To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Mozambique: Debts
Monday 10th September 2018

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, What assessment has she made of the effect of Mozambique’s debt crisis on progress towards poverty reduction in Mozambique.

Answered by Harriett Baldwin

The Department for International Development has not commissioned any formal assessment of the effects of the debt crisis on poverty reduction. The UK did support the national census in 2017. The full results will be published by November and will provide household level data on some key development indicators. The UK has been tracking various analyses of the economic situation led by others (including the World Bank and the IMF) to understand the implications of the macro-economic on poverty levels and has advocated strongly for the Government to protect pro-poor social sector spending.


Written Question
Oxfam and Save the Children Fund: Finance
Monday 10th September 2018

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the ongoing effect on beneficiaries overseas of the withdrawal of Government funds to Oxfam and Save the Children.

Answered by Harriett Baldwin

DFID’s primary concern is the impact on beneficiaries and we have been careful to ensure that Oxfam and Save the Children’s voluntary withdrawal has not directly affected them. Although there has been a voluntary withdrawal from new UK government funding, no current DFID projects with either organisation have been stopped and are proceeding with enhanced scrutiny. For all new projects where we might otherwise have considered funding Oxfam and Save the Children, we are finding alternative partners to ensure that the poorest continue to be protected.

DFID is absolutely committed to driving up standards across the aid sector and will host an international summit on tackling sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment on 18th October.


Written Question
Malawi: Overseas Aid
Tuesday 10th July 2018

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on aid projects in Malawi in each year for which information is available.

Answered by Harriett Baldwin

Information on UK aid spending by country is available in the annual Statistics on International Development publication (available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development).

The table below shows published figures on DFID’s bilateral official development assistance (ODA) spend in Malawi from 2009-2016.

DFID bilateral ODA to Malawi, £ million:

Year

DFID Bilateral ODA to Malawi

2009

68

2010

90

2011

61

2012

117

2013

106

2014

51

2015

75

2016

94

Source: Statistics on International Development

Further information on DFID’s results achieved, spending, performance and efficiency can be found in its Annual Reports (available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfid-annual-report-2011-2012).


Written Question
Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid
Monday 4th June 2018

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the value is of her Department's humanitarian assistance programmes for the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last three years.

Answered by Harriett Baldwin

The UK is one of the leading humanitarian donors in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Over the last three years, £131m of bilateral UKAid has been provided to support the humanitarian needs in the country. The table below provides a breakdown of disbursements by year.

Financial Year

Total (£m)

2015/16

30

2016/17

31

2017/18

70

Total

131


Written Question
Developing Countries: Poverty
Monday 21st May 2018

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to reduce income and wealth inequality in partner countries.

Answered by Harriett Baldwin

Reducing inequality is central to DFID’s work through its mission to eradicate extreme poverty. The UK played a major role in negotiating the 2030 Global Goals and will be at the forefront of delivering them, including Goal 10 on reducing inequalities.

The evidence is clear that delivering on the UN’s 2030 Agenda will require higher and more inclusive growth that spreads benefits across society, notably for women and girls and other excluded groups. Through supporting the poorest in partner countries, DFID is helping to reduce inequalities within them, whilst also generating faster growth that can help to close inequality gaps between countries. UK support to building human capital - for example through education, health, nutrition and social protection programmes - works to prevent entrenched poverty and expand access to opportunity.


Written Question
Charities: Sexual Offences
Friday 18th May 2018

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the level of sexual exploitation within the aid sector; and what steps the Government is taking to tackle it.

Answered by Alistair Burt

The number of cases reported to the Charity Commission by UK aid charities has increased sharply since the Secretary of State wrote to all of DFID’s major partners in February asking them to confirm that they have referred any and all concerns they have on specific cases to the relevant authorities. As more attention is paid to this topic, we expect reporting to continue to increase as confidence grows that action will be taken. What is clear is that sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment still occurs far too often. That is why the Secretary of State is absolutely determined to drive up safeguarding standards in the aid sector to prevent it occurring, to ensure that victims receive the support they need and to hold perpetrators to account.

Since February 2018, the Secretary of State has established a dedicated Safeguarding Unit; written to all of DFID’s major partners seeking assurance about their safeguarding approach; established new working groups with NGOs, donors and experts to identify and test solutions; and announced new safeguarding standards as part of DFID’s due diligence process. She has also taken this message to the international community, leading a collective letter to the UN Secretary General and hosting or speaking at international roundtables with the United Nations, international financial institutions and other donors, including at the recent World Bank Spring Meetings.

The UK is leading the change needed on this issue. We have made good progress since March and will continue to use every opportunity possible in the coming weeks and months to push for much more. The Secretary of State will host an international conference in London on the 18th October at which she will seek concrete commitments and actions from donors and all of the partners we work with.


Written Question
World Humanitarian Summit
Wednesday 17th January 2018

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for International Development:

What progress her Department has made on delivering its commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

DFID is delivering on the ambitious reform agenda agreed at the World Humanitarian Summit, and holding our partners to account for their commitments. From 2018, 30% of the UK’s core funding to humanitarian agencies will be performance-based, dependent on the delivery of vital reforms agreed to at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, including the ‘Grand Bargain’.


Written Question
Central African Republic: Overseas Aid
Wednesday 29th November 2017

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for International Development:

What aid her Department provides to Central African Republic.

Answered by Rory Stewart

The UK is one of the largest donors to the crisis in the Central African Republic and UK Aid is making a big difference on the ground. Our support is reaching 1.5 million people with life-saving food, shelter and basic healthcare.