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Cuba
28. Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with representatives of the United States Government regarding medical services in Cuba. [115457]
Clare Short: I have not held discussions with the United States Government regarding medical services in Cuba. The United Kingdom Government are committed to providing medical care and equipment through the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). The EC is the largest aid donor to Cuba and provided US$15.2 million in official development assistance (ODA) in 1998. In 1997, (the latest figures available) the UK share of the EC's £12.39 million aid programme to Cuba was £1.85 million.
Small Arms (Africa)
29. Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects her Department supports which tackle the problems of small arms trafficking in sub-saharan Africa. [115458]
Clare Short: Working through sub-regional organisations and institutions, we support a number of projects aimed at reducing the proliferation of small arms in Africa including through controlling trafficking.
DFID has provided some £300,000 through UNDP for the implementation of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Moratorium on the importation, exportation and manufacture of light weapons.
This year, we funded the conference on "Tackling Small Arms Proliferation in Eastern Africa and the Greater Horn" which led to an outline Action Plan for the sub-region which will tackle the subject of arms trafficking. This contributed to the March 2000 Nairobi Declaration which maps out a sub-regional approach to the proliferation of small arms.
In 1998, DFID funded the seminar that produced the EU/Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) sub-regional action programme on small arms which was
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endorsed by EU/SADC Ministers in Vienna. DFID has provided funding to take this action programme forward, including holding a conference in South Africa in May 1999 with all key stakeholders to define practical measures. We have also supported the participation of representatives of the sub-region at the UN Firearms Protocol negotiations.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which environmental projects her Department supports in Indonesia. [116541]
Mr. Foulkes:
The importance of environmental protection and sustainable management in Indonesia cannot be denied. They are essential if poverty is to be eliminated.
Illegal logging, land clearing and forest fires, habitat loss and haze are among the problems focusing the environment and which ultimately affect poor people's livelihoods. These issues pose a very significant threat to the environment as deforestation continues at an alarming rate.
We intend to help tackle these problems but as part of a collective effort with the international community to facilitate Indonesian solutions to Indonesian problems. The result should be a programme that helps Indonesia to manage forests more equitably and sustainably, giving poor people a greater share of the benefits.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations she has made to the UNDCP concerning the programme scope. [116548]
Clare Short:
My Department continues to contribute to the Government's dialogue with United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) on the scope of their programme. DFID officials were involved in the Government's preparations for the meetings in March of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs which oversees the work of UNDCP, and of the Major Donors to UNDCP.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has held with the World bank concerning its policy towards drug eradication programmes in poor countries. [116547]
Clare Short:
My Department scrutinises World bank Country Assistance Strategy Papers to ensure that illicit drugs are properly covered in countries where they are an issue. Discussion on illicit drugs takes place with the bank at official level where appropriate.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations her Department has received concerning forest fires in Sumatra; and if she will make a statement. [116542]
Clare Short:
No formal representations have been made to my Department regarding the forest fires in Sumatra. Rapid deforestation over the past two decades
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has led to a situation where forest fires and smoke pollution from illegal land clearing has become an annual problem during the mid-year dry season. The fires have started unusually early this year, although most recent reports suggest that the rains have again quelled the fires in both Sumatra and Kalimantan.
A number of donors are supporting efforts to combat forest fires directly. My Department is keen to work with others to address the underlying causes. We are helping design a programme that will promote more equitable and sustainable management of Indonesia's forests and give poor people a greater share of the benefits.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance her Department has provided to the Government of the Seychelles; and if she will make a statement. [116552]
Clare Short:
Britain's bilateral assistance to the Seychelles since 1996-97 was as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 406,000 |
| 1997-98 | 328,000 |
| 1998-99 | 216,000 |
Uruguay Round
Mr. Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to support calls from developing countries to extend the deadline for compliance with the Uruguay Round agreements. [116111]
Clare Short: The UK, with our EU partners, recognises the difficulties faced by some developing countries in implementing WTO Agreements. We are ready to look sympathetically at requests for deadline extensions on a case-by-case basis, and agree that there should be no action to enforce implementation for the duration of negotiations on a new trade Round. Consultations are currently under way in Geneva on this and other implementation issues and I hope that a formally agreed position will emerge soon.
In the meantime, our £16 million programme of trade-related technical assistance is helping developing countries participate in the multilateral trading system more effectively. (Details have been placed in the House of Commons Library). This programme provides assistance with implementation of Uruguay Round Agreements.
Education Aid
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of United Kingdom aid to developing countries is for basic education. [115791]
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Clare Short:
In 1998 about 5 per cent. of the UK's bilateral official development assistance, which is £800 million, was spent on basic education.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the future of her Department's aid programme in Zimbabwe. [115434]
Clare Short:
Our programmes in Zimbabwe are focused on assisting the poor--who are suffering most from the current crises. We have made clear since 1997 that we strongly support the case for land reform in Zimbabwe and have been willing to support reforms that are transparent, lawful and focused on providing land for poor Zimbabweans. I have recently approved a £5 million programme to support a land reform initiative that respects these principles which are being organised by civil society and the private sector.
Company Mergers
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has undertaken into the effect on employment of mergers. [115517]
Dr. Howells: The Department of Trade and Industry has not undertaken any research specifically on the employment effects of mergers. However, last year the Invest in Britain Bureau commissioned a study on the effects of acquisition of UK manufacturing companies by foreign investors. This included some analysis of the effects of foreign acquisition on employment. This report is available from the IBB.
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many mergers between UK companies have taken place in each of the last five years; how many of these mergers have been referred to him; and in how many of these mergers he has intervened. [115518]
Dr. Howells: The annexe gives details of merger cases in the last five years.
Annexe--Merger Statistics 1995-99
1. Table 1 details the number of mergers that there have been between UK companies in the last five years.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 505 |
| 1996 | 584 |
| 1997 | 504 |
| 1998 | 635 |
| 1999 | 492 |
Source:
Office for National Statistics
2. Strictly comparable figures are not readily available, but the number of merger cases (which includes mergers between foreign and UK companies) in the last five years on which the Director
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- General of Fair Trading (DGFT) has submitted advice to the Secretary of State on whether to refer them to the Competition Commission is given in Table 2.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 203 |
| 1996 | 198 |
| 1997 | 186 |
| 1998 | 222 |
| 1999 | 220 |
3. Table 3: gives information on the Secretary of State's decisions in the light of the DGFT's advice. He could refer the merger to the MMC/Competition Commission (CC); ask the DGFT to seek undertakings in lieu of reference; or clear the merger without a reference.
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referred to the MMC/CC | 9 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| Undertakings in lieu | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
4. Table 4: gives information on the Secretary of State's decisions in the light of the MMC/CC report. In all newspaper cases, and for other cases where the MMC/CC has found that the merger may be expected to operate against the public interest, the Secretary of State can allow the merger to proceed with no conditions; allow it to proceed under certain conditions; or prohibit it. In non-newspaper cases where the MMC/CC has found that the merger may be expected not to operate against the public interest, the Secretary of State can take no action on the merger.
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mergers referred | 11 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 18 |
| Cleared | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Prohibited | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Conditions | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Set aside | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Not yet published | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Notes:
1. The number of mergers referred includes newspaper cases on which the DGFT does not give advice. This accounts for the discrepancy between the first rows of tables 3 and 4.
2. Although this table details decisions in the year in which the reference took place, the decision on a merger which has been referred is often taken in a year other than that in which the reference took place.
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