§ Mr. EdwardsTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the impact that humanitarian aid in the form of food initiatives can have on local markets in developing countries. [135065]
§ Hilary BennFood aid can be vital for saving lives during humanitarian crisis but inappropriately used it also has the potential to disrupt local markets, investment and food production. We have not undertaken a general assessment of the impact of humanitarian food aid initiatives on local markets in developing countries recently. However this is one of a number of issues considered by DFID when planning humanitarian aid interventions and when monitoring and reviewing individual programmes.