Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to ensure universal access to adequate and affordable housing and basic services for all, and eliminate slum-like conditions everywhere by 2030 in the Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
The UK supports the proposed language of the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June, “to ensure universal access to adequate and affordable housing and basic services for all, and eliminate slum-like conditions everywhere”, by 2030.
The final goals and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to end child labour by 2030 and protect the rights of and ensure safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers and those in precarious employment in Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
The UK supports ending child labour and safe and secure working environments for all workers. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, with particular attention to the most marginalised and people in vulnerable situations in the Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
The UK supports the inclusion of ensuring universal health coverage as a target under an outcome-focused health goal. By definition, universal health coverage includes financial risk protection. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to halve the number of young people not in employment, education or training by 2020 in the Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
The UK supports a post-2015 target on employment. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
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 Sustainable Development Goals effectively recognise the potential human and environmental costs arising from a growing proportion of the global population living in urban slums.
Answered by Justine Greening
The Government is keen that the Sustainable Development Goals include measures to improve conditions for poor urban residents and address the issues that lead to the formation of slums. We continue to support the approach to urban issues set out in the report of the High Level Panel on post-2015 goals, co-chaired by the Prime Minister. This promotes a detailed consideration of the urban implications of each goal and target.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
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 problems of youth unemployment and other forms of unemployment are addressed effectively in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
Economic development is the clearest way to end aid dependency through inclusive growth and job creation. The UK is a strong advocate for a post-2015 target and indicator on employment, including disaggregated targets for women and youth, and DFID is working through the United Nations Open Working Group process to achieve this.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
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 problem of rising health costs, in part owing to ageing populations, is addressed in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
Countries will need stronger health systems if they are to be able to meet the diverse needs of an ageing population and we are working with them to encourage investment in cost-effective solutions to these challenges. We have supported the inclusion of Universal Health Coverage as a target in a post 2015 framework, the aim of which is to ensure that all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them. This includes the elderly.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that action is taken in the Sustainable Development Goals to address the pressures which rapid urbanisation is placing upon the infrastructure of cities around the world and their inhabitants.
Answered by Justine Greening
We continue to support the approach to urban issues set out in the report of the High Level Panel on post-2015 goals, co-chaired by the Prime Minister. This promotes a detailed consideration of the urban implications of each goal and target, including those for infrastructure.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what consideration she has given to the case for having a stand-alone, specific goal on inequality in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
The UK supports a focus on “leaving no one behind” across the post-2015 framework, as was recommended by the High Level Panel which was co-Chaired by the Prime Minister.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that access to safe, affordable energy in rural areas is being treated as a specific high-priority target in the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
The UK is engaging fully in the UN Open Working Group where discussions on the next set of development goals are taking place. We continue to push strongly for the inclusion of targets in line with the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, including universal access to modern energy services by 2030.