§ Mr. Gummer:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what security considerations led his predecessors to refuse to reveal the salaries of the gender advisers he assigned to Iraq. [141826]
§ Hilary Benn:Salary details are confidential to the employer and the individual under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. They were not withheld for security reasons.
§ Mr. Gummer:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what guidance his Department sought in the appointment of two gender experts in Iraq from (a) recognised Muslim experts and (b) those with detailed understanding of Iraq. [141829]
§ Hilary Benn:DFID has extensive experience of working in Muslim countries in the Middle East and elsewhere.
In developing our understanding of Iraq, DFID draws on a wide range of expertise, inside and outside government, including our own staff, consultants and others working in Iraq.
§ Mr. Gummer:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what salaries are paid to the two gender experts who have been assigned by his Department to Iraq. [141830]
§ Hilary Benn:As the Lord President of the Council, Baroness Amos, answered on 17 November to a question in another place, salary details are confidential under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
§ Mr. Gummer:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what experience of Muslim attitudes the two gender experts who have been assigned from his Department to Iraq have. [141831]
§ Hilary Benn:Both DFID-funded gender advisers in Iraq are Muslim and have extensive experience of working in Islamic cultures.
§ Mr. Gummer:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what arrangements he has made to ensure the co-ordination of gender advice to the Government of Iraq between (a) secondees he has assigned and (b) those of other countries. [141832]
§ Hilary Benn:Both DFID-funded gender advisers in Iraq have clear and specific terms of reference setting out their roles with respect to the Iraqi authorities and 718W the Coalition Provisional Authority, They are expected to co-ordinate their own work with that of other professionals in the field, in particular through the development of women's networks in Iraq.