Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on eradication of polio.

Mr Nick Hurd

The UK and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are both committed to global polio eradication. The Secretary of State and officials from her Department have had a number of meetings with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to discuss polio. Officials also have regular policy discussions through both organisations’ participation on the Global Polio Oversight Board and its Finance and Accountability Committee.

The UK is a top three donor to polio eradication, with a £300 million commitment from 2013 to 2018. UK support has been critical in bringing us one step closer to the finish line of a world free from polio, something people across the country can be immensely proud of.