Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the UK's support for the reconstruction effort in Nepal following the 2014 earthquake in that country.

The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to Nepal. UK support to the humanitarian response has already delivered important results including: 5,600,000 people benefitting from the restoration of healthcare services in their area; 200,000 benefitting from shelter support; and 80,000 people receiving cash transfers.

The Government of Nepal has committed to establishing an Earthquake Reconstruction Authority and a detailed housing and building reconstruction plan. This will be put into effect in the affected areas once the snow clears at the end of winter. We will work closely with the Government of Nepal on these plans.

We have established a field presence in Gorkha, the epicentre of the earthquake on 25^th April, to assess partner progress and performance and to determine reconstruction priorities.