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Aid Criteria
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria her Department employs in determining whether to suspend aid to a foreign Government. [96223]
Clare Short: In our White Paper on Eliminating World Poverty we lay out a number of criteria for partnership in development. These include a commitment to the elimination of poverty, to good governance and to human rights. In some cases the behaviour of a government so offends against the interests and rights of their people that we can no longer work with the offending regime. Instead we will focus on those within civil society who are working for change. Our primary concern must be to continue to deliver support to the poor and to help them realise their rights.
Serbia
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian aid her Department is currently providing for Serbia. [96220]
Clare Short:
Since May 1999, European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) has allocated 26.5 million euros for assistance to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), of which the UK attribution is about 15 per cent. This consists of food and hygiene assistance to up to 770,000 vulnerable people, repairs to accommodation for displaced people, psycho-social support, small-scale emergency water and sanitation projects, and support to
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social institutions. Programmes are being implemented through major agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR).
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations her Department has made to the DTI in the past three months regarding the cancellation of export credit guarantee debt. [96217]
Clare Short:
Debt is primarily the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I work closely with the Chancellor on debt and our combined efforts have enabled the Government to deliver their objectives on the revision to the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. The new HIPC framework will deliver twice as much debt relief, and the link to poverty reduction has been greatly strengthened with the introduction of poverty reduction strategies. This provides an opportunity to make much greater progress on eliminating poverty and achieving the international development targets. My officials work closely with those from Treasury, Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), on HIPC and other aspects of the Government's debt policy, including the assistance provided on the UK's export credit debt in the context of the Paris Club of bilateral creditors.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's policy towards the World Trade Organisation discussions in Seattle. [96222]
Clare Short:
The WTO Ministerial meeting in Seattle, 30 November to 3 December, will consider the scope, modalities and structure of a new round of multilateral trade negotiations. I have called for the next WTO round to be a "development round", with a comprehensive agenda which offers all countries the chance to make solid and substantial gains. A comprehensive Round would offer important development opportunities, through increased market access and improved rules. My Department has been working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry and other Departments to give a clear development focus to the EU position in advance of Seattle, and is working hard to win support for a wide ranging round.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about the revised funding arrangements entered into between her Department and non-governmental organisations. [96221]
Clare Short:
I refer to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member on 26 July 1999, Official Report, columns 12-13.
The Guidelines for the operation of the Civil Society Challenge Fund have been widely distributed and the first application round began on 1 October. The Fund will operate on a 50:50 matched funding basis. In recognition that non-governmental organisations currently in receipt
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of 100 per cent. funding for reproductive health activities would find it helpful to have time to adjust to the revised arrangements, I have agreed that they should receive 85 per cent. funding in the first year of the new Fund, 70 per cent. funding in the second year, reaching 50 per cent. in the third year.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff were employed directly by her Department on 30 September. [96219]
Clare Short:
Figures are not yet available for 30 September but as at 1 July, my Department directly employed a total of 1,728 staff including casual staff and staff on contract not classified as civil servants. In addition the Department employed a further 320 staff who are appointed in-country through its overseas offices.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has made to London Transport concerning the operation of their penalty fare scheme. [95232]
Mr. Hill:
In July this year LT presented Ministers with a copy of the LT/LRPC report on their review of the Underground Penalty Fares Scheme. Ministers have made no representations to London Transport on this matter since then.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when his Department will respond to the consultation on the disposal and recovery of farm plastics issued by his Department 12 months ago. [95879]
Mr. Mullin:
The consultation paper received a fairly limited response and subsequently we have been reassessing the proposals for a new industry initiative based on the Government's commitment to apply waste management controls to agricultural waste which is not excluded under Article 2 of the amended Framework Directive on waste. This means that most agricultural waste will be subject to the controls which apply to "controlled waste". The commitment was most recently confirmed in the waste strategy "A Way With Waste" which was published on 30 June. We will make a further statement in the light of this work.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he plans to require the Environment Agency to eliminate the risk of flooding, contamination and storm sewer overflow in the Ouse Burn/Jesmond Dene Stream, Newcastle; and if the effects of climate change have been assessed in calculating these risks. [95910]
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Mr. Mullin:
The Environment Agency is aware of the risk of flooding within the Ouse Burn catchment. The Agency's records identify the majority of properties which have been affected previously. In addition, a hydraulic study, carried out under section 105 of the Water Resources Act 1991, has identified the properties at risk from a 1 in 100 year flood event.
The Agency considers that it is not possible to eliminate flood risk completely. However, the risk can be minimised by appropriate management of the river channel and appropriate development in the flood plain.
The Environment Agency is working closely with Northumbrian Water to agree prioritisation of a continuing programme of work to improve unsatisfactory storm sewer overflows. The Government have pressed for this programme to be accelerated under the current Periodic Review of water industry price limits.
Since 1991 estimates of rising sea levels arising from geological movements of the British mainland and from climate change effects have been built into the appraisal of options for flood defence.
Ms Jenny Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has received from the Health and Safety Executive their proposals for the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Modifications) Regulations 1999; what response to the proposed Regulation 6(8) he plans; and if he will make a statement. [95800]
Mr. Meacher:
I have not yet received proposals from the Health and Safety Commission for the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Modifications) Regulations 1999. I understand the proposals will be submitted to me by the Commission shortly.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the latest average capital values of dwellings by tenure and region for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [95767]
Mr. Mullin:
The latest information on capital values for all housing tenures is from the English House Condition Survey 1996. Average values by tenure and region for April 1996 are provided in the table.
| Owner occupied | Private rented | Local authority | RSL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 53,282 | 43,602 | 26,697 | 25,949 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 54,767 | 36,976 | 25,025 | 31,107 |
| North West | 59,435 | 42,795 | 25,636 | 26,085 |
| East Midlands | 59,818 | 41,411 | 28,298 | 29,432 |
| West Midlands | 62,965 | 53,363 | 32,127 | 33,597 |
| South West | 70,286 | 59,036 | 35,325 | 42,923 |
| Eastern | 77,541 | 54,055 | 44,485 | 43,905 |
| South East | 92,617 | 67,101 | 44,924 | 43,687 |
| London | 102,143 | 79,280 | 48,848 | 58,354 |
The English House Condition Survey is based on a sample of dwellings throughout England and is carried out every five years. It provides values for all housing
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types and tenures at one point in time, and not just recent transactions. Therefore, in the private sector, values will differ from other sources of information on house prices.
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