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Mongolia
19. Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is giving to Mongolia. [115448]
Clare Short: Most UK aid to Mongolia is channelled through multilateral agencies, in particular the European Commission, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The UK contributes around £5.7 million through these agencies and this figure is set to rise slightly over the next two to three years.
We also support UK non-governmental Organisations' work in Mongolia, focusing on activities which benefit the poorest. Our bilateral development assistance totalled £470,000 in 1998-99 and a similar figure is expected for the current year.
In response to the recent severe weather crisis, we are contributing to the purchase of essential relief supplies in Mongolia. To date, the UK Government have contributed around £50,300 to the relief effort.
20. Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department is taking in Madagascar; and if she will make a statement. [115449]
Clare Short:
Cyclones Eline and Gloria and the ensuing floods have caused damage directly affecting some 500,000 people in Madagascar. However, the number of people requiring immediate assistance is about 45,000. We have contributed some £600,000 for immediate relief including food, clean water, health services and the necessary logistics to ensure delivery of items to isolated communities. This funding has been channelled through UNICEF and the World Food Programme.
We continue to monitor the situation closely through our Embassy in Madagascar and operational partners in the field. We stand ready to respond further to assessed needs.
21. Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will propose to the Council of Ministers the transfer of the budgetary allocation for subsidies to European Union tobacco growers to international development projects outside the EU. [115450]
Clare Short:
The Government strongly disapprove of subsidies to EU tobacco growers under the Common Agricultural Policy and would like to see an end to the tobacco regime on the grounds of health and cost. We believe that the Community should progressively disengage from support for tobacco production and will continue to press for further reform of the regime.
At the Berlin European Council of March 1999, EU heads of government agreed the overall ceiling and division of the Community's spending for the period 2000-06. Transferring funds from the Agriculture budget to the External Action budget would mean breaking this agreement on overall budget discipline.
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Rather than increasing the EC's development budget, my Department is working with the EU to improve the effectiveness of its programmes, and focus them more on the poorest countries.
22. Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries have agreed to adopt (a) poverty relief and (b) education programmes to qualify for debt relief and further aid. [115451]
Clare Short:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) on 1 March 2000, Official Report, column 295W.
23. Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the World Education Forum at Dakar. [115452]
Clare Short:
The World Education Forum in Dakar from 26-28 April provides an important opportunity for governments, development agencies and non-governmental organisations--from North and South--to recommit themselves to Education for All (including the achievement of universal primary education by 2015, and gender equality in primary and secondary education by 2005). We have seven major priorities for this Forum.
First, we believe there must be collective re-affirmation of the Education for All (EFA) goals, allied to focused strategies for their achievement, and particularly the attainment of the international development targets for education. We know that where there is strong political commitment allied to well-defined and well-managed education strategies, dramatic progress can be made, even in some of the poorest countries.
Second, developing country governments need to give priority to basic education. In many countries, this will require greater efficiency of spending within the education sector and greater focus on basic education; it may also require an increased share of national income to education. But even with the improved mobilisation of resources within country there will be the need for additional funding from development agencies. The Dakar Framework for Action should also make clear the willingness of funding agencies to allocate significant additional resources to support the achievement of Education for All, where governments have developed well-focused education strategies. No government seriously committed to basic education within a sustainable development framework should be thwarted in the achievement of this goal by lack of resources.
Third, basic education should be firmly set within an overall, sustainable education sector framework. Funding agencies should shift from individual projects to broader support for a government-led education sector strategy which is coherent and able to exploit linkages with wider poverty elimination and development efforts.
Fourth, on gender, we must move beyond the language of awareness to the language of action. We have learned that where gender is mainstreamed through government development policy there is progress. Where it is
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"projectised" the gains are local and slow. The Framework for Action should set out these lessons and their implications for effective gender equity strategies.
Fifth, sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia should be accorded international priority. These regions are where the challenge to meet Education for All goals is greatest; they are also where efforts are greatly impeded by poverty, HIV/AIDS and by conflict.
Sixth, we need better monitoring of progress towards goals and targets. This requires investment in the development of national capacity allied to efficient international monitoring systems. The potential of UNESCO's Institute of Statistics will be important in this field.
Seventh, Dakar should look seriously at whether the existing inter-agency EFA structure will be adequate to its purpose in the future. Dakar should agree on principles for follow-up and monitoring which better engage national governments, civil society, bilateral and multilateral agencies and highlight Education for All as a development priority in all relevant international and regional fora, including the G8 and relevant high level meetings of the United Nations.
These are the priorities which the Government will be pursuing at Dakar.
24. Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the likely effects of crop failures in the Horn of Africa. [115453]
Clare Short:
Crop failure is a regular occurrence in the Horn of Africa and communities have developed strategies for dealing with its effects. These include diversification of agricultural production systems and other socio-economic strategies, such as migration. Extreme hardship through crop failure is usually the result of conflict or poor crop management.
Harvests were poor in 1999 in some parts of the Horn of Africa. It is too early to say if 2000 is likely to see serious crop failure in Ethiopia and Somalia but the UN estimates emergency food needs for 2000 will be as follows:
26. Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards constructing an airport on the Island of St. Helena. [115455]
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
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currently being prepared and will be agreed with the St. Helena Government. Consultants are expected to start work in the middle of the year.
27. Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her policy regarding bilateral aid to Southern Africa. [115456]
Clare Short:
Our policy for bilateral assistance to Southern Africa is set out in our Country Strategy Papers, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Throughout Southern Africa we are working with the international community in support of national and regional programmes to achieve the international development targets, through public sector reform, better education and health, HIV/AIDS prevention and promoting economic growth and sustainable livelihoods.
Ethiopia (Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Commission)--900,000 metric tonnes for 8.1 million people
Eritrea (United Nations Country Team)--25,000 metric tonnes for 211,750 people
Somalia (United Nations Appeal)--25,000 metric tonnes for 400,000 people.
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