Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the increase in the National Living wage announced by the Government on 31 December 2019, what discussions he is having with private sector companies undertaking facility management work for his Department to ensure that the cost of wage increases for their employees are not passed on to his Department.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department for International Development has two headquarter buildings in the UK, one at 22 Whitehall and the other at Abercrombie House in East Kilbride.
Both HQ buildings share a contract for facilities management. The staff contracted under this agreement are paid London Living wage in Whitehall and National Living wage in Abercrombie House. DFID covers the additional costs associated with the Living wage increases. This is reviewed annually in line with the increments set out by the Living Wage Foundation.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many and what proportion of staff in his Department would receive an increase in their salary in the event that their hourly pay rate was (a) £8.72, (b) £9.30 and (c) £10.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All DFID staff are paid at an hourly rate above £10, and therefore would not require a salary increase in any of these scenarios.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what country-specific direct support is his Department providing to The Gambia to (a) support economic development and (b) strengthen democratic institutions in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK’s bilateral country programme in The Gambia closed in 2012 and since then we have supported the country through our funding to regional and thematic programmes and multilateral partners. Our support for the economic development agenda includes part-funding the IMF’s technical assistance to The Gambia on revenue mobilisation, public financial management, monetary policy, financial sector regulation and national statistics, as well as our core contributions to the World Bank and African Development Bank’s work. On strengthening democratic institutions, Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK are delivering a programme of training and mentorship to the Gambian National Assembly from UK funding.