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Horizon Project

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many sub-post offices he expects to close (a) in Eastbourne and (b) nationally as a result of the cancellation of the Horizon Project; [96964]

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Mr. Alan Johnson: The Horizon Project has not been cancelled, but has been put back on track by the Government to ensure that every Post Office throughout the network will be equipped with this modern, on-line computer platform by the spring of 2001.

Climate Change Levy

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the cost to industry of the climate change levy. [96696]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 1 November 1999]: Any estimate of the impact of the levy will depend on the final rates of tax which will be set by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

However, the Government have promised that there will be significantly lower rates of the levy for those energy intensive sectors, covered by the EU Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, which are prepared to enter negotiated agreements with the Government to deliver energy efficiency improvement and/or emissions reductions targets. To this end, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions is leading discussions with a number of energy intensive sectors.

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with industrialists about the likely costs of the climate change levy to their businesses. [96602]

Ms Hewitt: The Government have been holding discussions with a wide range of business on the implementation of the climate change levy. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met representatives of business on 20 October to hear at first hand their views on the levy.

Any estimate of the impact of the levy will depend on the final rates of tax which will be set by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

EU Structural Funds

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of (a) EU Objective 1 and (b) EU Objective 2 programmes on UK economic development; and if he will make a statement. [95057]

Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of EU Objective 1 and Objective 2 programmes on UK economic development. [95037]

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Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of (a) EU Objective 1 and (b) EU Objective 2 programmes on UK economic development; and if he will make a statement. [95067]

Mr. Caborn: In accordance with the requirements of the regulations governing the Structural Funds, all UK Objective 1 and Objective 2 programmes have been independently evaluated both at mid-term and at the end of the programmes to assess their impact on economic development. These evaluations are available from the programme secretariats.

Overall the Structural Funds make a valuable contribution to economic development in the United Kingdom.

Consumer Protection

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to improve consumer protection legislation. [96312]

Dr. Howells: The White Paper "Modern Markets: Confident Consumers" published in July set out in detail the various proposals to improve consumer protection legislation on which the Department is currently working.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Belize

Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Ministers in her Department visited Belize in each year from 1990 to 1997. [96174]

Clare Short: No Ministers from my Department or from the Overseas Development Administration visited Belize between 1990 and 1997.

Departmental Publications

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the titles of official departmental reports being prepared with a view to publication in (a) 1999 and (b) 2000, stating in each case the planned date for publication. [95511]

Clare Short: The titles of official departmental reports being prepared with a view to publication in (a) 1999 and (b) 2000, with planned dates (where applicable), are shown in the tables.

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1999

Country/Regional Strategy PapersIndicative Timing
Africa
EgyptDecember 1999
Swaziland Submission to the Secretary of State for discussion
Botswana in November 1999
Namibia
LesothoIn abeyance pending political developments
Asia
CambodiaNovember 1999
PakistanOn hold
JordanDecember 1999
West Bank--GazaDecember 1999
Eastern Europe/FSU
BosniaDecember 1999
Central Asia/South CaucasusNovember 1999
MoldovaNovember 1999
Institutional Strategy Papers
Working with the OCHA--the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian AffairsNovember 1999
Working with UNRWA--the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near EastNovember 1999
Target Strategy Papers
International Development Strategy: Better Health for Poor People (consultation document)November 1999
Final version of the aboveTo be confirmed
Others
Statistics on International Development 1994-95 to 1998-9916 December 1999

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2000

Country/Regional Strategy PapersIndicative Timing
Africa
GambiaMid 2000
NigeriaMarch 2000
Sierra LeoneMid 2000 (depending on current military situation)
Asia
IndonesiaJune 2000
Latin America/Caribbean
MexicoUndecided
BelizeJanuary 2000
Windward IslandsJanuary 2000
JamaicaApril 2000
Eastern Europe/FSU
MacedoniaJune 2000
AlbaniaMarch 2000
CroatiaJune 2000
KosovoJanuary 2000
Institutional Strategy PapersTo be confirmed
Target Strategy Papers (consultation document plus final version)
Targets statementTo be confirmed
Increased Economic Well-beingTo be confirmed
Better EducationTo be confirmed
Gender EqualityTo be confirmed
Better Management of the EnvironmentTo be confirmed
Water and Environmental SanitationTo be confirmed
Good GovernanceTo be confirmed
Human RightsTo be confirmed
Others
DFID Departmental Report 1999March 2000
Statistics on International Development 1995-96 to 1999-2000December 2000

Departmental Accounting

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the methods of depreciation her Department will apply in the current financial year to fixed assets in the preparation of departmental resource accounting balance sheets. [96926]

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Clare Short: The Department for International Development (DFID) will be applying the straight line method of depreciation to fixed assets in preparing the balance sheet for the current financial year.

San Bushmen

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of her Department's funding to the Sasi it has spent on (a) health projects and (b) education for the San Bushmen of South Africa. [96400]

Clare Short: The South African San Institute (SASI) programme supported by DFID will help build the capacity of San communities to secure access to public health and education services. Funds have not been earmarked for health and education projects, but there will be health and education components to SASI supported activities in livelihood and cultural development, and to tackle substance abuse and violence against women and children.

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work her Department has undertaken in South Africa in tackling alcohol abuse among the San Bushmen. [96401]

Clare Short: My Department is supporting the South African San Institute (SASI), which plans to develop rehabilitation and counselling services to deal with substance abuse.

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to support the San Bushmen of South Africa. [96399]

Clare Short: My Department has assisted San communities in South Africa through the South African Government's Land Reform programme, which included advice on formulation of the successful land claim by the Southern Kalahari San, an indigenous San group located throughout the Mier area of South Africa near the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park.

Building on this support, my Department has made available £0.5 million to the South African San Institute (SASI) to help San communities create sustainable livelihoods and secure their constitutional rights to development and use of traditional language.

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