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Meat Hygiene Service

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service; and if he will make a statement. [117724]

Ms Stuart [holding answer 13 April 2000]: The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to become a next steps agency of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) when the FSA was established on 1 April. I have not met the chief executive and have no current plans to do so. I am advised by the FSA however, that the MHS Chief Executive has regular meetings with the Chairman of the FSA (Sir John Krebs).

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

St. Helena

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if the people of St. Helena will be consulted in the decision-making process on the viability of an airstrip on St. Helena. [119607]

Mr. Foulkes: The St. Helena Government, Councillors, civil society organisations and other stakeholders on the island will be consulted during the comparative study of air and sea access that is expected to start in the middle of this year. The study will identify the most cost-efficient permanent solution to the island's international passenger and cargo transportation needs.

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost will be of the airstrip feasibility study on St. Helena; who will undertake it; and how long it will take to complete. [119608]

Mr. Foulkes: The comparative study of air and sea access, which will identify the most cost-efficient permanent solution to the island's international passenger and cargo transportation needs, is expected to cost some £150,000. Consultants to undertake the study will be appointed following a competitive tendering exercise. Completion of the study is expected to take an elapsed time of some 14 weeks following mobilisation of the consultants.

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when a decision will be reached on the viability of an airstrip on St. Helena. [119609]

Mr. Foulkes: Discussions with the St. Helena Government on the findings of the comparative study of air and sea access will begin once a final report has been produced. Draft Terms of Reference for the study are currently being considered by the St. Helena Government and it is expected that the study, which will have an elapsed time of some 14 weeks, will start in July or August.

Asbestos

Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will encourage UK firms engaged in overseas construction projects to prohibit the use of asbestos or materials containing it in their current and future schemes. [119606]

18 Apr 2000 : Column: 465W

Mr. Foulkes: The prohibition of dangerous substances such as asbestos is a matter for Governments rather than private firms. We are committed to working with our partner countries in their efforts to improve standards of environmental regulation and reverse trends in environmental degradation. This may include advice on the prohibition, use and handling of asbestos.

We also support a proposal from the EC to bring asbestos fibres within the scope of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. At present only blue asbestos is covered by the Convention.

Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to ensure that no asbestos or materials containing it are used in (a) current and (b) future projects funded by her Department; and if she will make a statement. [119605]

Mr. Foulkes: Construction standards for buildings built with the Department's assistance in developing countries do not permit the use of asbestos. Occasionally we have assisted with projects involving the modification of buildings which are found to contain asbestos. One such case occurred with the Zimbabwe Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) in the upgrading of air traffic control systems. We introduced specialist technical assistance for DCA staff and contractors to deal with this problem in the short term and be aware of it for the future.

We have also funded research to develop alternatives to asbestos sheets as roofing materials.

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Ethiopia

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate she has made of the length of time it takes for food aid from Britain to reach those in need in Ethiopia. [118812]

Mr. Foulkes: Food aid for Britain is provided through NGOs and the World Food Programme. The length of time between purchase and delivery depends considerably on where the food is sourced (much is purchased locally and some comes from the in-country Food Security Reserve) and the accessibility of those in need. The advantages of local produce are mostly in the speed of delivery and the low transport costs.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations she has received from the United Nations concerning the drought in Ethiopia. [118819]

Mr. Foulkes: The United Nations launched an appeal on 28 January 2000 for US$190 million, requesting relief assistance for some 8 million Ethiopians and 250,000 refugees. This included the provision of approximately 250,000 metric tonnes of food aid to assist 2.3 million beneficiaries. Catherine Bertini, the UN Secretary- General's Special Envoy on Drought in the Horn of Africa, is visiting Ethiopia from 11-19 April. We await her report.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid agencies operating in Ethiopia are funded by her Department. [118817]

Mr. Foulkes: The following table shows DFID Emergency Funded Interventions through Non Governmental Organisations and international organisations since April 1999.

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Period	Agency	Area	Food (MT)	Non-food	Total cost (£)
June 1999-June 2000 (Extension for capacity building and rubbhall erection)	SCF-UK	Belg producing areas of North and South Wollo, Amhara region	6,000 cereal, 486 famix	6 rubbhalls (mobile storage), 4 nutritional monitoring teams, training	1,498,482
October 1999- February 2000	SOS Sahel	Kindo Koisha Woreda, North Omo Zone, SNNPR	3,000 cereal, 1,000 cereal	No	(16)789,403
January-August 2000	Interaide France	Kindo Koisha Woreda SNNPR	150 famix	Nutritional assessment. Capacity building, nutritional training	92,405
March-August 2000	SCF-UK	Gubaiafto and Wadla Woredas, North Wollo, Amhara region	6,240 cereal	Emergency seed provision	1,482,240
January-July 2000	FARM Africa	Konso Special Woreda, SNNPR	3,700 cereal	Emergency seed provision Woreda and regional level emergency response capacity building	1,098,621
April-September	SOS Sahel	Borana Zone (Yabello, Liben, Arero)	2,500 cereal, 300 pulses, 200,000 litres oil	Emergency water tankering. Set up temporary water storage facilities. Emergency seed provision	1,134,525
April-December 2000	SOS Sahel	Kindo Koisha Woreda, SNNPR	2,900 cereal	Emergency distribution of seeds and planting materials	927,086
April-October 2000	Action Contre La Faim (ACF)	Korahai Zone, SNRS	128.7 supplementary food	--	389,179
2 months April-May 2000	WFP	Bale Zone, Oromiya State	--	To provide truck maintenance and to contribute to road clearance	12,500
2 months April-May 2000	WFP	Beyada Woreda, Amhara state	--	Construction of a road bridge and to improve access for relief supplies	11,250+

(16) Purchased from funds remaining from 1999 allocation

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Ethiopia and Mozambique (Aid)

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what factors underlay her decision to reduce aid for (a) Ethiopia and (b) Mozambique. [118815]

Mr. Foulkes: Ethiopia's military expenditure has steadily increased since war broke out with Eritrea in May 1998. This has led to macro-economic strains and a breakdown in relations with the IFIs. In common with other donors, we are meeting existing commitments under our bilateral development programme, but not taking on any new activities, with the exception of food security. Humanitarian assistance is not affected.

We have not decided to reduce aid to Mozambique. This year's Departmental Report estimates spending on the country programme at £21.41 million in 1999-2000. This does not include £15 million provided to help Mozambique to reach Heavily Indebted Poor Countries completion point, or humanitarian aid in response to the floods, for which £20 million has been committed. We expect to increase our spending on the country programme in the current financial year.

Background
Ethiopia
Britain's bilateral development programme is currently running at about £4 million-£5 million a year. We are supporting activities in food security; the roads sector; revenue-raising; preparation of the interim PRSP; and the police. Before the war with Eritrea, we had been ready to deepen our development partnership with the Government of Ethiopia because of their commitment to poverty eradication. Our aim was to provide direct budgetary support to the Government to implement their own plans in the social sectors. We intended to start this with a new contribution of £25 million to help the improvement and extension of primary education throughout the country.
However, since May 1998 when the hostilities broke out and military expenditure increased we have, in common with other donors, not taken on any new activities, with the exception of work on food security. Our planning figures have been adjusted to reflect this: £6 million in each of 2000-01 and 2001-02. Actual expenditure will vary in line with Ethiopia's capacity to end the war and return to the reform agenda it has pursued so strongly in the past. Humanitarian assistance is not affected by this decision. It is provided in response to need and reflects the opportunity to reach those in need and to monitor interventions.

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