The letter from Stephen O'Brien emphasises DfID's support for GAVI and promises to raise the issue of the pledging conference at the EU General Affairs and External Relations meeting on 24 May.

The EU Commission's Commissioner for Development has been invited to the pledging conference and DfID are in discussion on a funding increase.

My MEP's office have forwarded on the response she's received from Minister Stephen O'Brien MP. It's taken me a little while to get a full response because I had to go back to my MEP to ask her to write to the Department for International Development, as at first she just said she would talk to colleagues within the European Parliament. However I'm really pleased with the response so definitely worth it in the end! The email from the MEP's office is below and the letter from Stephen O'Brien is attached.

O'Brien re GAVI JM1007-ENVI.pdf

Letter from Stephen O'Brien to Sarah Luford MEP

DFID GAVI response April 2011 (2).pdf

Dear Sophie Gale,

I have now received a response from The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, Secretary of State for International Development. I have attached a copy for your perusal.

04-04-2011GAVI reply.pdf

  







Dear Meg Munn,     





    I am writing to you to respectfully bring your attention to the ongoing  and worsening crisis surrounding Tuberculosis.  The past 24th of this month was World TB Day and I hope that this year will mark the beginning of a concerted political effort in finally realising the threat of TB both in developing countries and here at home.

TB Megg Munn response 1.pdf

My MEP has responded to my follow-up email asking her to write to Andrew Mitchell about GAVI. She said:

Dear Ms Modern,



Thank you for your continued correspondence.



I have written a letter to Andrew Mitchell MP asking him to promote

further funding to GAVI from EU member states when he visits the Council

of Ministers on the 24th May.



I will forward on his response to me when I receive it. I hope this

helps in your campaign.

After writing to Dr Charles Tannock MEP as part of the Feb 2011 action, he responded stating that he has tabled a question to the European Commission on the subject of GAVI. His decision to table the question is directly due to the contact made by his London constituents. See his response below;

From Dr Charles Tannock MEP "I have been contacted by London constituents regarding financial support for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) alliance from the EU.

From the Department for International Development

Stephen O'Brien MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

2 March 2011

Thank you for your letter of 14 February to Andrew Mitchell enclosing an email from your constituent, Leandra Gebrakedan, about support to the GAVI Alliance. I am replying as the Minister who leads on the issues raised.