Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment and analysis her Department has carried out of the effects and extent of child labour in the regions and sectors where the Department works; and how resources are allocated through its economic development strategy to address that issue.

To combat child labour, DFID believes it is essential to work to address the underlying conditions that encourage it, in particular extreme poverty. In Bangladesh, for example, DFID is working with both government and non-governmental organisations to prevent child labour and exploitation. This includes providing education and skills training to vulnerable children, removing children from harmful workplaces and supporting families so that their children do not have to drop out of school to go to work.

DFID also supports action to increase primary-level education for children from poor families and provide social protection for extremely vulnerable children and families.

Plans for programmes under the economic development strategic framework are based on assessments of need and context in the countries in which DFID works.