Bangladesh International Development, Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development, Rutland and Melton, Conservative

Bangladesh
International Development

Nick de Bois (Enfield North, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the outcomes were of her Bangladesh Remittance and Payments Partnership; and how the project was implemented in Bangladesh.

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

The Remittance and Payments Partnership programme, which ended in 2011, had the objective of improving access to and reducing the cost of remittances for the poor in Bangladesh. Key programme outcomes include:

Savings of $66 million by migrants in Saudi Arabia, UK and Singapore by bringing down the cost of formal remittance transfers.

Establishment of the Bangladesh Automated Cheque Handling System that has resulted in a reduction in the time required to deliver a remittance. 95% of individuals surveyed received their remittances in less than 15 days, of which 65% received them in less than seven days compared to 20-25 days.

Increased usage of formal remittance channels, reported to be at 90%.

Emerging Markets Group implemented this programme in partnership with Bangladesh Bank, International Organisation for Migration and Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit.

Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood, Labour) Olympic Games 2012 International Development

Olympic Games 2012
International Development

Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials from her Department used the Olympic Route Network for travel for official purposes during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 17 September 2012, c527W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will publish details of Government use of tickets and hospitality in the autumn. This will include the use of transport services which operated on the Olympic or Paralympic route networks.

David Morris, Morecambe, Lunesdale, Conservative, Haiti, International Development

Haiti
International Development

David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the President of Haiti on the effectiveness of international aid spending in that country.

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

DFID does not have a bilateral aid programme with Haiti, with assistance for reconstruction provided instead through our core contributions to multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, United Nations and European Union. There has been no recent contact between my Department and the President of Haiti, but the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), met Haitian Prime Minister Lamothe in London on 27 July 2012 for discussions that included aid co-ordination and effectiveness.

David Morris, Morecame, Lunesdale, Conservative, Bahamas, International Development

Bahamas
International Development

David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to assist the government of the Bahamas with tackling the spread of leptospirosis, histoplasmosis, tuberculosis, hepatitis and typhoid.

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

DFID does not have a bilateral aid programme with the Bahamas. The country has however benefitted from regional support provided by DFID through the Pan-American Health Organisation to prevent the spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases, including typhoid, in the Caribbean.

Anas Sarwar, Glasgow, Central, Labour, Developing Countries: Urban Areas International Development

Developing Countries: Urban Areas

International Development

Anas Sarwar (Glasgow Central, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of her Department's expertise in urbanisation and urban development.

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

DFID has built up internal expertise in urbanisation and urban development over the past decade. DFID has experience from India and other settings in urban development, experience which can be leveraged as we develop our urban programming going forward.

DFID's expertise on urban issues resides in a number of technical advisory groups, especially in infrastructure, climate and environment, livelihoods, private sector development, economics, governance, social development and humanitarian. An internal network of 60 DFID specialists working on urban issues was created in early 2012 to promote improved understanding of the challenges of urbanisation by drawing on the existing knowledge and expertise and to share experience across DFID's country programmes. Themes of current interest include poverty, health, migration, enterprise development, climate change adaptation and disaster resilience.


I was wondering why MP's had taken to addressing MP Alan Ducan as She or Her?

Here is Mr Duncan's response.

Dear Mr Brookes

Thank you for your e-mail.

The reason the question is written this way is that all questions tabled for oral answer are addressed to the Secretary of State and then subsequently allocated to the relevant minister. Mr Sarwar’s question is therefore formally addressed to Justine Greening as Secretary of State, even though it was ultimately answered by me.

Regards

Alan Duncan

So if you notice any future question and answers with what appears to be in correctly sexed that is the reason.

Alex Cunningham (Stockton North, Labour) Burma International Development

Burma
International Development

Alex Cunningham (Stockton North, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department is funding any programmes promoting inter-faith and religious tolerance in Burma.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 11 September 2012, c216W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

DFID does not have any specific programmes which promote inter-faith and religious tolerance in Burma. We are working with a range of partners, including faith-based organisations, to support peace and reconciliation in Burma.

