Tag: Baroness Northover

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 1 February (HL5238), what proportion of UK aid spending on water, sanitation and hygiene is targeted at the maintenance and upkeep of existing facilities.

Baroness Verma

Our WASH programmes take an integrated approach to both provision and maintenance of existing facilities, involving building national, local and community capacity and systems to ensure that services continue to function over time. In 2014, total UK bilateral ODA spending on water supply and sanitation was £181 million. UK aid expenditure is reported in Statistics on International Development report at table A6a which I have attached for your convenience.

We do not collect data separately on the amount of funds allocated to installation of facilities and their subsequent maintenance. In most countries responsibility for financing operation and maintenance is passed to the community where services have been installed, after appropriate training has been provided.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-02-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the £536 million spent by the Department for International Development on malaria in 2013–14 was disbursed, and how much of the total committed to malaria in 2014–15 has not yet been spent.

Baroness Verma

The methodology used to monitor UK malaria spend between 2008/09 and 2014/15 was published in the 2010 Framework for Results for Malaria. In 2013/14 the UK provided £536 million to help reduce malaria deaths. The UK is helping to tackle malaria through bilateral and multilateral channels. The UK’s bilateral support includes: malaria-specific bilateral programmes (36% of total malaria spend in 2013/14); support to strengthening health systems (20% of malaria spend in 2013/14); and other bilateral support including the delivery of interventions to reduce malaria in pregnancy and supporting malaria related research (10% of 2013/14 malaria spend).

The main contribution to tackling malaria through multilateral channels is the UK support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (31% of total malaria spend in 2013/14).All of the Department’s 2014/15 spend on malaria has been disbursed. The UK’s investment on malaria has contributed to saving more than six million lives over the past 15 years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-03-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that women from affected communities are in positions of leadership and involved in planning and decision-making during a humanitarian emergency response.

Baroness Verma

To ensure that humanitarian responses meet the unique needs of women and girls, women should be provided with opportunities to engage in humanitarian response systems, decision-making processes, and accountability mechanisms. DFID works with partners, including United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations to promote the inclusion of women and women’s groups in planning and decision-making around preparedness, response, and early recovery. This approach reflects the International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014 that states that before provision of humanitarian assistance, the Secretary of State shall have regard to how it will take account of gender-related differences in needs.

Ensuring the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016 delivers outcomes for women and girls is a priority for the Government. This includes support towards proposals for system-wide accountability for gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment in crises and increased participation of women’s groups in humanitarian responses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-03-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that their work supporting humanitarian emergency responses delivers long-term change that empowers women from affected communities.

Baroness Verma

Through meaningful participation and inclusion during humanitarian preparedness and response, women and girls can be included in long-term change and recovery efforts following natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises. The Women, Peace, and Security agenda offers an opportunity to link women’s participation in immediate crises response to wider political, social, and economic participation, including their inclusion in peace processes. Along with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, DFID is a partner in delivering the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.

The World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016 offers an opportunity to ensure that women are empowered during the delivery of humanitarian assistance, which has been demonstrated to accelerate the transition from response to recovery and lead to longer-term efforts to promote and achieve gender equality. One the Government’s priorities for the Summit is to push for it to deliver outcomes for women and girls.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-03-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of humanitarian funding goes to women’s rights organisations and local organisations with expertise in gender during emergencies.

Baroness Verma

Providing opportunities for women’s rights organisations to participate in humanitarian preparedness, response, and recovery is one means to ensure that the unique needs of women and girls are addressed and that the capacities of women and girls are recognised and utilised. This is one of the themes of a high-level leaders’ roundtable event at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016, which the Government expects to deliver for women and girls, including on their increased participation in humanitarian assistance.

In addition, DFID has contributed £6 million to the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, which provides grants to organisations across the world to tackle gender-based violence, including small women’s rights’ and youth-led organisations and has committing to increasing its focus on funding to small women’s rights organisations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-03-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to support proposals at the World Humanitarian Summit in May to ensure that women are involved in planning and decision-making during a humanitarian emergency response.

Baroness Verma

The UK supports proposals to ensure that women are involved in planning and decision-making during responses to humanitarian emergencies. It will be a priority of the UK to secure outcomes from the summit that promote the protection and empowerment of women and girls, strengthening their voice, choice and control in crisis settings.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-03-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 25 February (HL6190), when they will take the decision about who will represent them at the World Humanitarian Summit, and how that decision will be publicised.

Earl of Courtown

The decision will be taken closer to the Summit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-04-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries the Department for International Development (DfID) has awarded contracts for the drilling of water wells; and how many of those contracts were awarded centrally by DfID, and how many were awarded locally.

Baroness Verma

DFID delivers a range of water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities, through partners in 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia all of which use proven approaches that deliver affordable and sustainable services.

These interventions are not restricted to the drilling of water wells. As such, DFID do not disaggregate individual activities separately and are therefore not able to report specific numbers of drilling contracts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-07-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support humanitarian and human rights organisations that seek the ability to cross the border at Semalka between Iraqi Kurdistan and Northern Syria in order to provide humanitarian aid.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

DFID currently funds a number of NGO partners who use the Semalka border crossing to provide humanitarian aid –health, food, livelihoods, and protection programmes – to people in parts of northern Syria. In general, access across the border is negotiated by agencies themselves.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-07-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to ensure that aid convoys are permitted and facilitated, and that humanitarian workers, journalists, and staff of relief and aid organisations are permitted entry into the region of Northern Syria and Rojava.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK has raised the issue with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Presidential Office, and strongly encouraged the free movement of humanitarian aid. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and to do all we can to ensure the provision of humanitarian access.