Questions
Asked by
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they have granted to Deen International Limited for the "I am the West" project in Pakistan. [HL3103]
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have awarded the "I am the West" project to the Deen International Limited organisation. [HL3104]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the benefits of funding a public relations initiative in Pakistan through a private company. [HL3105]
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they monitor the use of their funding for the "I am the West" project; and what safeguards are in place to ensure that funding is not wasted or abused by the private company set up for the project. [HL3106]
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is currently supporting Deen International to deliver a pilot project with the working title “I am Muslim. I am British” (formerly “I am the West”) for which it has received £659,436.17 funding to date from the FCO.
“I am Muslim. I am British” is not an FCO campaign. It is a community-led initiative that was proposed to the FCO and considered in line with established guidelines and procedures. The FCO, after careful consideration, agreed to fund the pilot project.
Progress of this community-led initiative is continuously monitored according to FCO project management guidelines, with funding being released upon completion of agreed stages.
This process is supported by a steering committee which receives regular updates on the project's implementation and agrees overall strategy. The steering committee provides a mechanism for the FCO to manage funding and ensure transparent and timely delivery.
The initiative is delivered through a private company because it combines operational effectiveness, quick mobilisation and accounting transparency, which can otherwise be hard to achieve with community-led organisations.