Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the role of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in helping to curb the spread of antimicrobial resistance globally; and will he make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Global Fund continues to play a critical role in addressing the spread of antimicrobial resistance, a major global health threat. The Global Fund works to roll out new antimicrobials and diagnostic tools for example, helping to treat 102,000 people for drug-resistant tuberculosis in 2017. It also reduces the need for antimicrobials by: supporting and strengthening health systems; preventing infection (for example helping to distribute 197 million bed nets in 2017 to prevent malaria); and by supporting prompt diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the UK's contribution to global TB research and role in advancing the further development of diagnostics, improved treatments and a TB vaccine; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The UK Government is a major investor in tuberculosis (TB) research, for the development of diagnostics, improved treatments and TB vaccines. The UK also supports applied health research, to strengthen health systems, to ensure effective delivery of health services so that new products, once available, can be used appropriately.
To date, DFID support has been instrumental in the development of five new diagnostics for TB, including GeneXpert, which is used routinely in the UK NHS, has reduced the time taken to diagnose drug-sensitive and drug resistant TB from several weeks to a few hours. DFID support also enabled the development of the first paediatric TB medicine, which is now available in 80 countries across the globe.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State of State for International Development, what recent steps the Government has taken to help alleviate the humanitarian situation in Afrin; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Where they are able, UK-funded partners are delivering humanitarian assistance in Afrin and to those fleeing the area. This includes health, water, food relief and protection services.
The UK Government has called for de-escalation and the protection of civilians in Afrin, while recognising Turkey’s legitimate interest in the security of its borders. The Prime Minister has raised the need for protection of civilians and proper humanitarian access with President Erdoğan, as has the Foreign Secretary with Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to increase humanitarian assistance to Yemen; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Rory Stewart
In September 2016, the Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel, chaired a high level international event to shine a spotlight on the crisis in Yemen. At the event, donors pledged over $100 million in new funding, including half from a new UK pledge. The UK Government is also matching public donations to the current Disaster Emergency Committee appeal for Yemen, which has so far raised £15 million, including £5 million from the UK Government.
This brings our total commitment to Yemen to over £100 million in humanitarian aid for 2016/17, making us the fourth largest donor. In both 2015 and 2016, UK aid helped over 1 million Yemenis with food, nutrition, water and medical supplies.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to support projects that encourage co-operation and co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The UK is supportive of coexistence (people-to-people) programmes which bring together Palestinians and Israelis and foster inter-community understanding. The Secretary of State is currently assessing options for providing further support to coexistence programmes.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many Yazidi refugees have been relocated to the UK under the Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme to date; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme is based on need; it prioritises the most vulnerable Syrian refugees who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin. In order to protect the vulnerable refugees selected for resettlement in the UK, we do not release detailed information about arrivals. However, Syrian Yazidis can certainly qualify for resettlement under the scheme if they are assessed as coming under one of the seven UNHCR vulnerability criteria, such as women and girls at risk, survivors of violence and torture and those with physical and legal protection needs.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much aid her Department has provided to people affected by the crisis in Yemen in each of the last three years.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
DFID provided to Yemen £59.1 million of bilateral aid in 2012-13, £81.4 million in 2013-14 and £67.0 million in 2014-15. Our assistance helped meet urgent humanitarian needs, deliver basic services, and support political and economic reform.
On Friday 19 June the Secretary of State announced a further £40 million of humanitarian assistance for Yemen for 2015, which will provide Yemenis affected by the crisis with emergency shelter, healthcare, water and food assistance, as well as supporting UN work to co-ordinate the humanitarian response.