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IMF
27. Mr. John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact of IMF structural adjustment programmes on the economies of the third world. [89779]
Clare Short: Last year's review of the IMF's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) recommended that the IMF should take more account of the social impact of their programmes, consider the quality of government expenditure and protect budgets in high priority areas such as health and education. We strongly welcomed this and are encouraging the IMF to work more closely with the World Bank to ensure that, in designing structural adjustment programmes, they take account of the impact on the poor. Following a proposal put forward by the UK, the World Bank is working with the IMF and the UN to develop good principles and practices of social policy, which will be drawn upon in the design of World Bank and IMF programmes. We continually emphasise the need for the IMF to build support for reform programmes, through discussion and consultation with civil society, so that they lead to economic growth which benefits the poor. A report on the implementation of the recommendations of the ESAF Review is expected in September.
Illegal Drugs
28. Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has for additional measures aimed at encouraging developing countries to reduce the production and supply of illegal drugs. [89780]
Clare Short:
We provide assistance to control the production of illicit drugs where this is part of sustainable policies for development. Current projects include support to farmers for alternative development in Pakistan, Peru and Bolivia; projects to reduce the demand for illicit drugs in South East Asia and Peru; and training and institution building projects for the Customs and the Police in the Caribbean. We will consider opportunities for the inclusion of drugs-related elements in current and future
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programmes, and we will continue to work with multilateral institutions which provide assistance to drugs-related activities.
29. Mr. Quinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance Her Majesty's Government have given to assist in water distribution in those areas of the world suffering from drought and rationing of water supplies. [89781]
Clare Short:
DFID provides support in a number of ways to assist in addressing drought. Good management of water resources and drought preparedness planning are essential to mitigate the impact of drought. We are currently funding projects in a number of countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa, to assist governments in such planning. DFID also actively supports the work of the UN agencies and the Global Water Partnership in long-term sustainable use of freshwater resources at country and regional levels. We provide direct assistance in the provision of water supplies in situations of drought. Recent examples of support include projects implemented by non government organisations such as Save the Children Fund (UK) and International Committee of the Red Cross in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Guyana, and Bolivia.
Ms Squire:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality, effectiveness and poverty focus of EC development assistance. [89768]
Clare Short:
There can be no doubt that the EC's development assistance programmes are not sufficiently poverty focused and are often ineffective. This is why we published a strategy paper at the end of last year containing 18 detailed proposals for strengthening our collaboration with the EC to improve the poverty focus and effectiveness of its programmes. We are pursuing implementation of this strategy vigorously, and I shall be making a speech in Brussels at the end of July setting out a reform agenda to strengthen the EC's role as we enter the new millennium.
The share of EC official development assistance going to the poorest countries has fallen from 75 per cent. in 1987 to 50 per cent. in 1997. The UK has proposed that for the proportion of EC official development assistance going to low-income countries should increase each year from 2000 to 2006, reaching 70 per cent. by 2006.
We will seek to ensure that poverty elimination is at the heart of the successor to the current Lome Convention which provides the framework for the EU's aid, trade and political relations with 71 Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
We will also seek to work with other member states and the Commission to implement the Council Conclusions on the Evaluation of the EC's development assistance programmes. These Conclusions were adopted at the Development Council on 21 May and provide a good basis to take the steps necessary to improve the EC's effectiveness.
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Rev. Martin Smyth:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the impact on international poverty alleviation of making available the United Nations Development Programme's estimated requirement of $80 billion in the current year. [89769]
Clare Short:
The United Nations Development Programme, together with other UN organisations and the World Bank, has calculated that $80 billion per year would mean basic social services would be available to everyone in the world in the next 15 years. This would have an enormous impact on international poverty reduction and achievement of the International Development targets, particularly in the areas of health and education. Current international overseas development assistance is $50 billion.
The United Kingdom Government have made firm financial provision for an additional £1.6 billion of development assistance over the years 1999-2000-- 2001-02. But it is increasingly clear that aid spending is effective in reducing poverty only when sound policies are in place in recipient countries. Where this is lacking, aid is best spent on technical assistance to support reform and support for civil society so that it is able to press for the adoption of policy to reduce poverty.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department for written answer on a named day between May 1997 and 14 April 1999; and what percentage of them received a substantive response on that named day. [91063]
Clare Short:
Between May 1997 and 14 April 1998, 457 questions were tabled to my Department for a written answer on a named day; 95 per cent. received an answer on that day.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution her Department is making in the ILO's special programme for the eradication of child labour. [91141]
Clare Short:
The ILO's special programme for the eradication of child labour--known as the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)--has been supported by a central donation and country based collaboration from the Department as follows:
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Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to secure representation for Somalia in the negotiations on the successor to the Lome Convention. [91090]
Mr. Foulkes:
Somalia does not have a government and is not formally represented in the negotiations on a new convention. However, we are concerned that the Somali people should be able to benefit from Lome. As part of the negotiations, we are therefore considering, with our EU partners, how to take account of countries like Somalia, who are members of the Lome family but are not able to sign or ratify any future agreement. We are pressing hard to ensure that an equitable solution is reached.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to prevent growth in the number of deaths due to smoking in the developing world. [91198]
Mr. Foulkes:
We view with great concern the estimate by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that, if current trends continue, tobacco will be the leading cause of disease burden by 2030, causing about one in eight deaths, and that 70 per cent. of tobacco-related deaths will be in developing countries. We strongly support the priority given to tobacco control by WHO through its "Tobacco Free" initiative, and the efforts to establish an International Framework Convention (ITC) for tobacco control.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to work towards a global ban on tobacco advertising. [91199]
Mr. Foulkes:
We are committed to co-operating with other Governments in the establishment of an International Framework Convention (IFC) on tobacco control, which includes advertising. We have indicated our support to the World Health Organisation (WHO), who are co-ordinating this work and are discussing with them Britain's role in the first intergovernmental meeting to discuss the development of the framework. We are contributing £200,000 this financial year to WHO's "Tobacco Free" initiative.
$1 million towards the "core" activities of the IPEC programme in 1998-99;
£58,000 for a baseline study of child labour in Tanzania in 1998-99 and preliminary planning expertise in 1999-2000;
£750,000 over three years for collaborative work with Save the Children Fund in Pakistan, ILO/IPEC, Pentland Plc, the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce on removing children from the Football Stitching industry in Sialkot 1998-99 to 2000-01;
£2.75 million to the IPEC programme in the Indian State of Andhra Pradhesh, 1998-99 to 2000-01;
£100,000 to IPEC's Asia programme for collaborative initiatives to prevent child trafficking programme, 1997-98;
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