Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Government’s response to the Fifth Report of the International Development Committee, HC246 of Session 2014-15 on Strengthening Health Systems in Developing Countries, when her Department plans to publish its position paper on health systems strengthening.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID will publish a health systems strengthening position paper in 2019 outlining our approach to provision of quality, accessible services, ensuring respect for people’s rights and leaving no one behind. Across the world, countries will need stronger health systems if we are to make progress towards the UN Global Goal for health and well-being, including achieving universal health coverage.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the accuracy of the WHO's casuality statistics in Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The World Health Organisation (WHO) casualty statistics are the best UN data currently available. Because of the active conflict in Yemen fewer than half of health facilities are fully functional. The WHO data reflects civilian injuries and deaths reported through health facilities, therefore they represent a partial picture. The real figure is likely higher.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State of International Development, what proportion of the package of recovery and reconstruction for British Overseas Territories affected by recent hurricanes announced by the Prime Minister on 28 November 2017 is classified as ODA; and whether any amount of ODA has been diverted from other intended recipients as a result of that classification.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Under the current Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules the three hurricane affected Overseas Territories, Anguilla, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the British Virgin Islands, are not eligible to receive Official Development Assistance (ODA) due to their Gross National Income (GNI) per capita being above the ODA eligibility cut off point. The United Kingdom (UK) Government has committed £142 million of non-ODA funding to the hurricane relief effort in the Overseas Territories. In addition up to £300 million of loan guarantees will be available to help the affected Overseas Territories access the funds needed to Build Back Better. ODA rules have not and will not stop Britain dedicating the money needed for the hurricane recovery and reconstruction the Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect on global poverty reduction of the increasing proportion of the UK aid budget spent by Departments not subject to the International Development Act 2002.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The UK Aid Strategy, published in November 2015 (CM 9163), is clear that the government shapes all of its ODA spending according to the four strategic objectives set out in the strategy. All four of these strategic objectives support poverty reduction and all are aligned with the UK national interest. The Aid Strategy also commits the UK to drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, which have the eradication of poverty as their central objective.
In order to qualify as ODA, all expenditure must meet the eligibility criteria established by the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the link between school-age education and malaria prevention in malaria-endemic countries.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Malaria can be a cause of children starting school late or missing school. As the second largest international funder to the global malaria response, DFID’s support is reducing the impact of malaria, which enables children to attend school regularly and learn more effectively. Provision of quality schooling has a positive impact on the uptake of malaria services.