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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Bilateral Aid
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the proportion of the United Kingdom aid programme devoted to bilateral assistance. [18729]
Mr. Foulkes:
In 1996-97, bilateral aid comprised 50 per cent. of DFID's programmes; multilateral aid was 47 per cent. The remaining 3 per cent. comprised mostly
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administrative costs. (These figures are provisional subject to the forthcoming publication of British Aid Statistics.)
Sir Alastair Goodlad:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is her estimate of the cost of establishing a development policy forum and publishing its annual reports. [18943]
Mr. Foulkes:
We are planning to hold the policy forum and publish the annual report towards the end of 1998. The forum will incur only minimal costs (stationery, postage etc.) plus the possible cost of a venue.
We have not yet decided on the exact form of the annual report and thus it is difficult to give a clear figure for the cost. However, a broad estimate would be between £40,000 to £50,000.
Sir Alastair Goodlad:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to rationalise the EU's development co-operation programmes into a single directorate during the UK Presidency. [18953]
Mr. Foulkes:
Discussion is currently under way within the Commission on the establishment of a common services unit to handle aid administration for the external Directorates-General responsible for implementing Community aid programmes. The Directorates-General would retain responsibility for some aspects of the programmes but the exact division of tasks between them and the new structure has yet to be announced. Reorganisation of this sort is an internal management issue for the Commission, but member states have a legitimate interest in the effectiveness of the new arrangements. We will be keeping in close contact with the Commission and other member states about developments throughout the UK Presidency.
Sir Alastair Goodlad:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is her estimate of the cost of the working group to be established by her Department to promote awareness of development issues. [18944]
Mr. Foulkes:
The only expenditure directly associated with the working group will be the normal stationery and postage costs.
There will be some cost for the time of the staff administering the group but until we have a clearer idea of how much actual time will be involved it is difficult to make an estimate.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her recent visit to Kenya. [18967]
Mr. Foulkes:
During her visit in October my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development met President Moi and Finance Minister Mudavadi. She explained Britain's commitment to the elimination of poverty in poorer countries and our intention to work with those Governments which are themselves committed to achieving this aim. As well as meeting their President and the Minister of Finance, she
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visited two projects assisting poor people in an informal settlement in the Kibera area of Nairobi: one of which is providing credit to enable people to start or expand small businesses, and one working with HIV positive people and AIDS orphans.
Mr. Faber:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much bilateral aid the United Kingdom plans to provide to Zimbabwe in the current year; and what percentage of the total United Kingdom aid budget that represents. [19208]
Mr. Foulkes:
We estimate that direct bilateral expenditure on current aid projets in Zimbabwe, including ATP projects, will be around £13 million during the financial year 1997-98. This would represent approximately 0.6 per cent. of the total multilateral and bilateral aid budget. The final aid expenditure figures will be published in British Aid Statistics next year.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what date the Government decided to purchase or lease millennium-compliant computer systems; and when that decision was implemented. [18722]
Dr. David Clark:
The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) provides model contract clauses for Departments and agencies to use when purchasing computer equipment and services.
In September 1996, revised Model Agreements were produced by the CCTA containing a clause on millennium compliance in each model contract, for immediate adoption.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those (a) Government Departments and (b) sections of Departments which will not be millennium compliant by 30 June 1999. [19198]
Dr. David Clark:
According to plans submitted by Departments and agencies, Central Government business critical systems will be millennium compliant well before the end of 1999. The only such organisations not to specify a completion date before 30 June 1999 were:
A number of the plans received also indicate that PC replacement plans may run into late 1999.
Further information can be gained from the plans, which are accessible via the Internet at:
(http://www.open.gov.uk/citu/cituhome.htm).
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the number of IT specialists who will be required by Government Departments to complete millennium compliance; and
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which Government Departments have indicated that they have shortages of IT skilled personnel to complete millennium compliance. [19199]
Dr. David Clarke:
Government Departments have submitted their plans for achieving millennium compliance for their computer systems, and those are available in the Libraries of the House and on the Internet.
I have written to colleagues asking them to specifically address the skills issue and requesting further information before the end of the month.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which Government Departments are now dealing with (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) suppliers which are not millennium compliant; and in each case at what date they will cease to deal with (a) and (b). [19200]
Dr. David Clark:
The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency in my Department has published detailed guidance on the action needed to deal with the Year 2000 date change problem. It is for individual departments and agencies, on a case by case basis, to manage their dealings with external organisations, having regard to the guidance.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contingency plans he has established against failures in millennium compliance in Government Departments. [19196]
Dr. David Clark:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson) on 1 December 1997, Official Report, column 3.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the Government's review of the working of government will include a review of the (a) transparency and (b) consistency of the Civil Service grading system. [18821]
Dr. David Clark:
There is no single Civil Service grading system. As from 1 April 1996 pay and grading was delegated to departments and agencies for all Civil Servants outside the Senior Civil Service, enabling them to tailor pay and grading systems more closely to their business needs. We have no plans for a Civil Service wide review of grading systems.
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Departments and agencies must evaluate their systems every three years, or earlier if they so wish. This is to ensure that they continue to reflect the key principles laid down in the Civil Service Management Code. OPS will work closely with departments and agencies on their evaluations, in support of the developing Better Government agenda.
For the Senior Civil Service (around 3,000 staff), there is a common pay framework based on job weight, comprising nine pay bands and a Permanent Secretaries' pay range. Within this framework, departments can develop their own management structures according to the needs of their organisation. There are no centrally recognised grades.
Mr Chope:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) of 28 November 1997, Official Report, column 668, (1) if he will make it his policy to seek the consent of holders of public appointments to the publication of their individual ethnic origin; [19150]
(3) if applicants for membership of public bodies are required to state their ethnic origin; and if he will make a statement. [19148]
Dr. David Clark:
The First Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Guidance emphasise the principle that public appointments should be made on merit. Individuals are selected because they have the skills, qualities and experience required by the public bodies in question. Disclosure of ethnic origin or a requirement to allow the publication of this information should not be a precondition of appointment.
In line with the Commissioner's Guidance, candidates for public appointments provide details of their ethnic origin on the basis of voluntary self-classification. This information is collected on the understanding that it is treated as confidential and will be used only for statistical purposes as part of the process to monitor the characteristics of those appointed to serve on public bodies.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office: (September 1999)
Historic Royal Palaces: (August 1999)
Royal Mint: (Well before the end of 1999)
Valuation Office: (End of 1999)
(2) whether he will make it a condition of holding a public appointment that the holder should agree to the publication of information relating to the holder's ethnic origin; [19149]
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