Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of ECHO funding has gone to UK-based humanitarian NGOs in each of the last five years.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
UK NGOs are important partners for ECHO. In 2016, 24 out of 136 partners who received funding from ECHO were UK-based (or 17.6%). UK-based partners received more funding than those from any other countries.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect on the work and effectiveness of UK-based humanitarian NGOs of those organisations losing access to ECHO funding as a result of the UK leaving the EU .
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Britain is a development superpower. We have world class development organisations delivering aid to those who need it most. In 2016, UK NGOs received around €200 million in new ECHO funding commitments. NGOs are making their own assessments of the effect of losing access to ECHO funding, which they have been discussing with me periodically as we prepare to leave the EU.
We are working as part of the negotiations on the future EU funding instruments to ensure that third country organisations have access to these instruments in the next few months.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that the work of UK-based humanitarian NGOs is not adversely affected by the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The EU guidelines (December 2017) acknowledge the proposal put forward by the UK for a time-limited implementation period, based on the existing structure of EU rules and regulations. Both parties have recognised the importance of such a period in the interests of providing certainty and continuity to businesses and individuals. The UK wants to agree the detail early in 2018 to provide certainty as quickly as possible. In the meantime, the Government will continue to work closely with the EU to ensure the UK’s rights as an EU Member State are respected.
Leaving the EU also offers opportunities for DFID and UK NGOs, and we will support our NGOs to make the most of these opportunities in future.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has for the future of development awareness education.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID remains committed to development education in the UK. We are currently consulting on potential future work on development education, with a focus on increasing impact and better engaging UK citizens in tackling poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it is her policy that the UK should continue to participate in the Europe Aid Development Awareness programme after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Alistair Burt
There will be no decisions on future UK/EU policy until the Government’s negotiations on exiting the EU have concluded.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has for the future of the Global Learning programme.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Global Learning Programme comes to an end in July 2018. We are currently consulting on potential future work on development education, with a focus on increasing impact and better engaging UK citizens in tackling poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has to update her Department's HIV/AIDS strategy.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
The 2013 review of the 2011 UK HIV Position Paper ‘Towards Zero Infections’ identified the integration of HIV with wider development needs.
Our programmes pursue this approach through strengthening health systems, supporting sexual reproductive health and rights, and tackling the broader drivers of the HIV epidemic such as stigma, discrimination and gender inequality. DFID have no immediate plans for developing a stand-alone strategy.