Shapps - Secretary of State for Defence
The United Kingdom is using its membership on the World Health Organisation’s Executive Board to push for a broad package of reforms to strengthen WHO’s future response to health emergencies and to improve wider organisational effectiveness.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the Government spent on climate finance for (a) mitigation and (b) adaptation to developing countries in each year between 2009 and 2015.
Answered by Grant Shapps - Secretary of State for Defence
UK Government support to help people both adapt to the impacts of climate change, and to mitigate its future impacts, is delivered in an integrated way through a range of programmes. Tracking spend on adaptation and mitigation only began in 2011 when the International Climate Fund (ICF) was established. Since 2011/12 approximate funding has been as follows:
Adaptation
2011/12 - £136m
2012/13 – £212m
2013/14 – £228m
Mitigation
2011/12 – £199m
2012/13 - £272m
2013/14 - £418m
Data for 2014/15 and 2015/16 will be published once available.