Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many temporary contracts involving staff previously employed by the Department for International Development (DfID) in (a) London, (b) East Kilbride and (c) overseas offices have not been renewed following the merger of DfID and his Department.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Temporary contracts, in the form of agency workers and contractors, are used to fill short-term and immediate vacancies when all other routes to fill have been explored in line with departmental and civil service resourcing policies and processes.
By their very nature, they are set up for an agreed period of time and would not routinely be renewed.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the international impact of the Government's reduction of the Official Development Assistance budget.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions and we have concluded after extensive consideration, and with regret, that we cannot for the moment meet our target of spending 0.7% of Gross National Income on ODA. We remain a world leading aid donor spending 0.5% of GNI to fight poverty, tackle climate change and improve global health. We are holding the G7 presidency and hosting COP26 in 2021, it is a unique opportunity to galvanise international action, lead and shape the direction of international development.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to include measurable policies on disability equality in his Department's next Single Departmental Plan.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Disability inclusion is an important issue for the FCDO, and the Ministerial team remain committed to embedding it across all of our work. Last month, we published a progress paper outlining achievements against the 2018 DFID Disability Strategy and we are planning a refresh of this strategy in 2021.
Following the Spending Review outcome, FCDO Ministers are currently considering which policies and metrics will underpin our departmental plans. HMG departmental plans for delivery during the next financial year (2021-22) will be published next year following approval by the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and No10. FCDO will report regularly to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury on progress against the agreed metrics. The public will be able to track government (and FCDO) performance against finalised outcomes through public reporting.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has plans to make representations to the UN Security Council on the deployment of peacekeeping forces to north-east Nigeria to protect vulnerable local communities in that country.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK has no plans to make representations to the UN Security Council on the deployment of peacekeeping forces to North-East Nigeria as we do not assess their deployment to be the most effective way to tackle the conflict and create long term stability. We continue to support the affected nation states of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon to tackle the terrorist threat in North-East Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin. We work closely with the UN to support the nations states' response and to support local communities. This includes support to the UN Development Programme stabilisation facility in North-East Nigeria and support to the work of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel. On 5 June 2020, we led a statement in the Security Council which reiterated our commitment to West Africa and the Sahel, including Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. On 16 June 2020, we led a statement at the Security Council condemning the recent terror attacks in North-East Nigeria.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps plans to take to ensure that (a) development and (b) humanitarian issues are represented at Cabinet level.
Answered by James Duddridge
Once the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is formally established in early September, the Foreign Secretary will represent the FCDO at Cabinet. Foreign and development policy will be fully integrated in all Ministers' portfolios in the new Department.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the Government of Nigeria in tackling the advance of (a) Boko Haram and (b) Islamic State West Africa.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK is supporting the Government of Nigeria and its neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa. We provide a comprehensive package of security, stabilisation and humanitarian assistance to Nigeria to help tackle the threat from these terrorist groups. This includes: capacity building support for the Nigerian armed forces, with an emphasis on adherence to internationally recognised Rules of Engagement, International Human Rights and Humanitarian law; counter-IED and bomb scene management training; and support to the Multinational Joint Task Force, a regional taskforce which seeks to coordinate military efforts in the region. The UK is also providing up to £300 million of humanitarian support to affected communities between 2017-2022, which includes the provision of vital food assistance for 1.5 million people affected by the conflict.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Nigerian counterpart on the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law's finding that more than 60,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa since 2010.
Answered by James Duddridge
We are aware of the report published in May by the Nigerian NGO International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. While the United Nations and the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project assess the number of fatalities to be lower, at just over 36,000 people killed in the decade-long conflict in North East Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, each death caused by the conflict represents a tragedy.
The UK remains committed to supporting the Government of Nigeria and its neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa. The Prime Minister discussed UK support for tackling the insurgency in the North East with President Buhari at the UK Africa Investment Summit in January. We provide a comprehensive package of security, stabilisation and humanitarian assistance to Nigeria to help tackle the threat from these terrorist groups and support affected communities. This includes up to £300 million of humanitarian support to affected communities between 2017-2022.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) the Secretary of State for International Development had with (i) NGOs, (ii) aid recipients, (iii) local in-country representatives and (iv) other key stakeholders before the announcement of 16 June 2020 to merge his Department with the Department for International Development.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Government continues to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including UK and international Non-Governmental Organisations, on issues relating to the merger. The Prime Minister has concluded that in the next decade, international issues will be even more important to the lives of our citizens and our own national interest; that the world will become even more complex and competitive, with growing, interconnected challenges and opportunities for the UK; and that therefore we need a new all-of-government approach if we are to secure our values and interests in a changing world.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to retain staff expertise and experience of working directly with local communities held within the Department for International Development when that Department is merged with his Department.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Department for International Development (DFID) has amassed world class expertise and all of its people can take pride in how they have helped transform hundreds of millions of lives around the world. Merging the departments will mean changes for how teams are structured and some roles and responsibilities will change, but there will be no compulsory redundancies. The ambition, vision and expertise of DFID staff will remain at the heart of the new department - taking forward the work of UK aid which will remain central to the mission of the new department.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he will take to ensure the Disability Inclusion Strategy and Strategic Vision for Gender Equality frameworks are embedded and implemented in the work of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Advancing gender equality and women's rights are a core part of this Government's mission, and vital to fulfilling every girl's right to 12 years of quality education. This government is committed to supporting a long-term movement for change on the neglected global issue of disability inclusion. The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to these agendas.
The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy is expected to conclude later in the year, and will define the Government's ambition for the UK's role in the world. The Integrated Review's outcomes will shape the objectives of the FCDO. Both the Review and the merger are evidence of the Prime Minister's commitment to a unified British foreign and development policy that will maximise our influence around the world, including on disability and gender equality.
As part of the merger discussions, we will review, refresh, and build on all existing strategies, as well as developing new approaches where appropriate. We do not see the core ambitions of the Department For International Department's Strategic Vision for Gender Equality or Disability Inclusion Strategy changing. The challenges for the advancement of girls' education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, women's political empowerment, women's economic empowerment, ending violence against women and girls, and supporting people with disabilities are as acute now, if not more so, as when the strategy was published in 2018.