Anas Sarwar – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anas Sarwar on 2015-02-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding has been allocated to NGOs and other non-state actors since bilateral support to Malawi was suspended in November 2013; and what the expected outcomes of that funding are.
Mr Desmond Swayne
General budget support to Malawi was suspended in 2011 due to concerns relating to human rights and public financial management. Tightly managed sector budget support for health and education was continued by all donors but following the Cashgate scandal in November 2013 this too was suspended. There can be no consideration of putting UK funding through Malawi government systems until the integrity of the Government’s financial management systems has been restored and independently verified. However, the UK is still committed to poverty reduction and supporting poor people in Malawi, through a large programme of ongoing investments delivered outside of government systems, in health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation, economic development and governance.
Since November 2013 to date the DFID bilateral programme in Malawi has disbursed £ 70.4 million to NGOs, Multilaterals and other non-state channels outside of government systems. Expected outcomes include:
– An important contribution to meeting contraception needs in a country with a high total fertility rate and increasing population pressure. By 2016, the UK’s Malawi Family Planning Programme is expected to support 800,000 additional women to access and use modern methods of family planning.
– Improved access to Water and Sanitation. 750,000 people will have access to clean drinking water sources by 2016.
– Supporting 15,000 girls to benefit from secondary school bursaries by 2016.
– Supporting improved health outcomes. DFID support is currently supplying the bulk of emergency drugs and medical supplies to Malawi’s hospitals.
– Helping to strengthen civil society in Malawi to hold their government accountable for the provision of basic services.
– Supporting 370,000 people to access relief food supplies; provision of emergency water, sanitation and hygiene facilities for 34,000 people; and assisting 54,000 people with seeds and tools to rebuild their lives after recent floods washed their crops away.
Full details of these outcomes and others are available in DFID’s Operational Plan 2011-2016 accessible online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389289/Malawi.pdf .
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