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Global Cultural Diversity Congress
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the reasons why the accounts of Global Cultural Diversity Congress 2000 Ltd. for the last financial year have not been filed at Companies House; and if he will make a statement. [112796]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: These are matters for the liquidator.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Female Genital Mutilation
Ms McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's policy is on measures to eradicate violence against women, with particular reference to the practice of female genital mutilation in developing countries. [111295]
Clare Short: Violence against women is one of the most shocking manifestations of women's inequality. We are working to ensure that women's empowerment and equality are actively pursued in the mainstream of all development activities.
Female genital mutilation is a serious health issue. It is also a violation of the rights of women to live free from violence. Our policy is to try to persuade countries where the practice occurs to take steps to reduce and eventually eliminate it. We encourage Governments to strengthen laws which prohibit female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices, such as dowry deaths. We also work with women's organisations to strengthen their capacity to address female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices. We have supported NGO projects to train health workers in a number of countries,
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including Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, to prevent and manage health complications related to female genital mutilation.
We have also made a major contribution to the Trust Fund on Violence Against Women run by UNIFEM, which provides support to local women's organisations working on issues of violence against women throughout the world. We also work to combat the effects of violence against women through our bilateral programme in more than a dozen poor countries.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the nature of the assistance provided by the European Union to the South African Police Service as part of Operation Rachel. [112348]
Clare Short:
The European Union has agreed to provide up to 200,000 euros under the Common Foreign and Security Policy to the South African Police Service as the implementing agency of Operation Rachel for 1999-2000. This is part of the EU Joint Action initiative to combat small arms proliferation. The UK contribution to this will be about 16 per cent. or £20,000. In addition, the Government have provided £6,000 of Satellite Telephone Systems for Operation Rachel, through direct bilateral assistance.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the provision of supplies to St. Helena by the RMS St. Helena. [112922]
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Clare Short:
The RMS St. Helena resumed normal operations on 3 February following the breakdown experienced on 5 November 1999. The ship delivered 720 tonnes of freight to St. Helena on its first scheduled call to the island on 17 February. Alternative arrangements were made to ensure freight delivery continued while the RMS was out of service.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the provision of an airstrip on St. Helena. [112966]
Clare Short:
I have agreed that my Department will finance a comparative study of air and sea access costs in order to identify the most cost-efficient permanent solution to the island's international passenger and cargo transportation needs. Terms of Reference for the study are currently being prepared and will be agreed with the St. Helena Government. Consultants are expected to start work in the middle of this year.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans the Government have for humanitarian aid for Serbia. [110693]
Clare Short:
The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs produce regular reports on the humanitarian situation in Serbia. We continue to monitor these closely. While there has not been a humanitarian crisis this winter in Serbia, there is some hardship. We are providing assistance to vulnerable groups in Serbia through the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO). We have no current plans for bilateral humanitarian assistance to Serbia. We are, however, making untied contributions to the emergency Balkans appeals issued by the international agencies.