Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department have to continue providing targeted humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees affected by the Syrian conflict in 2019.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK remains at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis, providing life-saving support to millions of Syrians across the region. So far, DFID has spent over £1.2 billion to support over 5.6 million refugees in the region. For 2019, we have pledged to provide at least £300 million to alleviate the extreme suffering in Syria and neighbouring countries.
Our assistance is focused on the most vulnerable Syrian refugees in the region to meet their immediate needs and improve their lives until they can safely return to Syria. In 2017/18 alone, our support to countries neighbouring Syria provided over 135,000 people with access to clean water and 585,000 children with access to formal education.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK aid is always targeted at countries who most need that aid in order to ensure value for money for UK taxpayers.
Answered by Alistair Burt
UK Aid aims to achieve the UN’s Global Goals and the Government’s objectives as set out in the 2015 UK Aid Strategy. Bilateral Official Development Assistance is allocated based on considerations of need, i.e. levels of poverty, ability of countries to fund themselves and whether DFID can add value. The 2016 bilateral and multilateral development reviews set out our approach to allocations in more detail. Our project design approach makes sure every project focuses on eradicating poverty, and projects are rigorously appraised to ensure value for money.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What her Department's priorities are for 2019.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
DFID will continue to lead the UK’s work to end extreme poverty, deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and tackle the global challenges in line with the UK government’s Aid Strategy.
As the UK leaves the European Union, strengthening our global presence will be vital, and I am determined that DFID will play a full part in this – maintaining and enhancing the UK’s position as a global development superpower.