Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from her Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
DFID does not maintain records of stationery lost or stolen. Therefore, it is not possible to estimate what the replacement cost would be.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much was paid in (a) year end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials of her Department in each of the last three years.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The following table provides the total paid in year-end performance related awards to DFID staff in each of the last three years.
Performance Year | Total Paid in Year-End Performance Related Awards |
2012/13 | £1,213,250 |
2013/14 | £1,294,200 |
2014/15 | £850,800 |
DFID does not award in-year performance related awards.
Non-consolidated performance related pay is only paid to reward excellence, for example to recognise and incentivise those responsible for delivering high quality public services and savings to the taxpayer. These one-off payments are not pensionable. Since 2010-11 the Government has restricted awards for senior civil servants to the top 25% of performers (from 65% in previous years), saving around £15 million overall
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress her Department has made on establishing a renewable power facility in Pitcairn Islands.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
Energy is provided on Pitcairn through diesel powered generators. There are currently no plans to establish a renewable power facility in the near future.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if the Government will provide additional aid assistance to EU member states receiving large numbers of refugees from Syria to help them with their humanitarian work.
Answered by Justine Greening
The UK government has provided funding for UN agencies and NGOs which includes support for Syrian refugees in Italy and in Greece.
The UK is prioritising its aid efforts where the need is greatest. Only a small percentage of Syrians displaced from Syria are seeking asylum in Europe; the vast majority remain in Syria and neighbouring countries. DFID is providing over £1 billion in response to the conflict in Syria. Of this, £501 million is for inside Syria and £519 million is to support neighbouring countries deal with the influx of refugees and pressures this creates, including Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. This has so far provided more than 18 million food rations, 2.4 million medical consultations and access to clean water for 1.6 million people. By meeting these basic needs we are helping Syrians stay in their home region.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the office space owned or leased by her Department is not in regular use; what the total (a) rental and (b) retail value is of all such office space; and if she will place in the Library a copy of her most recent departmental real estate valuation.
Answered by Grant Shapps
DFID occupies two buildings in the UK, one in Whitehall, London and the other in East Kilbride. We hold the leasehold on both properties and therefore no rent is paid.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to sustain the outside contact enjoyed by the population of the Pitcairn Islands.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
DFID provides funding to ensure regular access to Pitcairn through a dedicated freight and passenger shipping service which visits the islands four times a year. DFID also supports the provision of telephone and internet facilities on the island.