Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of reductions in development assistance to Nepal on (a) levels of poverty, (b) humanitarian support and (c) the UK's bilateral relationship with Nepal; and if he will reconsider those reductions in light of Nepal's longstanding contribution to the British Armed Forces through the service of Gurkha soldiers.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is proud to be a longstanding partner to Nepal. We have shared priorities in many areas including Gurkhas in the British Army, who make an outstanding contribution to the UK, and development. We have disbursed £5m in humanitarian assistance in response to the recent flooding and we stand ready to help Nepal build for the future. Our bilateral relationship with Nepal is evolving into a modern partnership which combines expertise, sustainable finance, multilateral investment, private-sector mobilisation and locally led delivery. We are in regular contact with the government of Nepal on how we can support its efforts to deliver for the people of Nepal.