Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding his Department provides to the World Bank to support a shift to sustainable agricultural production in low-income countries.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The World Bank has helped protect farmers, local production, and food security in developing countries. The Bank advocates the use of quality seeds and is planning major investments in green fertiliser production. An efficient national agricultural innovation system and an effective seed certification system is essential to meet the challenges agriculture faces in developing countries. The UK is supporting this longer-term goal to do both, boost food security, incomes, and climate adaptation and resilience. The World Bank has committed to full alignment of all its sovereign lending with the Paris Agreement by 1 July 2023. We are holding the Bank to account through the Board.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of conditions for asylum seekers in Diego Garcia; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley
The Administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) provides accommodation, food, communications and dedicated 24/7 medical support, as well as educational and welfare facilities to the migrants in Diego Garcia. The facilities and support offered to the migrants are continuously reviewed and enhanced as required. BIOT does not have an asylum system. Migrants' claims for protection are considered in line with BIOT law and international legal obligations.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that education projects in Myanmar funded by the British taxpayer do not discriminate against ethnic minority languages.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK, together with the US, Australia and Finland, is providing funding to the Myanmar Education Consortium (MEC). MEC's principle focus is providing education for ethnic communities, often living in areas outside the military regime's control. MEC is supporting over 200,000 children in hard-to-reach areas and is also promoting ethnic languages so children can learn in their mother tongue as well as gender equality, disability and social inclusion.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help prevent the supply of aviation fuel to the Myanmar military.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
On 31 January the UK sanctioned two companies and two individuals responsible for supplying the military regime with aviation fuel. We have also updated our Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear UK businesses should conduct thorough supply-chain due diligence to ensure commodities, such as aviation fuel, do not reach the Myanmar military. The UK is committed to targeted sanctions which impose a cost on those profiting from, or supporting, the regime's campaign of violence against the civilian population.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's Overseas Development Aid budget was for Kenya in each of the last 15 years.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The official source of data on UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) is Statistics on International Development (SID).
Table 1 below provides the volume of country-specific UK bilateral ODA provided for the benefit of Kenya from 2009 - 2021 (the latest year for which data is published). The UK also spends ODA in the form of unearmarked contributions to multilateral organisations and there is also bilateral spend to programmes which benefit multiple countries/regions. Some of this may benefit Kenya but it is not possible to provide a specific breakdown for Kenya.
Table 1: Volume of UK bilateral ODA provided for the benefit of Kenya (2009-2021)
Year | Total UK Bilateral ODA (£ thousand) |
2009 | 84,026 |
2010 | 68,136 |
2011 | 88,593 |
2012 | 101,656 |
2013 | 159,405 |
2014 | 134,850 |
2015 | 155,575 |
2016 | 133,813 |
2017 | 152,807 |
2018 | 116,123 |
2019 | 134,334 |
2020 | 91,958 |
2021 | 71,993 |
Source: Statistics for International Development https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development |
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to make reductions in his Department's budget to fund the recently announced £16.6 million aid package to Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The funding forms part of the £156 million in humanitarian aid that the UK previously committed to East Africa in financial year 2022-2023. The £16.6 million of UK funding is going towards the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) and to the World Food Programme.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2022 to Question 70949 on Israel: Palestinians, what response his Department has received to its representations on Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza and the need for investigations.
Answered by David Rutley
We regularly raise the issue of the high numbers of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities. We encourage them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We will continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to triple adaptation finance by 2025.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK has a strong track record of supporting adaptation and resilience programmes in developing countries; since 2011 our International Climate Finance has supported over 95 million people to cope with the effects of climate change. We will build on our successful portfolio of programmes and partnerships to meet the target of tripling adaptation finance to £1.5 billion in 2025.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support east Africa in tackling the spread of hunger.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Across East Africa conflict, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic are placing communities under huge pressure. More than 68 million people in the region now require life-saving aid of whom 51 million people face severe food insecurity. Needs are most pressing in Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The UK is playing a lead in responding. UK funding of £156 million will help to provide millions of people with essential services and supplies including food, nutritional support, clean water and healthcare. We are also working with the UN and the World Bank to ensure appropriate responses from the multilateral system.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of levels of hunger in east Africa; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Across East Africa conflict, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic are placing communities under huge pressure. More than 68 million people in the region now require life-saving aid of whom 51 million people face severe food insecurity. Needs are most pressing in Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The UK is playing a lead in responding. UK funding of £156 million will help to provide millions of people with essential services and supplies including food, nutritional support, clean water and healthcare. We are also working with the UN and the World Bank to ensure appropriate responses from the multilateral system.