Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) international partners on protecting refugees in UNHCR camps and other camps during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK has committed £744 million in the international fight against COVID-19. We are a key contributor to the UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan which aims to support the most vulnerable groups including refugees and other forcibly displaced populations.
The Secretary of State regularly engages with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of matters including COVID-19 and its impact on developing countries.
The UK is taking decisive and co-ordinated action to support the global response to COVID-19, working with our international partners. The UK is also using its membership of the G7 and G20 to urge collective action and help drive a timely and effective international response that ensures the most vulnerable groups, including refugees, are not left behind.
Our most recent funding includes new support to the UN’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other partners to help install hand-washing stations and isolation and treatment centres in refugee camps, support vulnerable displaced families, provide protection and education services for forcibly displaced children, and increase access to clean water for displaced people living in areas of armed conflict.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many ventilators has the UK pledged to donate to developing countries.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is helping to lead the global response to COVID-19. We are using UK aid to its full effect to counter the health, humanitarian, and economic risks and impact of this pandemic in the developing world. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need through close collaboration with our partners. The UK has, to date, pledged £744 million of UK aid to help end this pandemic as quickly as possible.
Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those who need it the most. This includes £75 million for the World Health Organisation (WHO) to help lead the international efforts to stop the spread of this virus and help access critical medical supplies, £55 million to International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement appeals to provide medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics, build quarantine areas and disinfection facilities and a range of support to NGOs.
The WHO and UNICEF are working with governments to identify requirements and ensure that supplies reach those in need, including the critical medical equipment for oxygen therapy.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has plans to introduce a volunteering scheme to help developing countries have insufficient staff to support a covid-19 response.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Official responses to COVID-19 are heavily reliant on a range of volunteers, who are devoting their time and skills both at home in the UK and in developing countries. The new DFID-funded Global Standard for Volunteering sets a useful benchmark for how volunteers can be deployed in a responsible, effective and safe way.
DFID’s Volunteering for Development (V4D) programme, delivered in partnership with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), is working through volunteers to directly respond to the pandemic in 18 developing countries.
V4D volunteers are working within national response efforts to: ensure continued access to education for girls and children living with disabilities; strengthen health systems; improve emergency coordination systems; share key advice in accessible ways; and, support micro enterprise for the extreme poor.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) international partners on the UK's response to covid-19 in developing countries.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Secretary of State regularly engages with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of matters including COVID-19 and its impact on developing countries.
The UK is taking decisive and co-ordinated action to support the global response to COVID-19, working with our international partners. The UK is also using its membership of the G7 and G20 to urge collective action and help drive a timely and effective international response. We are working closely with our G7 partners, including significant donors who are outside this group, for example the Netherlands, Norway and Australia, to agree priorities for immediate response to help countries deal with the immediate health and humanitarian impacts of the virus.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions has she had with her (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) international partners on prioritising developing countries in the global vaccine programme.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Secretary of State regularly discusses efforts to accelerate the development of and global access to COVID19 vaccines with Ministerial colleagues as part of the UK international COVID19 response.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps her Department has taken to mitigate the effect of locust plagues in Africa.
Answered by James Duddridge
We are deeply concerned about the devastating locust outbreak in East Africa, which is destroying crops, livelihoods and essential food supplies. It is compounding the impact of humanitarian disasters, conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic, putting millions of people at risk of food insecurity.
To date the UK has provided £7 million to FAO’s regional appeal for surveillance, control and coordination activities, and the Department for International Development (DFID) has significant humanitarian and development programmes in the affected regions that are adapting to support vulnerable communities in response to the outbreak. The Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa, based in Nairobi, has also been using a DFID-funded super computer to predict movements of locusts and geographically target the response.
Our support is having an immediate impact. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are ready to help further.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 the process for charities to bid for funding from her Department on (a) the ability of specialist organisations to successfully bid for such funding and (b) women that are potential benefactors of that funding.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
DFID has not made an overall assessment of the effect of funding process on specialist organisations and female beneficiaries. However, DFID has taken a number of steps to increase the range of organisations funded and the accessibility of its funds.
DFID’s 2016 Civil Society Partnership Review recommended a shift towards more open, competitive programmes. This opened up opportunities for a wider range of civil society organisations. This was supported by the 2017 Supplier Review, when DFID committed to cutting red tape to boost competition and open up DFID’s market to a wider range of organisations.
All DFID programmes are required to consider how the programme will contribute to reducing gender inequality. All programmes are encouraged to collect data disaggregated by sex, age, disability and geography to understand who our programmes are reaching, in line with our commitments to the Data Disaggregation Plan and Inclusive Data Charter.