Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many charities have received grants from the Small Charities Challenge Fund since its creation.
Answered by Alistair Burt
In July 2017, DFID launched the Small Charities Challenge Fund to support the work of small, UK-based charities in international development. The Fund has received over one hundred applications for assessment, from organisations across the UK. Proposals cover projects in 26 countries and 85% of organisations have not previously received DFID funding, demonstrating the Fund’s success in reaching new organisations. Award decisions for this first set of grants are currently being made and outcomes will be communicated shortly. The next cut-off for application assessment is 30 March 2018.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated out of the Small Charities Challenge fund since its creation.
Answered by Alistair Burt
In July 2017, DFID launched the Small Charities Challenge Fund to support the work of small, UK-based charities in international development. The Fund has received over one hundred applications for assessment, from organisations across the UK. Proposals cover projects in 26 countries and 85% of organisations have not previously received DFID funding, demonstrating the Fund’s success in reaching new organisations. Award decisions for this first set of grants are currently being made and outcomes will be communicated shortly. The next cut-off for application assessment is 30 March 2018.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of humanitarian access to South Sudan.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
Physical and bureaucratic impediments continue to affect the ability of organisations to deliver lifesaving humanitarian aid in South Sudan. Over 1,900 humanitarian access incidents have been reported since the start of 2016, and at least 95 aid workers have been killed since the conflict began; this makes South Sudan one of the most dangerous operating environments in the world for humanitarian actors.
The continued obstruction of humanitarian aid by the Government of South Sudan is completely unacceptable. We are engaging with South Sudan’s leaders at the highest level, alongside international partners, to make clear they have a direct responsibility to improve access and stop the suffering of their people.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has allocated to the prevention of childhood pneumonia in developing countries in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK, as the largest donor to Gavi, the Global Vaccine Alliance, will contribute US$168.7 million to Gavi’s pneumococcal Advanced Market Commitment for the 2016-2020 period. Immunising children against major killers (such as measles, pneumonia and diarrhoea) is a public health and development best buy. 109 million children were vaccinated between 2010 and 2016, thanks to Gavi’s support where again the UK was the largest donor, saving an estimated 762,000 lives
Gavi’s Pneumococcol Advanced Market commitment reduces costs, which has enabled 58 countries to introduce vaccinations. The UK also supports countries to build stronger health systems that can respond to existing disease burdens and emerging health issues, including pneumonia.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much has been spent on the Global Learning Programme in schools in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
£467,800 has been spent on the Global Learning Programme in Northern Ireland to date, out of a total budget for Northern Ireland of £795,441.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment has been carried out of the effectiveness of the Global Learning Programme initiative in schools across Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
DFID regularly assesses all its programmes for effectiveness through the annual review process. For the Global Learning Programme in Northern Ireland, the annual reviews have been complemented by an impact study by Ulster University. Its year 1 and year 2 reports are available online at https://www.globallearningni.com/about-the-glp/the-impact. All show good evidence of the programme’s effectiveness.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of how much her Department has spent on specific steps to tackle the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to date.
Answered by Justine Greening
Tackling the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a top priority for my department. The UK is leading the international response in Sierra Leone and to date has committed £230 million to fight the disease.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department has given to the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in each of the last three years.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The New Alliance was launched in May 2012. Since its launch, UK support to the New Alliance has focused on action to support agriculture, food security and nutrition – specifically, developing policy instruments, technology and innovation and risk management. DFID’s spend on these enabling actions over the last two completed years is as follows: (FY 2012/13) £12 million, (FY 2013/14) £17 million.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has made to the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition on the effect of their policy on seed law on small farmers.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is a joint initiative between African leaders, the private sector, donors and civil society to accelerate responsible investment in African agriculture and lift 50 million people out of poverty by 2022. The New Alliance is one of a number of initiatives aimed at promoting responsible private-sector investment in African agriculture in the context and in support of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and national priorities set out in Country Investment Plans. It does not have a corporate policy on seed law.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether any UK aid given to the Palestinian Authority has been distributed to prisoners convicted of terrorism-related activities in the last five years.
Answered by Alan Duncan
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I provided to the Hon. Member for Aberconwy (Guto Bebb) on 31 March 2014, Official Report, Column 461W.