Tag: Imran Hussain

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to reinstate the bilateral aid programme with Burundi.

Mr Nick Hurd

There are no plans for DFID to re-open the office in Burundi. DFID’s bilateral programme in Burundi closed in 2012 following the 2010 Bilateral Aid Review. We have provided support to Burundi through Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA), an independent agency promoting trade and regional economic integration, given that this is central to Burundi’s growth and prosperity. DFID has provided £10 million for TMEA work in Burundi since 2012.

DFID will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with counterparts across Whitehall, the international financial institutions (IFIs) and humanitarian partners in Burundi. DFID is working with the IFIs to identify options to support the provision of basic services, where there is none. DFID has prepared a response plan in the event of significant unmet humanitarian needs emerging.

DFID has also provided technical support, in the form of secondment of experts, to support UN agencies working in Burundi. This includes support to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to strengthen humanitarian coordination in Burundi.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate her Department has made of the amount of profits moved out of developing countries by UK-listed companies in each of the last five years.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The Department for International Development does not collect this data.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what training and learning activities her Department undertakes to improve evidence collection for the design and implementation of violence against women and girls programmes.

Mr Nick Hurd

DFID’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Helpdesk central programme has developed a series of guidance notes on how to mainstream the prevention of violence against women and girls into sectoral programmes, including health, education and economic development. Building on this DFID is developing and offering resources to strengthen the capability of specialists in these disciplines in addressing VAWG, including investing up to £25 million over five years (2013-2018) in a pioneering violence against women and girls research and innovation programme called ‘What Works to Prevent Violence’.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve the process for GPs referring patients to mental health services.

Nicola Blackwood

NHS England is aware that some general practitioners (GPs) experience difficulties with access to secondary mental health services. In line with the recommendations of the Mental Health Taskforce, NHS England mental health team is working to introduce a suite of evidence based treatment pathways spanning the main mental health conditions and covering the journey from referral to treatment and through to recovery. These will help to ensure that GPs have the information they need to refer people swiftly to the right services, offering the right treatment for their particular mental health needs. Pathways and associated standards have already been introduced for common mental health disorders Psychological Therapies services, first episode psychosis and community-based eating disorder services for children and young people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to promote cooperation on the resettlement of Syrian refugees between local authorities with experience of resettlement programmes and local authorities without such experience.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Local authorities are already working together to provide support, ensure best value in the services they provide and to deliver efficiencies.

The Government will continue to provide local authorities with support and guidance including sharing resettlement best practice and case studies, detailed information on the cohort from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and advice about the cultural, ethnic and religious groupings from Syria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects her Department (a) has and (b) is planning to facilitate transition in Burma from dictatorship to democracy.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID’s bilateral commitment to Burma between 2011/12 and 2015/16 is around £285 million. DFID has allocated £25 million over five years to strengthen democratic governance in Burma, including support to the elections, through our Programme for Democratic Change. DFID is currently reviewing our approach for all country programmes for the next five years as part of the government’s overall spending review and any decisions about future support will be made in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assistance his Department provides to local authorities and frontagers to (a) maintain un-adopted roads and (b) ensure safety and the public right of way on un-adopted roads.

Andrew Jones

The Department does not provide any assistance to local authorities and frontagers to maintain un-adopted roads, or to ensure safety and the public right of way on un-adopted roads.

Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 places a duty to maintain roads that are maintainable at public expense, namely adopted roads. However, where repairs are needed to remove danger to traffic in a private street, section 230 of the same Act gives the power to the street works authority to require the owners of the premises fronting the street to carry out specified repairs within a given time-scale

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many full-time members of staff her Department employs in renegotiating tax treaties with developing countries.

Mr Desmond Swayne

Negotiation of UK tax treaties is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many UK-based consultancy firms receive funding from her Department.

Mr Desmond Swayne

Detail on all DFID supplier funding is available via our departmental website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will take steps to increase prevention programmes for violence against women and girls in developing countries.

Mr Nick Hurd

Over the last few years DFID has rapidly and significantly scaled up its work on the prevention of Violence against Women and Girls. Between 2012 and 2014 we have had a 40% increase in programmes that aim to change social norms alone. We have also successfully worked to secure international targets on the prevention of violence against women and girls including Global Goal 5, which includes targets on ending all forms of violence against women and girls, FGM and CEFM.