Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional aid, if any, they have allocated for Sudan following the signing of the peace deal on 17 August; and what conditions they have placed on any (1) current, and (2) future, aid to Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK is committed to working with partners to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in Sudan including 8.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid. UK aid is channelled through multilateral organisations, international Non-Governmental Organisations and commercial partners that have a strong track record of delivering in Sudan. This UKAid will provide at least £50 million per year in humanitarian and development assistance to Sudan. By 2021 we will have aided at least 2 million people every year who are affected by conflict, climate and an unreliable food supply.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to support a free press in Sudan through the introduction of journalism training programmes.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK expressed its concern over restrictions to the media, freedom of expression and journalists in Sudan under the previous regime and during the recent unrest. The UK made public statement calling for the restrictions on the media to be lifted, and the joint DFID and FCO Minister for Africa relayed this message directly when summoning the Sudanese Ambassador to the FCO on 7 June 2019.
The UK supported Sudan’s participation in the Media Freedom conference in London in July 2019. The UK will work with the transitional government, media and civil society organisations to support freedom of the media and press and an open civic space in Sudan to support pathway to a democratic future.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that school buildings in Pakistan funded by the Department for International Development (DfID) are not fit for purpose, leaving 115,000 children learning in makeshift classrooms; and that 1,277 of the 1,389 schools covered by this DfID programme are potentially at risk from structural design flaws which put them at risk of collapse during earthquakes.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they took in response to reports in 2016 which highlighted concerns about the Department for International Development's Pakistan educational development programmes.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they paid to (1) the Department for International Development's Special Representative on Education in Pakistan, and (2) other education and management consultancies dealing with education projects in Pakistan, between 2011 and 2015.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans the Department for International Development has to (1) put greater emphasis on problems identified during the annual reporting process, (2) ensure that greater scrutiny is given to the work of consultancy companies and local contractors, (3) give greater priority to monitoring local progress and quality delivery on the ground, and (4) give greater weight to concerns expressed by Pakistanis working on the ground in rural areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in future programmes.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of an early season drought in North Korea and its impact on harvests, food production, health and levels of malnutrition in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in DPRK is a grave concern. The UN estimates that rainfall levels are relatively low in North Korea and food production is subsequently estimated at about 5 million tons, the lowest in 10 years. 10.1 million people – 40% of the population – require food assistance.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as part of their Official Development Assistance, they support campaigns for legislative change in other countries where such change would permit actions in those countries which are criminal offences in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
DFID is championing Sustainable Development Goal 16, which focuses on ‘peace, justice and inclusion’. We are supporting the strengthening of rule of law in a range of countries. For example, DFID’s Rule of Law Expertise UK (ROLE UK) programme is a collaboration with the UK legal sector to make its expertise, provided on a pro bono basis, available to strengthen legal and judicial systems in developing countries. While much of ROLE UK’s work is in the area of human rights, it does not engage in advocacy around legislative changes. DFID and its partners always work within the law of the countries in which we are operating.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans the Department for International Development has to support the training of Kalash teachers in Pakistan to teach Kalash children their own history and culture.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
DFID Pakistan provides funding to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for education through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Support Programme (KESP). This includes different teacher professional development programmes (both pre and in-service). Three new teachers working in the Kalash area have participated in the KESP supported pre-service teacher professional development programme, and one of these teachers is Kalash. From April 2020, all teachers in Chitral will participate in the in-service continuous professional development programme, including those who work in schools in Kalash areas. The content of these training programmes is focused on pedagogy, classroom management, curriculum, and equity but does not specifically include teaching Kalash children their own history and culture.
DFID Pakistan are in the process of designing a new programme for education support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which will have an inclusive education focus. One of the outcomes of the new programme will be to deliver equitable education for all children to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4. There will be an increased focus on marginalised children such as girls, children with disabilities and ethnic minorities. The programme will aim to provide inclusive and equitable education for all, and an improved learning environment for marginalised children. The programme will also set up model inclusive schools in pilot districts to cater to the needs of ethnic and religious minorities.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in Kachin and Northern Shan States in Burma and the impact of the ongoing conflict in those states; and what representations they are making to the government of Burma to seek unconditional and unrestricted access to all areas for humanitarian aid and human rights monitoring organisations.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK remains deeply concerned by the ongoing violence and continued lack of access in Kachin and Northern Shan States. Over 110,000 people remain displaced by conflict and within camps. We have committed £17 million to support the livelihoods of the most vulnerable and displaced in Kachin and Northern Shan through the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT). We have also committed a further £37 million to support live-saving interventions reaching over 350,000 people since 2012.
The UK continues to raise our concerns with both the military and the civilian Government of Burma at every opportunity. The British Ambassador in Burma raised issues around access with U Kyaw Tin (Minister for International Cooperation) on 27 May.