Jim Cunningham (Coventry South, Labour) Fairtrade Foundation International Development

Fairtrade Foundation
International Development

Jim Cunningham (Coventry South, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to promote the work of the Fairtrade Foundation (a) in the UK and (b) internationally.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 12 September 2012, c279W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

DFID helps the work of the Fairtrade Foundation through support we provide to the global Fairtrade system. DFID has a £12 million Programme Partnership Arrangement (2010-11 to 2013-14) with Fairtrade International, the umbrella organisation that unites labelling initiatives and networks of producer organisations. DFID's support is focused on strengthening, broadening and deepening the activities of Fairtrade International.

DFID also promotes the work of the Fairtrade Foundation through our support to Fairtrade Fortnight each year. This year, DFID Ministers visited companies and groups that promote Fairtrade, ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight.

Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South, Liberal Democrat) Military Aid International Development

Military Aid
International Development

Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department takes to ensure co-ordination with the Ministry of Defence on training on humanitarian airdrop or relief operations.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 13 September 2012, c395W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

DFID and Ministry of Defence (MOD) co-operate closely on international humanitarian relief. For example, Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters assisted in delivering humanitarian supplies in Pakistan after the earthquake in 2005 and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Largs Bay assisted in Haiti in 2010. DFID has a memorandum of understanding with the MOD in order to ensure efficient and effective co-operation and employment of assets if the need is identified. We work together in line with internationally agreed humanitarian guidelines.

Ian Paisley Jnr (North Antrim, DUP) Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative) Sudan

South Sudan
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Ian Paisley Jnr (North Antrim, DUP)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on progress in establishing camps in Sudan to temporarily accommodate South Sudanese people until they can migrate to South Sudan.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 7 September 2012, c470W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

I have been asked to reply

on behalf of the Department for International Development.

We have had no reports of the Sudanese Government establishing camps in Sudan to temporarily accommodate South Sudanese. A recent report following a comprehensive interagency assessment has recorded 40,000 South Sudanese currently living in temporary settlements in Khartoum. The majority of these people are waiting to return to South Sudan. The UK is supporting the talks in Addis Ababa and urging both governments to reach an agreement on citizenship rights.

Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford, Conservative) Burma International Development Alan Duncan

Burma
International Development

Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she plans to take to ensure that victims of violence in Arakan State, Burma, from Rohingya and Rakhine communities receive humanitarian assistance without discrimination and that all those in need receive assistance.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 5 September 2012, c370W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

The UK Government has repeatedly called for the Government of Burma to allow unhindered humanitarian access to all of the areas affected. Humanitarian agencies, including those which receive core funding from the United Kingdom, are now able to provide aid to some of the affected areas in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence—but this falls short of what is needed. We continue to monitor the situation and humanitarian response closely.

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative) Africa International Development

Africa
International Development

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to refer the allegations against Emerging Capital Partners' Africa Fund II to the investigatory authorities in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 3 September 2012, c85W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

My Department has received no new allegations against Emerging Capital Partners' Africa Fund II. The previous set of allegations has been fully looked into by CDC.

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green) Africa International Development Alan Duncan

Africa
International Development 

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to inform the House of the outcome of the criminal investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office into Emerging Capital Partners' Africa Fund II.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 3 September 2012, c85W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

My Department is not aware of the outcome of any criminal investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) into Emerging Capital Partners' Africa Fund II.

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green) Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative) Africa

Africa
International Development

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion, Green)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date (a) CDC Group and (b) his Department were informed that Emerging Capital Partners' Africa Fund II was under criminal investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office.

• Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 3 September 2012, c85W)

Alan Duncan (Minister of State, International Development; Rutland and Melton, Conservative)

Neither DFID nor CDC Group has received any notification from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) that Emerging Capital Partners' Africa Fund II is or was under criminal investigation.