---

Windfall Tax

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals he has to include unemployed disabled people in employment and training programmes funded by the windfall tax; and if he will make a statement. [12016]

31 Jul 1997 : Column: 505

Mr. Andrew Smith: We intend that unemployed disabled people will get the help they need to meet the aim of improving their skills, employability and job prospects. Ministers have already decided that disabled people claiming jobseeker's allowance will have early access to the opportunities for work, education and training provided by the new deal for young unemployed people. We will also encourage and enable those with disabilities or a long-standing illness to access training and work, to improve their employability and thereby reduce their dependency on long-term incapacity benefits. Some £200 million from the windfall levy has been set aside to fund this and other measures.

Office Refurbishment

Mr. Terry Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has for the refurbishment of ministerial offices in his Department; and what is the estimated cost of the works and date of completion. [11872]

Dr. Howells: The only plans are to purchase appropriate furniture for the two new ministerial offices created in the DfEE headquarters building following the election. The estimated cost is £15,000 and delivery is expected within two to three months.

Tithe Farm Lower School

Sir David Madel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the latest position on the Office for Standards in Education inspection of Tithe Farm lower school, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire; and if he will make a statement. [11620]

Mr. Byers: The inspection of individual schools is a matter for Her Majesty's chief inspector. I will, however, write to the hon. Member, setting out the statutory procedures for the production and distribution of inspection reports. I will place a copy of my letter in the Library.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Waste Minimisation

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to introduce a waste minimisation strategy for her Department. [11568]

Clare Short: My Department intends to review its management practices to ensure that we maximise energy efficiency, recycling and water saving. The review will include an examination of waste.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on existing targets set to minimise waste in her Department.[11569]

Clare Short: There are no existing formal waste minimisation targets although my Department recycles paper and glass. Energy-efficient lighting and state-of-the-art boiler controls have been introduced in the Department's building in East Kilbride and an energy efficiency audit has also been commissioned. The

31 Jul 1997 : Column: 506

Department rents its London and overseas offices, and pursues energy-efficient policies within the constraints of rented property.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the amount, and proportion, of paper recycled by her Department in each of the last five years. [11570]

Clare Short: Records of waste paper recycling are incomplete, but the estimated quantities recycled in each of the last five years are:

1992-93: 29.7 tonnes

1993-94: 31.0 tonnes

1994-95: 31.2 tonnes

1995-96: 30.4 tonnes

1996-97: 29.0 tonnes

Data on paper usage for each of the last five years could be provided only at disproportionate expense, but the quantity recycled in 1996-97 is estimated to represent approximately 27.5 per cent. of supplies purchased in that year.

Office Refurbishment

Mr. Terry Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has for the refurbishment of ministerial offices in her Department; and what is the estimated cost of the works and date of completion. [11867]

Clare Short: Following the creation of a second ministerial post in my Department, it has been necessary to create additional ministerial office accommodation in the buildings in London and East Kilbride. Including consequential expenditure on relocating and repartitioning adjoining non-ministerial accommodation, the total estimated cost of building works was £26,263. The works are substantially complete. The cost of providing additional furniture is estimated at £19,832. No other refurbishment is planned.

North Korea

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to respond to the UNICEF appeal for aid to children in North Korea. [11288]

Clare Short: We are discussing the appeal with UNICEF and will decide on our response once we know the result of the UNICEF evaluation mission currently under way.

Aid and Trade

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what was the total value of aid and trade provision projects since 1978; and if she will list the top 10 (a) recipient countries in descending order by value of projects received and the value of ATP received by each country as a percentage of the total and (b) companies in descending order by value of projects received and the value of ATP received by each company as a percentage of the total. [11840]

Clare Short: The total value of commitments for aid and trade provision projects since 1978 is £1,387 million.

31 Jul 1997 : Column: 507

The top 10 recipient countries in descending order by the value of ATP commitments are:

Country	ATP allocation (£ million)	Percentage of ATP total
China	285.94	20.47
Indonesia	261.36	18.71
Malaysia	152.03	10.88
India	96.42	6.90
Turkey	89.93	6.44
Zimbabwe	55.64	3.98
Kenya	46.89	3.36
Philippines	46.52	3.33
Egypt	40.53	2.90
Morocco	37.95	2.72
Total	1,113.21	79.69
Total for all countries	(16)1,396.99	--

(16) Due to rounding the totals may not balance. The Balfour Beatty figure includes £24.37 million spent in respect of the Pergau hydro-electric project before 1994-95. This project is no longer being financed by the aid and trade provision.

It is not possible to provide figures for the amount of business retained by the prime contractor as opposed to the amount handled by subcontractors. It should, however, be noted that the extent of subcontracting is normally considerable.

The 10 companies that have won most ATP-supported business as prime contractors since 1978 are:

Company	ATP allocation (£ million)	Percentage of ATP total
Kvaerner (including the Trafalgar House Group)	188.66	13.50
GEC	155.31	10.94
Balfour Beatty	108.37	7.63
Rolls Royce (including NEI)	68.82	4.85
Biwater	66.42	4.68
AMEC	58.7	4.13
Foster Wheeler	53.85	3.79
Snamprogetti UK	47.18	3.32
Siemens Plessey	43.43	3.11
Philips UK	34.11	2.40
Total	824.85	59.04
ATP total allocated	1,396.99	--

Debt Relief Assistance

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans the Government have for assistance with debt relief for (a) Ethiopia, (b) Burkina Faso, (c) Burundi, (d) Ghana, (e) Kenya, (f) Madagascar, (g) Mozambique, (h) Nicaragua, (i) Rwanda, (j) Zimbabwe and (k) Uganda. [11287]

Mr. Darling: I have been asked to reply.

Debt payments due to the UK arising from export credits are rescheduled in the multilateral forum of the Paris Club. Decisions on which countries qualify for debt relief, and on the amount of relief provided, are taken on a case-by-case basis. The UK has already cancelled its aid loans to six of the countries listed, and only one of the countries, Zimbabwe, now has any such loans outstanding to the UK.

31 Jul 1997 : Column: 508

Sustainable Development

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will publish the latest draft of the multilateral agreement on investment, and place a copy in the Library. [10653]

Clare Short [pursuant to her reply, 28 July 1997, c. 56]: The Department of Trade and Industry leads on this agreement. My hon. Friend the Minister for Small Firms, Trade and Industry told the House on 23 July that the report that was presented to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Ministers in May 1997 on the progress of the multilateral agreement on investment is to be placed in the Library of both Houses.

---