Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of medical provision in Gaza as a result of the casualties among Palestinian protesters.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is deeply concerned by the current medical provision in Gaza following the recent protests. My officials are working closely with our international partners to ensure a coordinated and effective response. The International Committee of the Red Cross noted on May 14th that the health system is close to collapse, with the casualties from the protests exacerbating an already acutely overstretched system. There are longstanding shortages of medical supplies, electricity and fuel. In response, I am reviewing how the UK can best support the health system in Gaza at this time. I will keep the House informed of my decision.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information he holds on the rate of remuneration for cleaners in his Department.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The Department for International Development has a contract with Interserve Facilities Management to provide all facilities management services including cleaning. The contract is part of a larger affiliates contract led by the Cabinet Office.
The cleaners employed under this contract are paid the national living wage in the East Kilbride office and the London Living Wage in the Whitehall office. This is uplifted every year in line with the Living Wage Foundation.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking improve health provision for communities in (a) the West Bank and (b) Gaza.
Answered by Alistair Burt
UK financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority helps to pay the salaries of vetted health public servants in the West Bank, providing up to 3,700 immunisations for children and around 185,000 medical consultations annually. The UK is a long-term supporter of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides basic services, including basic healthcare, to over 800,000 Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and 1.3 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza. In addition, the UK is supporting approximately 1 million Gazans by providing clean water, rehabilitating sanitation facilities and promoting hygiene standards to stop the spread of disease through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help promote ethical working practices in Bangladeshi factories that supply clothing stores in the UK.
Answered by Alistair Burt
My department is committed to improving conditions in factories which supply clothing to UK stores. We support the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) which is a leading alliance of British companies, trade unions and non-governmental organisations working together to improve the lives of workers around the world, including in Bangladesh. In the ready-made garment industry we work alongside others as ambassadors focussing on respect for labour rights, structural integrity of buildings and occupational safety and health, and responsible business conduct.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate has been made of the number of single use disposable cups that are (a) used each year and (b) sent for recycling by her Department.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We do not keep or gather specific data related to used single use disposable cups or their recycling rates.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what financial support the Government is providing for internationally displaced people in Kachin and Shan States, Burma, in financial year 2017-18.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is providing approximately £4.1 million in essential humanitarian and health assistance, including for displaced people, in Kachin and Northern Shan states in financial year 2017-18.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to attend the International AIDS Conference in July 2018.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK Government will be represented at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam in July 2018. Precise attendance has still to be finalised.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to increase the UK contribution to the Robert Carr Network Fund for civil society.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is proud to be a founding supporter of the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund and has pledged up to £9million to support the grassroots response for inadequately served groups affected by HIV. We will look at future funding once this current commitment comes to an end.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will publish her Department's policy on HIV/Aids.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is a global leader in tackling HIV and proud to be the second largest international investor in the response.
Through our investments we will continue to concentrate on reducing new infections while addressing the barriers that limit access to prevention, treatment, care and support. These include strengthening health systems and tackling the broader drivers of the epidemic such as stigma, discrimination and gender inequality. DFID have no immediate plans for publishing a stand-alone policy.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2017 to Question 115311, whether the UK Government has policies and procedures in place to ensure that UK aid is not spent on projects aimed at encouraging refugee returns to Myanmar that would breach the principle of non-refoulement in international refugee law.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Burmese and Bangladeshi authorities are discussing a refugee return process. During the Secretary of State for International Development’s visit to Bangladesh 25-26 November 2017, she underlined to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that any future returns from Bangladesh must be safe, voluntary, dignified and consistent with international standards. UNHCR has stated that these conditions are not yet being met in northern Rakhine State. We will continue to press the Governments of Bangladesh and Burma to work with the international community to identify acceptable solutions that protect and respect the rights and freedoms of refugees, and that include international monitoring.
Since August 2017, the UK has announced £59 million to support implementation of the international Humanitarian Response Plan to meet the needs of refugees in Bangladesh. The UK has provided £1 million to the Burma Red Cross and £2 million to the World Food Programme to meet humanitarian needs in northern Rakhine State, Burma. No UK funding will be made available to support a returns process that does not meet international standards.