Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff in his Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements his Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
All DFID staff on Civil Service contracts are paid above the Living Wage Foundation rates. None of DFID’s contracted workers are paid less than the National Living Wage. DFID encourages outsource partners to pay the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What assessment she has made of the effect on Palestinian refugees of recent reductions in US aid.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Proactive UK lobbying has helped reduce the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees’ (UNRWA) immediate financing shortfall. However, the withdrawal of US funding could exacerbate the future humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees and threaten regional security. The UK Government has committed to provide £57.5 million to UNRWA this year.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate she has made of the additional funding required by her Department over the next two years to prepare effectively for the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Rory Stewart
As announced at Autumn Budget 2017, HMT is making £3 billion of additional funding available over the next two years - £1.5 billion in both 18/19 and 19/20 so that departments and the Devolved Administrations can continue to prepare effectively for Brexit. We are currently working with HMT and DExEU to establish what we need to prepare effectively, and what additional funding should be supplied.
HM Treasury will aim to agree 2018/19 allocations in early 2018. Funding requirements for 19/20 will be affected by progress in negotiations with the EU and will therefore be decided at a later date. Additional funding received from the Reserve will be set out at Supplementary Estimates in the usual way.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what humanitarian support her Department is providing to civilians in Idlib in northern Syria.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID funds the UN and NGOs to provide humanitarian support in Idlib, including food, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, shelter and education. Also, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, we help deliver key services and access to education and jobs. Between January and June 2017, our support in Idlib governorate provided 550,000 people with access to clean drinking water, immunised 362,000 children under five, and helped 254,000 children access education.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps the Government has taken to persuade her international counterparts to (a) increase financial support and (b) assist in negotiating safe access for aid to increase the level of food available to the populations of Somalia and Somaliland.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
The UK is leading international efforts to prevent a famine. Our early action is paying dividends and the international response is scaling up. Donors have allocated more in the first three months of 2017 than was raised in the whole of 2016 for the humanitarian response in Somalia (including Somaliland). This has enabled humanitarian partners to reach 1.75 million people with food and 1.15 million people with safe water in March alone.
The UK continues to press for full and sustained access to hard to reach areas across Somalia. We are pushing the Federal Government of Somalia to fulfil its commitment to tackle all obstacles to humanitarian access. We are also supporting partners, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, who have the capability to open humanitarian access in hard to reach areas.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of protests at border crossings between Nepal and India on the supply of (a) fuel, (b) medicine and (c) blood to Nepal.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The current disruption in the Terai and at a number of border posts has affected the importation and distribution within Nepal of supplies of goods. This has included fuel, food and health commodities, such as vaccines and medicines. Acute shortages of diesel, petrol as well as cooking gas have been felt across Nepal for the past weeks. This has had an impact on movement around the country as well as distribution networks for key commodities.
DFID Nepal is currently working with the Ministry of Health and Population, World Health Organisation and other partners to undertake a rapid assessment of the health impacts of the crisis, including the availability medicines and blood products at health facilities. DFID is also engaging with the Government of Nepal, as well as our development and humanitarian partners, to track the current situation. DFID continue to urge all parties to resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue as soon as possible and resolve the current difficulties.