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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 14 April 1999
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ILO/WTO
8. Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the creation of a joint working party between the ILO and WTO to examine relevant issues. [79110]
Clare Short: The Government are working for the world-wide observance of core labour standards for all workers. We believe that the right way to do this is through the ILO and that the recent ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work presents a key opportunity for progress. Developing countries--who make up nearly three quarters of WTO members--are opposed to the formal introduction of labour issues to the WTO agenda. They are concerned that labour standards would be used for protectionist trade purposes. We do not therefore believe the creation of a joint working party between the ILO and WTO to discuss labour issues is the right way forward, but we do support more systematic reporting between the two secretariats.
Sierra Leone
9. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what Her Majesty's Government's plans are for humanitarian relief in Sierra Leone. [79111]
Mr. Foulkes: We have been leading the international effort to provide humanitarian relief and improve the security situation in Sierra Leone.
We are co-ordinating closely with the EC, other donors and the UN to maximise effectiveness and encourage the burden sharing.
We are also restarting longer term development programmes such as demobilisation of fighters, support to the reform of the police force and security forces, support for independent media and the peace process.
13. Mr. Wells:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on aid given to the Government of Sierra Leone in the past two years. [79116]
Clare Short:
We provided £10.5 million in 1996-97 financial year, £3.4 million in 1997-98 financial year and £9.7 million in 1998-99.
We have provided humanitarian assistance and support for demobilisation, reform of the judiciary and legal systems, the independent media, and reform of the police and security force.
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10. Mr. Borrow:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the assistance her Department is providing for refugees in the Balkans. [79112]
Clare Short:
We have been one of the largest and most active donors in helping improve the provision of humanitarian relief to the refugees from Kosovo. We have supported NATO in erecting camps, international agencies in bringing people and resources to the region--so far we have provided 23 flights and we have teams working in Tirana airport and supporting the Albanian Government. We are now preparing for the hand-over of camps to UNHCR and the NGOs and are helping establish two refugee centres in Albania.
Our greatest concern is the situation of displaced people in Kosovo. We are considering all possibilities of providing support but no option is easy--in the face of deliberate Serbian repression. Milosevic will have to answer for this to the International Criminal Tribunal.
11. Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the IMF and World bank representatives about reforming policies and programmes to protect access to basic education. [79114]
Clare Short:
We made clear in our White Paper in November 1997 that we are strongly committed to the implementation of the international development targets which include universal primary education by 2015. We have worked consistently to encourage the World Bank and IMF to incorporate the targets in their programmes.
In recent discussions with the Managing Director of the IMF and the President of the World Bank, I have underlined the importance of protecting spending on health, and education for the poor.
14. Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the linkage of good government criteria to the provision of aid by her Department. [79117]
Clare Short:
As the White Paper on International Development makes clear, good governance is essential to the economic and social policies which are necessary to the reduction of poverty. Our country strategies--20 of which have been published so far--apply this to all our programmes.
15. Mr. Lock:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the need for development aid in the Caribbean if the banana crop in that region is priced out of international markets; and if she will make a statement. [79118]
Clare Short:
Substantial amounts of development assistance are already being made available through the European Commission to improve the competitiveness of the Caribbean banana producers and to support economic diversification programmes for those high cost growers
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who are having to leave the industry. We are urgently examining, in consultation with the Caribbean, the implications of the recent WTO rulings. We believe the WTO ruling is compatible with new arrangements that will provide the Caribbean banana industry with viable access to international markets.
16. Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on EU development aid policy. [79119]
17. Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU in connection with third world aid. [79120]
18. Mr. Rowe:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards improving the management of EU development aid; and if she will make a statement. [79121]
Clare Short:
Our contributions to the EC's external assistance programmes absorb approximately 30 per cent. of the Department for International Development's budget.
In December 1998 we published our 18 point strategy to improve EC development spending. This reflects our concern that EC aid spending is both skewed against the poorest countries and often of poor quality. Our strategy includes a proposal for the agreement of a coherent overarching statement of EU development policy.
We are pursuing vigorously our strategy with the Commission and with other EC member states. I agreed a Joint Declaration on improving the EC's contribution to international development with my French and German opposite numbers in February. I expect to discuss specific measures for improving the quality of the EC's development spending at the EU Development Council in May, in the context of the follow-up to recently completed evaluations of the EC's development programmes.
Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact of the resignation of the Commissioners of the European Union on the co-ordination of British development aid with that of the EU. [79113]
Clare Short:
The events surrounding the resignation of the Commission provide a major opportunity to reform the EC's external assistance programmes. We need an overhaul of approval, auditing and financial management systems, and more accountability. We also need to avoid sanctioning EC programmes or budget levels which cannot be effectively managed. Strengthening co-ordination is a priority of the German EU Presidency and we will support all sensible proposals at the EU Development Council next month.
19. Ms McCafferty:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the extent which the work of the Inter-American Development bank is focused on the relief of poverty. [79122]
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Clare Short:
Since May 1997, we have been working to increase the poverty focus of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The Bank recognises that poverty remains a persistent problem in Latin America, which is the most unequal region in the world. In February, I co-chaired with IDB's President Iglesias a seminar which took as its starting point the Bank's recent Report entitled "Facing up to Inequality in Latin America". We welcome this as a contribution to raising awareness.
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