Asked by: Hugh Bayley (Labour - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the objectives are for the World Bank's Global Partnership for Social Accountability; what role her Department plays on that partnership's steering committee; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justine Greening
The World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) supports governments and civil society to work together to solve critical governance challenges in developing countries. GPSA aims to create an enabling environment in which citizen feedback is used to solve fundamental problems in service delivery and to strengthen the performance of public institutions.
DFID has been a member of the steering committee since GPSA started in 2012, sharing its knowledge and advisory capacity. The steering committee sets out the overall strategy for GPSA and approves grants for programmatic activities such as improving budget transparency or improving access to and quality of service delivery.
Asked by: Hugh Bayley (Labour - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the contribution of 11 December 2014 by the Minister of State for International Development, Official Report, column 383WH, on strengthening health systems in developing countries, when the review of NHS use of foreign workers will begin; what the terms of reference of the review are; when she anticipates that it will be concluded; and whether the Government will publish the review's conclusions and recommendations.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
DFID continues to work with the Department of Health to keep the government’s approach to health systems strengthening under review. As set out in the government response to the International Development Committee’s report on Strengthening Health Systems in Developing Countries, DFID will develop a framework for the UK’s work on health systems strengthening that will include its approach to human resources for health and will be set in the context of the new post-2015 development goals.
Asked by: Hugh Bayley (Labour - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she plans to announce future programme partnership funding from her Department from 2015-16 onwards.
Answered by Justine Greening
In the coming months DFID will hold consultations to inform the direction and choices for the future of strategic financing to civil society.
Asked by: Hugh Bayley (Labour - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has to (a) increase humanitarian aid and (b) provide development assistance for state building in Iraq; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justine Greening
The Department for International Development is delivering £23 million in response to the crisis in Iraq. Our Advisors on the ground are working closely with aid agencies, the UN and the Kurdistan Regional Government to further assess humanitarian needs. The UK government is lobbying the UN and the Government of Iraq to meet the humanitarian needs of all Iraq’s citizens, to protect minorities and to improve the tracking and reporting of human rights abuses including crimes of sexual and gender based violence.
Jointly with the FCO we are looking at how UK expertise could support the new Iraqi government build a stable and prosperous country.
Asked by: Hugh Bayley (Labour - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the implications of UK military action in Iraq for UK humanitarian aid to the victims of the conflict in Syria; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justine Greening
DFID has not received any reports of any impact on UK aid operations inside Syria resulting from UK military action in Iraq. We continue to closely monitor the situation with our partners on the ground, and to receive regular reports from them.
Asked by: Hugh Bayley (Labour - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what new initiatives her Department plans to take in partnership with the governments of countries in Africa and Asia to combat Islamist extremism.
Answered by Justine Greening
DFID’s primary purpose is poverty reduction. We have a comprehensive portfolio of governance and social development programmes in Africa and Asia. Our development programmes broadly contribute to tackling violent extremism by helping build better states and societies that can respond more effectively.
Asked by: Hugh Bayley (Labour - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the UK has allocated to be spent in 2014-15 on humanitarian aid to the victims of conflict in (a) Syria and (b) Iraq; what steps her Department is taking to deliver humanitarian aid to victims in Iraq; what further steps she is planning to assist (i) people in Iraq and (ii) Iraqi refugees in neighbouring countries; what plans she has to increase UK humanitarian aid to Iraqi victims of conflict; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justine Greening
In response to the Syria crisis the UK has allocated £600 million to date for humanitarian aid to victims of the conflict. Total allocations for 2014/15 will depend on decisions to be taken on the basis of evolving needs. In Iraq, the UK has allocated £23m of humanitarian aid for 2014/15.
In Iraq, DFID support has included airdrops of assistance onto Mount Sinjar and in the Iraqi town of Amerli. The UK has also chartered cargo flights in order to deliver aid supplies for displaced people in the Dahuk region. £12.5 million of DFID’s funding is being delivered through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and NGO partners to provide basic life-saving assistance, including food, shelter, water, sanitation and medical care.