§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about the(a) medical supplies and (b) other help the UK sent to India following the recent earthquake there. [157411]
§ Clare ShortDuring my statement in the House on Monday 29 January I announced an overall allocation of up to £10 million to support the emergency relief effort in Gujarat without reducing spending in other parts of India. To date nearly £9 million of the total allocation has been spent.
We provided immediate support to the Search and Rescue effort with a UK team of 69 personnel as well as supporting the Russian Ministry of Emergencies to deploy a team of 75 with an airmobile hospital. In addition we transported numerous relief items to the region (on behalf of agencies such as the Red Cross and Save the Children Fund) including medical supplies, tents and plastic sheeting. We have also channelled funds through a number of agencies for the provision of essential relief items such as tents, blankets, medical supplies, food, water and sanitation. We also established an Emergency Field Office in Gujarat to monitor DFID funded projects and ensure effective targeting of relief assistance.