To ask Her Majesty's Government how they ensure that development programmes take account of conflicts; how they assess whether development assistance in conflict-affected and fragile countries addresses the causes of conflict and fragility; and what plans they have to make conflict resolution and security central to their development policies. [HL1945]

The Department for International Development (DfID) is taking a number of measures to ensure that development programmes take account of conflicts and address the causes of conflict and fragility. DfID has developed a number of analytical tools to help factor conflict into decisions about development, including Country Governance Assessment and Strategic Conflict Assessment. These help DfID officials to examine the causes of conflict, in particular the relationship between poverty, development and conflict, and to consider the implications for programming. DfID is also updating its country planning processes and guidance to ensure all of its development assistance in conflict-affected and fragile states is guided by the OECD-DAC principles for good international engagement in fragile states and situations, which stress the importance of addressing the causes of conflict and fragility.

The 2009 White Paper Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future set out the Government's commitment to treating security and access to justice as a basic service. The White Paper pledges to allocate at least 50 per cent of its new bilateral funding to fragile countries and those affected by conflict, and triple its direct project funding for security and justice.