Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK aid to Gaza is not used to fund the construction of tunnels from Gaza to Israel.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and has robust controls against the diversion of aid. In Gaza, DFID Occupied Palestinian Territories has strong controls in place to monitor spending, including mapping the flow of funds through the delivery chain, regular audits of programme spending and conducting regular field visits to ensure that UK aid reaches the intended beneficiaries and achieves the best development outcomes, with a strong focus on ensuring value for money for the UK taxpayer. Additionally, DFID complies with UK and international counter terrorism legislation and our funding agreements commit partners to understand and comply with international counter terrorism legislation.