Bishop of Derby receives answers to questions on food banks and sexual violence in conflict

On 25th July 2013, the Bishop of Derby received written answers to questions on the topics of food banks and sexual violence in overseas conflicts. The original questions and their answers are reproduced below.

Food Banks

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what incentives are provided to supermarkets to donate waste food to food banks at the end of trading.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley): The Government does not currently offer incentives to supermarkets to redistribute surplus food. We do however recognise the good work of organisations that redistribute surplus food to provide access to nutritional meals for those who may otherwise struggle. In addition, most major retailers already have partnerships with redistribution charities. In 2012, Defra held a meeting with retailers and food distribution charities to explore the current barriers to redistribution. The Waste and Resources Action Programme is working with Fareshare and FoodCycle to deliver a trial to increase food redistribution from retail stores.

(via Parliament.uk)

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Overseas Conflict: Sexual Violence

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 9 July (WA35), what consideration has been given to inviting religious leaders from recipient countries to attend the high level event in the autumn designed to mobilise global leadership to prevent sexual violence in conflict.

Baroness Northover: The Call to Action event in the autumn will highlight the actions the international community needs to take for the protection of women and girls in emergencies. The UK’s commitment to addressing sexual violence in conflict and, more broadly, in tackling the many forms of violence against women and girls that manifest themselves in emergencies. Preparations for the event are underway and officials are considering what role religious leaders might play.

 

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 9 July (WA35), whether the proposed technical training and guidance for field staff and advisers will include advice on how to engage with religious communities when providing humanitarian support to the victims of sexual violence in conflict.

Baroness Northover: The guidance and training for DfID advisers and staff is based on the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings. These guidelines draw attention to the role that religious leaders and groups can play in the provision of psychological and social support, and in encouraging survivors of violence to seek appropriate care.

(via Parliament.uk)