Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with Secretary of State for Defence on the construction and operation of a UK hospital ship.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
DFID and the MoD already work closely together to respond to humanitarian emergencies. For example, following Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas last September, RFA Mounts Bay played a critical role in the UK response.
As set out in the UK Humanitarian Reform Plan, the UK Government is committed ensuring a bigger, better, faster response capability which is able to respond to a range of different natural disasters. This includes a continued commitment to use our military assets to deliver humanitarian aid whenever appropriate, in accordance with UN guidelines.
No decision has been made on the construction or operation of a UK hospital ship, and we will continue to ensure that UKaid is deployed in a way that maximises value for money for development and the UK taxpayer.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the role of UK aid in building co-operation with developing countries to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Tackling climate change is a priority for this Government. There are regular discussions on climate and environment issues among Ministers, and next week the Secretary of State is hosting Ministerial colleagues to discuss how we can work together to strengthen UK ambition, and deliver transformative outcomes at the United Nations Climate Action Summit later this year. The Government has committed £5.8bn of International Climate Finance (ICF) from 2016-2021 to help developing countries tackle climate change. Since 2011 our ICF support has helped reduce or avoid 10.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What plans her Department has to allocate funding to the introduction of a UK hospital ship.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
As an ambitious and innovative department, we are always looking for ways to collaborate across government to ensure UK aid reaches those who need it the most, while also delivering in our national interest. It is therefore right that we explore innovative new options, and as part of this we are exploring the potential merits of a cross government maritime capability.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2019 to Question 210727, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of funding or part-funding a Royal Navy Hospital Ship.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
I am committed to demonstrating how UK aid and the UK Armed Forces can work closely together to achieve the best outcomes for the UK and identify “win-wins” for both departments. It is therefore right that we explore innovative new options, and as part of this we are currently considering the potential merits of a cross government maritime capability.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, on how many occasions (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have held discussions with counterparts in the Ministry of Defence on the potential procurement of a UK hospital ship.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Both DFID’s Directors General for Policy, Humanitarian and Research and DFID’s Director for Humanitarian, Migration and Security have held discussions with their counterparts at the MoD to discuss the proposal; a senior official-led DFID-MOD working group has met on two occasions and a series of more junior official level discussions have taken place between DFID’s Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Division and the Ministry of Defence. A further senior cross-Whitehall workshop is planned this week.
This builds on broader collaboration between DFID and the Ministry of Defence, including on the establishment of the Humanitarian Innovation Hub, and on taking a joined up approach to building stability in fragile and conflict-affected regions.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has plans to allocate funding to the introduction of a UK hospital ship.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Both DFID’s Directors General for Policy, Humanitarian and Research and DFID’s Director for Humanitarian, Migration and Security have held discussions with their counterparts at the MoD to discuss the proposal; a senior official-led DFID-MOD working group has met on two occasions and a series of more junior official level discussions have taken place between DFID’s Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Division and the Ministry of Defence. A further senior cross-Whitehall workshop is planned this week.
This builds on broader collaboration between DFID and the Ministry of Defence, including on the establishment of the Humanitarian Innovation Hub, and on taking a joined up approach to building stability in fragile and conflict-affected regions.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much money her Department has spent on (a) direct aid and (b) providing assistance to (i) the Brazilian Government and (ii) projects in Brazil in each year since 2010.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Since 2010 DFID has not provided any direct bilateral official development assistance (ODA) to Brazil. CDC made four equity investments in private companies in Brazil prior to 2012. The Newton Fund, the Global Challenge Research Fund and the International Climate Fund have funded projects in Brazil.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the 2017 general election and who now work in her Department were appointed after a publicly advertised and open recruitment process.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
DFID does not employ any former Conservative Members of Parliament defeated at the General Election 2017.