Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking help (a) resource and (b) encourage participation of women-led organisations at pledging conferences for international humanitarian emergencies in 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK remains committed to supporting women-led organisations in humanitarian crises in 2023. Last year, we co-hosted the Afghanistan Pledging Conference, providing a platform for Afghan women's rights activists to speak, and we provided $185 million to the UN's Country Based Pooled Funds globally, which direct humanitarian funding to local organisations, including women-led organisations. In 2023, we launched the £38 million Advancing Gender Equality through support to Women's Rights Organisations programme, which will provide grants to women's rights organisations and work to amplify their voices in key fora such as pledging conferences.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to host an international conference on humanitarian assistance for the East Africa drought.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
We are working with several international and UN partners to organise a humanitarian pledging conference for the Horn of Africa. The event is scheduled to take place in New York on 24 May. It will help us to mobilise urgent funding for immediate humanitarian needs and to identify long-term solutions to the region's recurrent crises including drought. The UK is a leading humanitarian donor to the region with more than £1 billion provided in relief aid since 2019. UK funded activities are saving lives and making a difference.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that his Department's (a) defence, (b) diplomatic and (c) development policies help to promote peace in other countries.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The 2021 Integrated Review established the UK's approach to using our defence, diplomatic and development levers to address global challenges, including conflict, with the International Development Strategy outlining how we will tackle the root causes of conflict. The FCDO has established the Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation (OCSM) which works across government to increase the UK's impact in preventing, managing and resolving conflict. Both the Foreign Secretary and Minister for International Development sit on the National Security Council which ensures coordination across our development, foreign policy and security architecture, including on efforts to promote peace in other countries.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's role in supporting the work of the Government Communications Headquarters.
Answered by Leo Docherty
It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments that we do not comment on intelligence matters. The Foreign Secretary remains committed to his oversight responsibilities in line with the Intelligence Services Act 1994.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to provide (a) long-term and (b) flexible funding for programmes to help tackle the causes of conflicts in fragile and conflict-affected states.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The Spending Review 2021 provided a three-year settlement of £2.65 billion to the cross-government Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). Launched in 2015 it operates in over 80 countries and territories, delivering more than 90 programmes and combines Official Development Assistance (ODA) and other, non-ODA funding sources and integrates activity of a number of British government departments, including the FCDO. The Fund is managed by the Cabinet Office and yearly allocations are signed off by the National Security Council.
The 'Integrated Review Refresh 2023: Responding to a More contested and Volatile World' sets out how the UK will meet that challenge head-on. The new Integrated Security Fund (UKISF) will expand upon the existing CSSF. It will have a wider remit, funding projects both at home and overseas to tackle some of the most complex national security challenges facing the UK and its partners. With additional funding from other programming, the Fund will have a budget of almost £1 billion and will continue to spend UK aid money in line with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee rules and guidance.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to spend at least 50 per cent of his Department's budget in fragile and conflict-affected states and regions.
Answered by Leo Docherty
Fragile and Conflict Affected States are central in the International Development Strategy (IDS), which aims to tackle the causes of crises and build the long-term foundations for lasting development. We cannot end extreme poverty in low- and middle-income countries without tackling conflict and fragility.
Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations are being directed towards the strategic priorities of the IDS. The World Bank publishes an annual list of Fragile and Conflict Affected Situations. Eight of the top 10 country recipients of UK bilateral ODA in 2021 are on the World Bank list.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to increase the proportion of UK Overseas Development Aid spending allocated to civilian peacebuilding, conflict prevention and resolution to 4 per cent by 2025.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
In its December 2022 report, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) rated the UK's Approaches to Peacebuilding as green-amber and recognised the UK's meaningful contributions in this area. Official Development Assistance (ODA) is one element of how we deliver impact, but it is the combination of development, diplomacy and policy levers, in line with the principles in the 2021 Integrated Review, that has enabled the UK to maintain its effectiveness in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and resolution. FCDO ODA allocations have been guided by the priorities set out in the International Development Strategy, the aims of which include tackling the causes of crises and building the long-term foundations for lasting development.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to increase the proportion of Overseas Development Assistance spent on peacebuilding that focuses on gender equality from 7 to 15 per cent.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
In February 2023, the UK Government launched its fifth National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security, highlighting how we will utilise our diplomatic, defence and development levers to support women's full, equal and meaningful participation in peace building, peace processes and mediation. Further, the FCDO has committed, in our March 2023 International Women and Girls Strategy, that 80 per cent of all the FCDO's bilateral aid programmes will have a focus on gender equality by 2030. FCDO Official Development Assistance allocations are guided by the priorities set out in the International Development Strategy, the aims of which include empowering and protecting women and girls.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his Department’s policy to increase the proportion of total Overseas Development Assistance spent on (a) peacebuilding and (b) conflict-prevention initiatives.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is committed to conflict prevention and we welcome the Independent Commission for Aid Impact's (ICAI) recent recognition of the UK's meaningful contributions to peacebuilding. The FCDO continues to review allocations of Official Development Assistance to ensure that it is spent where it is needed most. The UK is one of the biggest supporters of the UN's Peacebuilding Fund, having committed over £175 million since the Fund's inception in 2006.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make a comparative assessment of the amount spent on (a) peacebuilding and (b) conflict-prevention initiatives compared with other countries in Europe.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK is committed to conflict prevention and we welcome Independent Commission for Aid Impact's recent recognition of the UK's meaningful contributions to peacebuilding. The UK is one of the biggest supporters of the UN's Peacebuilding Fund, having committed over £175 million since the Fund's inception in 2006. We are among the top 10 donors alongside Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark for 2020-24.
Following the Integrated Review Refresh, a new Integrated Security Fund will have a budget of almost £1 billion.
There are no plans to assess the UK's overall spend on peacebuilding and conflict prevention against other European countries.