Tag: The Earl of Sandwich

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-07-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to assist the government of Afghanistan in preventing any illegal trade in lapis lazuli and other minerals.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK supports the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) including through strengthening the Ministry’s capacity to detect and report illegal activity such as the illegal trade in Lapis Lazuli and other minerals.

However, because most of this illegal activity occurs in insecure areas where there is little or no government control, the UK is supporting Afghanistan’s long term security and stability; including through providing additional troops to assist the Afghan Forces boost security in the country, and providing £178m aid per year to 2017 to support Afghanistan’s economic growth and development.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-07-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to support the government of Afghanistan in strengthening its capacity to control the exports and supply chains of the extractive industries in accordance with OECD due diligence guidelines.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK is supporting the Afghan government to responsibly develop its mineral wealth in accordance with OECD guidelines.

Through the Extractives Sector Support Programme (ESSP), the UK supports the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) to review the legal framework governing extractives and to build a transparent and disciplined fiscal regime. Through the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) the UK is supporting the transparent development of the sector, including through supporting Afghan civil society to bring clarity to the informal mining sector.

The UK is supporting President Ghani’s anti-corruption initiatives, including his commitment that the beneficial ownership of mining companies will be disclosed as part of Afghanistan’s implementation of the EITI. The UK is also helping the Afghan government implement and enforce these policies through supporting the MoMP to develop its capacity in contract management and inspectorate functions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-07-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the National Solidarity Programme in Afghanistan receives adequate support and delivers the necessary assistance to the most deprived rural areas.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK supports the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). The UK is one of the largest donors to the ARTF which supports the Afghan government to deliver basic services across the country. UK officials will continue to meet regularly with the World Bank, who are the ARTF administrators, and the Afghan Ministry for Rural Rehabilitation and Development, who manage the NSP, to discuss the delivery of these important programmes and ensure that they reach the most vulnerable people in Afghanistan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-07-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the renewed conflict in South Sudan, whether they plan to conduct further diplomatic efforts through regional channels and a further review of UK participation in the UN peacekeeping mission.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The United Kingdom welcomes the unified and strong response from regional leaders to help end the violence in Juba and secure a ceasefire. UK officials attended the 11 July meeting of Foreign Ministers in Nairobi and we continue to use our diplomatic network to encourage the region to put more pressure on South Sudan’s leaders to end the crisis.

The UK strongly supports UN peacekeeping and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). We will continue to work closely with the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations to determine how the UK can best provide support to the rapidly evolving situation in South Sudan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the UK’s international aid budget has been allocated to multilateral aid, and primarily through which institutions, in each of the last five years.

Lord Bates

On average over the period 2010-2014, 40 per cent of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) was allocated to multilateral organisations. The table attached lists the top five multilateral organisations in terms of core funding.

Figures for 2015 will be published later this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2015-11-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the implementation of transitional justice in South Sudan following the recent publication of the African Union Commission of Inquiry report on South Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We welcome the publication of the Commission of Inquiry report and are actively encouraging the African Union to establish the Hybrid Court as soon as possible. In October, the UN Security Council, with UK support, amended the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to be able to provide technical assistance to set up both the Hybrid Court and also the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the scrutiny of the UK’s bilateral aid programmes by the International Development Committee and the Independent Commission on Aid Impact, in addition to internal departmental audit and risk analysis, what level of scrutiny is applied to multilateral aid programmes.

Lord Bates

As with bilateral aid, multilateral aid is subject to robust scrutiny by the International Development Committee and the Independent Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI). For example, ICAI published a review on “How the Department for International Development (DFID) works with multilateral agencies to achieve impact”, in June 2015 and the International Development Committee published an interim report on “UK Aid – Allocation of resources”, in March 2016.

The Secretary of State has clearly stated her commitment to driving higher results and ensuring value for money and transparency from DFID’s multilateral partners. DFID has taken a strategic approach to scrutinising the impact of our investment in multilateral organisations through the Multilateral Aid Review, the latest review is due to be published soon. The UK is also an active member of the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), which brings together 18 donor countries with a common interest in assessing multilateral effectiveness. MOPAN will commission its own assessments of multilateral organisations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which towns in the United Kingdom have been designated as potential destinations for Syrian refugees arriving under the Government’s Gateway Protection Programme; which town councils have so far indicated acceptance; and of what numbers.

Lord Bates

Syrian refugees are brought to the United Kingdom as part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme. This scheme has been expanded to resettle up to 20,000 Syrians in need of protection during this Parliament. This is in addition to those we resettle under the Gateway and Mandate schemes which are completely separate schemes.

Resettlement under the government schemes is voluntary on the part of local authorities. We are grateful to those who take on this role and will continue to work in partnership with them. We do not disclose the details of where refugees will be resettled upon their arrival in the UK under the Government resettlement schemes as this may undermine the privacy and recovery of this vulnerable group of people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2014-06-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will assess the level of care provided by Public Health England and local charities to help those suffering from addiction to, and withdrawal from, psychiatric drugs; and whether they have estimated the number of those afflicted.

Earl Howe

Public Health England does not provide care, its role is to support commissioners to better understand and address local drug need. If local addiction charities are commissioned by a local authority, then it is the responsibility of local commissioners to assess the level of care they provide. If they are registered with the Care Quality Commission then they will be expected to meet minimum care standards.

There is no widely accepted definition of ‘psychiatric drugs’. In-depth research commissioned by the Department found that there are no national databases that can give us information on the number of people who are addicted to medicine.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2015-01-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent humanitarian trade between Iran and the United Kingdom is exempt from sanctions; to what extent the Joint Plan of Action has facilitated this trade, if at all; and what humanitarian and cultural trade is taking place.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

EU sanctions against Iran do not prevent Iran from purchasing humanitarian goods such as food and medicines. The UK issues as a priority licenses for transactions for these goods. Furthermore, the Joint Plan of Action includes provisions to make humanitarian trade with Iran easier. Medicinal and pharmaceutical exports from the UK to Iran in 2014 were £16,551,536.