Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department is providing to rice farmers in Bangladesh to purify irrigation water of organic arsenic contaminants.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
DFID is not supporting rice farmers to purify irrigation water in Bangladesh.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department has provided to Sierra Leone to combat malaria in each year since May 2010; and what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the malaria prevention programme in that country.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
Since May 2010, DFID Sierra Leone has supported the distribution of 2.3 million long lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs) through two nationwide campaigns completed in June 2011 and May 2014. The aim of these campaigns was to achieve universal coverage of LLINs in Sierra Leone as the most effective means of preventing malaria. A rapid assessment following the 2014 distribution campaign found that 81% of households visited nationwide were using at least one mosquito net, up from 37% in 2008. However, an evaluation designed to assess the longer term effectiveness of the campaign has been postponed due to the Ebola crisis. In addition, the Global Fund has provided a further 600,000 nets.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports she has received on projects in Gaza funded by (a) her Department and (b) the EU which have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli military hardware in July 2014; and what representations she has made to the Israeli government on this matter.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
Assessments are still underway as to the extent of any damage to UK or EU funded projects.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to promote the development of concentrated solar power in Iraq.
Answered by Justine Greening
While DFID does not currently fund any work on the development of solar technology in Iraq, in response to the recent crisis we have committed a package of emergency humanitarian assistance totalling £5 million, which will reach over 140,000 displaced people, or 28% of those affected, with life-saving assistance.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to promote collaboration between UK companies and the government of Iraq on development of solar technology to power desalination plants to provide clean drinking water to areas of shortage in that country.
Answered by Justine Greening
While DFID does not currently fund any work on the development of solar technology in Iraq, in response to the recent crisis we have committed a package of emergency humanitarian assistance totalling £5 million, which will reach over 140,000 displaced people, or 28% of those affected, with life-saving assistance.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will provide support to the Bright Green Energy Group for distributing solar energy systems to rural communities in Bangladesh.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
DFID recognises the important role that the private sector plays in developing and delivering products to increase access to energy in poor countries. DFID make funding available to energy in Africa. This includes the Renewable Energy and Adaptation to Climate Change (REACT) window of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of sustainable lighting systems to development in Africa; and if her Department will collaborate with Solar Aid to provide such systems to communities in Africa.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
The UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative estimated that in 2010 only 32% of people in sub-Saharan Africa had access to electricity. There is high potential for household scale systems using sustainable and renewable energy such as solar power to increase access to electricity.
DFID will match funding for Solar Aid's SunnyMoney appeal in the Guardian Newspaper. This will fund the distribution of portable solar lights through Solar Aid's social enterprise ‘SunnyMoney Way,' in Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Uganda. Through this project, Solar Aid expect to distribute some 76,400 solar lights benefiting over 400,000 people.