Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what time planned timescale is for the (a) review and (b) prioritisation of her Department's programmes; and if she will take steps to ensure that her Department's merger with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not delay that process.
Answered by Wendy Morton
DFID is working closely with the FCO and other ODA-spending departments to consider how best to manage the 0.7% commitment in the coming year. A cross-HMG process is underway, and no decision has been taken but we are considering the full range of our work. As the Prime Minister has stated, the government will remain committed to the 0.7% target through the creation of the new FCDO.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will maintain the Government's policy that 50 per cent of its official development assistance budget is allocated to fragile or conflict-affected states.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
DFID’s work in fragile and conflict affected states (FCAS) is vital. DFID has consistently spent at least 50% of its Official Development Assistance in fragile and conflict affected states from 2015 to 2017. Figures for 2018 will be published in due course.
The Government’s 0.7% GNI commitment is directly linked to the size of our economy and in light of the impact of COVID-19, we are reviewing our programmes to make our response as effective as possible.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she is taking steps to ensure that the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office focuses its single departmental plan on the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs will play an important role in post-COVID-19 recovery, recognising the connection between healthy lives, healthy societies and a healthy environment. As the Prime Minister affirmed on 28 May, we owe it to future generations to build back better, basing our recovery on a fairer, greener and more resilient global economy, and to get our shared goals back on track, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether there are plans for voluntary redundancies at her Department's office in East Kilbride after her Department's merger with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
DFID’s existing office in East Kilbride will become part of the new Department’s estate. Some roles in East Kilbride may change due to business needs and any changes will be handled in accordance with relevant civil service policy and guidance. It is too early to be able to say precisely what effect those changes will have. We can confirm that there will be no compulsory redundancies for DFID employees as a result of the decision to create the new Department and any changes will be handled in accordance with relevant civil service policy and guidance.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if the Government will delay the implementation of the decision to create the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office until the publication of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister is determined that the Integrated Review later this year will set an ambitious vision for the future of the UK as an active, internationalist, problem-solving and burden-sharing nation. The new Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office will be central to the delivery of that vision, so it needs to prepare now to be ready by the Autumn.
This reform will create a department that for the first time for many years has the combination of size, reach and expertise to project us effectively internationally and make sure that we spend our development money in the best possible way.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the (a) Independent Commission for Aid Impact, International Development Committee and (b) National Audit Office will maintain its existing role in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Audit Office, the UK’s independent public spending watchdog, supports Parliament in holding government to account and helping to improve public services through independent audits. The Comptroller and Auditor General certifies the accounts of all government departments and has statutory authority to examine whether departments have used their resources efficiently, effectively and with economy. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will be accountable to parliament for how it spends UK aid. The form this takes is a matter for Parliament. We remain committed to full transparency in our aid spending and there will continue to be parliamentary and independent scrutiny of the aid budget.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to engage with faith-based actors in (a) communicating public health messages and (b) her Department's response to the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Nigel Adams
I recognise both the important place that religious belief has for many people around the world affected by COVID-19 and the role that faith-based actors are playing in the response, particularly in communicating public health messages. Faith-based actors are key policy and delivery partners for DFID. We are committed to working with and alongside faith-based actors to meet the challenges posed to both the UK and internationally by COVID-19.
DFID is taking forward a structured approach to engagement with UK and international civil society, including faith-based actors. This is incorporating strategic and technical discussions to help inform the sector’s response to the pandemic. Specifically, Baroness Sugg has chaired two round table discussions with the Chief Executive Officers from key civil society organisations including faith-based organisations on 3 April and the 1 May to update the sector on DFID’s COVID-19 response to date, engage with concerns across the sector, and explore how to mitigate the threats posed by COVID-19 to sector resilience. Lord Ahmad is also planning to host a round table with faith leaders and faith-based development organisations to discuss how we can work together more effectively.
DFID has pledged new funding for civil society organisations including faith-based organisations to support the response. This includes £20 million through the Rapid Response Facility which includes funding for Christian Aid; up to £30 million of new grants through the next round of the UK Aid Direct programme, and significant funding through the DFID Unilever COVID-19 Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition. Faith-based organisations can receive funding through multilateral organisations as downstream partners as part of the UK’s response and through our country office network. We have been reviewing our programme portfolio in light of the COVID-19 response, enabling us to identify existing activities which can already support the response and others which can be adapted or scaled up, such as our support to health systems and humanitarian crises.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of effect of the Bangladeshi Government’s internet restrictions in Rohingya refugee camps on the ability of human rights organisations to respond to the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Good communications are critical for all aspects of the COVID-19 preparedness and response in the camps. Human rights organisations are working to provide legal guidance, monitor and advocate for the safety and wellbeing of refugees in line with international standards, and support the efforts of the protection sector overall, particularly to respond to violence against women and girls.
The internet and access restrictions limit the ability of agencies to share information with the refugees and with each other; and of the Rohingya to communicate among themselves. However, despite the decreased presence of humanitarian personnel in the camps, and internet and sim card restrictions, Rohingya are still able to communicate on a limited scale with human rights organisations. Protection services are among the critical services continuing in the camps and information sharing structures between organisations are functional. We continue to emphasise the importance of telecommunication access in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps in our senior meetings with the Government of Bangladesh. We have requested the lifting of restrictions and allowing full communication access in the camps.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that religious minorities are not disproportionately adversely affected by the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government works to ensure that all aid reaches the most vulnerable including those from religious minorities. Vulnerable populations will experience COVID-19 outbreaks differently. COVID-19 is likely to reinforce their marginalised position in society, their experience of discrimination, violence and stigma, and further limit their access to essential support and services. For this reason, on 9 April, guidance was circulated across DFID highlighting that inclusion must be central to our response and the specific contexts and needs of all religious minorities should be taken into account when developing practical programmes to tackle COVID-19.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the validity of reports that religious minorities in Pakistan are being denied adequate support during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Nigel Adams
DFID is paying close attention to ensure that all COVID-19 assistance is inclusive and does not discriminate on religious grounds.
DFID is actively engaged with the Government of Pakistan to shape their COVID-19 response so that those most at risk of being left behind, including religious and other minority groups, can receive assistance. We are currently looking at how we can best support vulnerable groups through the crisis.
We are concerned by media reports of incidents where minorities in Sindh were refused assistance. We therefore welcome the establishment of initiatives like the government’s Ehsaas Rashan Portal, which seeks to prevent some of these inequities by connecting the private sector and civil society organisations with those most in need of assistance.