Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people responsible for attacks on humanitarian workers are held to account.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The primary responsibility for prosecuting those who attack humanitarian workers in any context lies with the relevant state authorities. In a conflict context, where the state authorities are unable or unwilling to do this, international accountability mechanisms may be invoked, as appropriate. The UK supports international mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court or ad hoc tribunals acting within their mandates when grave violations of international humanitarian law are suspected, and the state is genuinely unable or unwilling to investigate or prosecute.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that medical workers in Gaza can perform their humanitarian functions without risk of attack.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
We are supporting urgent medical needs in Gaza through the International Committee for the Red Cross and the World Health Organisation. No health or aid workers anywhere in the world should be at risk of violence. They should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety. We regularly raise with the Government of Israel the humanitarian situation Gaza, stressing the importance of protecting civilians, especially children and medical personnel.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to clean energy projects in developing countries.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
UK support over the last six years has resulted in 17 million people having improved access to clean energy, and 590MW of clean energy capacity being installed.
DFID’s support to clean energy in developing countries is delivered through a range of programmes. For example, DFID provides funding to support the installation of more solar power such as through mini-grids in Kenya and Rwanda; helps to establish markets in African countries for small scale, household solar power so poor people have access to affordable clean energy; and funds research and innovation for example in electric vehicles, clean cookstoves and solar battery storage. We also provide support for investments in clean energy through CDC for example supporting hydro-electric power in DRC; and through our funding of multilateral development organisations, such as the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund, the latter of which reports investment of $12.4 billion in renewable energy since 2008.
Our priority is to help developing countries establish a secure and sustainable energy supply, which is essential for economic growth and poverty reduction. We are doing that in a way that supports the global climate change goals.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What steps she is taking to improve the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Following the positive Stockholm consultations in December we encourage the parties to implement their agreements. Any escalation of military activity must be avoided and Hodeidah and Saleef ports and onward supply routes kept open.
We continue to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation through our £170m in UK aid for 2018/19.