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Departmental Research
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research projects commissioned by his Department are being undertaken; and what the publication arrangements are in each case. [33000]
Mr. Thomas: DFID's current centrally funded research programmes and projects are:
Team for Applied Research to Generate Effective Tools and Strategies (TARGETS) Research Consortium (research that improves the health of the poor and vulnerable through effective communicable disease control).
Research and capacity building in reproductive and sexual health and HIV/AIDS in Developing Countries
Achieving MDGs 4 and 5: Strategic research to develop the evidence base for policy for mother and infant care at facility and community level
Mental health policy development and implementation in Africa: breaking the cycle of mental ill-health and poverty
Faiths in Development: Taking faiths seriously: understanding the relationships between values and beliefs, societies, states and development
Young Lives: a longitudinal research project investigating the nature of childhood poverty in four developing countries
Modelling research-policy linkages, locating the poor and assessing cumulative regulation impact on the forest poor in India.
Stronger by association—understanding how small forestry enterprise associations can work for the poor
New insights into promoting rural innovation:. Learning from civil society organisations about the effective use of innovation in development
Democratising Local Governance in Africa: Reform, Citizen Participation and Institutional Responsiveness in Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda
Land Access and Participatory Territorial Development: lessons and policy implications from South Africa and Brazil
Understanding interlinks ages in community-driven development: individuals, community workers and institutions
Recovering Markets: The keys to inclusion of small-scale producers in dynamic markets (Multi-funded programme with NED)
Developing Information and Communication Technology Based Cooperative Microenterprises for Poor Women
In addition we support a range of multilateral and UK collaborative research initiatives.
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All projects are required to publish their results, and in new projects at least 10 per cent. of the budget must be used to promote the communication, dissemination and uptake of research.
The Central Research Department supports a number of projects that improve access to research findings, especially for scientists and institutions from developing countries (for example, through the Science and Development Network (SciDev. Net) and the Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information (PERI).
Disability
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether a Minister in his Department is planned to be nominated to take responsibility for liaison with the Office for Disability Issues; and if he will make a statement. [37093]
Mr. Thomas: Because of the overseas focus of its work, DFID does not have a key role to play in the delivery of the recommendations outlined in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Report. We do not therefore, have any plans to appoint a Minister with specific responsibility for liaising with the Office for Disability Issues (ODI).
We do, however, have a strategy in place for removing the barriers faced by disabled people in the workplace and this ties in with one of the key aims of the ODI-to be an exemplar organisation in equal opportunities practice. DFID also takes into consideration disability issues in the context of our wider approach to social exclusion within our overseas development programmes, and plan to keep abreast of any best practice policies that emerge through ODI and other lead departments.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the initial activity undertaken by his Department in response to those recommendations in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Report Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People where lead responsibility was assigned to all Government Departments. [37094]
Mr. Thomas: Due to the overseas nature of DFID's work, we do not have a key role to play in the delivery of policies and/or services which are central to the achievement of the Government's 20 year vision to improve outcomes for disabled people in the UK.
We have not therefore, undertaken any specific activity in response to the Strategy Unit Report's recommendations which relate ostensibly to the provision of UK public services.
We do, however, have a strategy in place for removing the barriers faced by disabled people in the workplace and this ties in with one of the key aims of the Office for Disability Issues (ODI)-to be an exemplar organisation in equal opportunities practice. DFID also takes into consideration disability issues in the context of our wider approach to social exclusion within our overseas development programmes, and plan to keep abreast of any best practice policies that emerge through ODI and other lead departments.
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