Results 1-20 of 4,945 for speaker:Gareth Thomas

Written Answers — International Development: Africa: HIV Infection (12 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) provides support to community-based organisations in several places: In Zimbabwe, we and other donors are jointly providing £23 million in predictable funding for over 130 community-based organisations, which will reach over 180,000 orphans and other vulnerable children. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have made a £4.5...

Written Answers — International Development: East Africa: Education (12 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The information is as follows. (a) The Department for International Development (DFID) spends £11 million annually to support the Government of Kenya's Education Sector Support programme (KESSP) 2005 to 2010. Our funds are used to build classrooms, provide textbooks, train teachers and improve the way schools are managed. This year DFID has also provided an extra £5 million to...

Written Answers — International Development: HIV Infection: Uganda (12 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) is providing £13.6 million towards a programme to help Uganda increase access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care. An independent review in June of this year found that the programme was strengthening the leadership role of the Uganda AIDS Commission, improving coordination amongst United Nations agencies and increasing service...

Written Answers — International Development: Kenya: Overseas Aid (12 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has had discussions with international partners on the current food shortages in Kenya and accepts the United Nations (UN) agencies and the Government of Kenya's recent assessment that almost 10 million people will be unable to access sufficient food. DFID has provided £7.9 million this year to support food relief to the general...

Written Answers — International Development: Overseas Aid (12 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports poorer countries to investigate the effects of climate change both directly through a portfolio of centrally managed research programmes and indirectly through our country programmes. Research is carried out by external agencies in both the UK and developing countries. Though it is difficult to disaggregate the amount spent in...

Written Answers — International Development: Palm Oil: Sustainable Development (12 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil annual meeting (2- 4 November) was attended by a Government official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posted to the South East Asia region. FCO officials work closely with counterparts in the UK to represent wider Government interests and to keep policy makers informed of relevant developments abroad. In the last month, Ministers from the...

Written Answers — International Development: Sudan: Humanitarian Aid (12 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not systematically disaggregate humanitarian aid by region within Sudan. Most of DFID's humanitarian funding is channelled through the UN's Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) or appeal funding to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). These funding channels combine DFID's money with other donors', and allocate resources to...

Female Mortality (Africa) (11 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: Let me, in the usual way, congratulate the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) on securing the debate. I share the concerns that he raised and welcome his interest. I join him in acknowledging the important work of the all-party group on population. I was interested in his description of eRanger, particularly as it is a social enterprise, and as the vehicles it...

Written Answers — International Development: Zimbabwe (10 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe remains challenging: Cholera is always present in Zimbabwe and, with the start of the rainy season, a rise in numbers of new cases has already been reported. However, the international community has worked to strengthen health services and provide essential repairs to water and sanitation systems. We are hopeful that the outbreak will not be on the same...

Written Answers — International Development: Peru: Dams (9 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The UK has made no recent bilateral financial contribution to hydroelectric dam projects in Peru via (a) World Bank Group, (b) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), (c) European Investment Bank (EIB) or (d) other financial institutions. The UK holds shares or capital in the World Bank Group, EBRD, EIB and Inter-American Development Bank. It is not possible to allocate...

Written Answers — International Development: Peru: EC External Trade (9 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State for International Development has not personally had discussions with European colleagues regarding the European Union (EU)—Andean Nations multiparty trade agreement. The UK Government regard the environmental and social impacts of all free trade agreements as important considerations. Officials in the joint Department for International Development/Business,...

Written Answers — International Development: Peru: EC External Trade (9 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The negotiations on the EU-Andean Nations (comprising Peru and Colombia) multi-party trade agreement have not been suspended. We support the negotiations and believe that the agreement will be important for further economic, and hence social, development in the region. The UK Government regard the environmental and social impacts of all free trade agreements as important considerations....

Written Answers — International Development: Rwanda: Overseas Aid (5 Nov 2009)

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development's (DFID) support for humanitarian action is based on an assessment of need, without regard to political or other considerations and is targeted where the threat to life is most severe, where the extent and depth of suffering is greatest and the response capacities of host communities and authorities are most limited. In recent years Rwanda has not...