Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect on humanitarian access to Rohingya refugees of resettling those people on Bhasan Char island.
Answered by Alistair Burt
My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. The UK Government has concerns that the island may not provide safe accommodation for Rohingya refugees and we have shared these concerns with the Government of Bangladesh. We will continue to do so, including in international meetings. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government has to raise concerns with representatives of the Bangladesh Government on the proposal to resettle Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char island at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.
Answered by Alistair Burt
My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. The UK Government has concerns that the island may not provide safe accommodation for Rohingya refugees and we have shared these concerns with the Government of Bangladesh. We will continue to do so, including in international meetings. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has provided (a) financial and (b) other support to the Government of Bangladesh for the development of Bhasan Char as a resettlement area for Rohingya refugees.
Answered by Alistair Burt
My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. The UK Government has concerns that the island may not provide safe accommodation for Rohingya refugees and we have shared these concerns with the Government of Bangladesh. We will continue to do so, including in international meetings. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the merits of the proposed transfer of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char Island.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are aware of the Government of Bangladesh’s plans to relocate some Rohingya refugees to Bashan Char Island. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has made an assessment of the viability of Bhasan Char Island the relocation of Rohingya refugees.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are aware of the Government of Bangladesh’s plans to relocate some Rohingya refugees to Bashan Char Island. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has received assurances from her counterpart in the Bangladesh Government on the adequacy of food, water and other resources for Rohingya refugees relocated to Bhasan Char Island.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are aware of the Government of Bangladesh’s plans to relocate some Rohingya refugees to Bashan Char Island. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to contribute to the relocation of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char Island.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are aware of the Government of Bangladesh’s plans to relocate some Rohingya refugees to Bashan Char Island. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of her Department's aid budget is being spent on environmental projects; and whether the objectives of the 25 Year Environment Plan will be taken into account in future aid spending.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Department for International Development (DFID) is working closely with other Government Departments as part of a comprehensive Government effort to protect the environment. The Government has committed £5.8bn (2016-2021) to tackle climate change, the biggest environmental challenge of our time. DFID will deliver £3.6bn of this commitment. In 2016/2017, this was £755m, 7% of DFID’s total spend. DFID and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs fund, alongside other countries, the $4.43 billion Global Environment Facility sixth replenishment (2014 – 2018) which works to address climate change as well as broader environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss, land degradation, international waters and chemicals and waste. All relevant Government commitments, including the 25 Year Environment Plan, are taken into account when considering future aid spending. In addition, all DFID programmes must avoid doing harm to the environment, and environmental safeguards are one of the risk categories considered as part of departmental programme management requirements.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled, Investigation into the Department's approach to tackling fraud, published on 9 February 2017, whether her Department plans to change its commitment to spend at least 50 per cent of its budget in fragile states and regions.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Government intends to fulfil its commitment to spend 50% of DFID’s budget in fragile states and regions.
This spend is subject to rigorous measures to tackle fraud across DFID’s budget, as noted in the National Audit Office’s report.
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the National Audit Office report of 9 February 2017, entitled Investigation into the Department's approach to tackling fraud, what the value is of the third of reported fraud loss not recovered since 2003.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The value of the third of reported fraud loss not recovered between FY2003-2004 and FY2016-2017 was £6,384,486.
Year | Losses Not Recovered (£) |
2003-2004 | 983,974 |
2004-2005 | 59,920 |
2005-2006 | 576,435 |
2006-2007 | 197,430 |
2007-2008 | 133,637 |
2008-2009 | 253,143 |
2009-2010 | 260,751 |
2010-2011 | 115,186 |
2011-2012 | 1,177,968 |
2012-2013 | 492,217 |
2013-2014 | 207,481 |
2014-2015 | 745,358 |
2015-2016 | 1,036,449 |
2016-2017 | 144,537 |
Total | 6,384,486 |