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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 17 May 2000
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy
Ms McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to discuss sexual and reproductive health policy with her European counterparts at the forthcoming European Council meeting. [122489]
Clare Short: I will be discussing a range of development issues with my European colleagues at the forthcoming Development Council meeting, including EC policy on HIV/AIDS.
Debt Decision Day
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to mark Debt Decision Day on 23 July; and if she will make a statement. [122099]
Clare Short: The Prime Minister and the Chancellor have informed the Japanese Presidency of the G7/8 that we would like to use the opportunity of the Okinawa Summit (21-23 July), and the meeting of the G7 Finance Ministers running up to the Summit, to review and encourage progress on the debt relief initiative.
The Government are committed to keeping up the momentum in the run up to, and beyond, Okinawa, and will make every effort to see that resources are released for the eradication of poverty in HIPC countries.
Penalty Clauses
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the contracts entered into with private sector companies for the provision of goods or services since May 1997 where penalty clauses were triggered for non-performance; and if she will make a statement. [122012]
Clare Short: My Department's standard contracts do not contain penalty clauses. In cases of poor performance we can withhold payment. We do not keep a central record of where poor performance has resulted in payment being withheld and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Defence Systems Ltd.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what checks her Department carried out on the suitability of Defence Systems Ltd. prior to awarding the company a contract to clear mines and unexploded munitions in Kosovo. [122129]
Clare Short: When NATO troops entered Kosovo in June 1999, we invited a number of mine/unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance organisations to submit
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capability statements so that self-contained rapid response teams could be immediately provided to deal with the mine threat in Kosovo. Five organisations, including DSL, were selected for an initial period of two months, on the basis of experience in stated capabilities, quality of key personnel, experience in humanitarian mine action, ability to deploy quickly the requisite skills, equipment and back-up, value for money and knowledge of the region.
The United Nations Mine Action Co-ordination Centre (UNMACC) in Pristina later requested the services of these organisations, including DSL, for two further phases: another three months of emergency work; a phase for the year 2000 to address the mine/UXO threat in a more structured way. For the present phase, DSL and the other organisations were invited to submit detailed proposals which were assessed as above, in the light of their earlier performance in Kosovo and their ability to meet UNMACC's future needs. Before entering into a long-term contract with DSL, we consulted a range of Government departments, as is our normal practice in such cases.
DSL has been accredited by UNMACC for work in Kosovo and has been commended both as a field operator and as a co-ordinator of mine action activities in southern Kosovo.
Sierra Leone
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the supply of (a) food and (b) medical supplies to the Kambia region of Sierra Leone. [122026]
Clare Short: Kambia District, situated in the Northern Province, remained volatile after the signing of the peace agreement last July. Although access was, and is difficult, food security assessments were carried out in January and February 2000 by Caritas Makeni and Community Action through Progress (CAP) who are local implementing partners of Children's Aid Direct (CAD). CAD are supported by the Department for International Development.
The CAD programme began in Kambia in March. So far it has been limited to assessments and targeting and registration of beneficiaries. The distribution of inputs will commence as soon as the security situation allows.
Halabja
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is giving to people of Halabja in the current year. [122130]
Clare Short: We are supporting the work of Professor Christine Gosden of Liverpool University to develop a prioritised programme, in conjunction with the universities in northern Iraq and the recently established post-graduate school at Halabja. This will benefit the victims of chemical and biological weapon attacks on the Kurds, principally at Halabja in northern Iraq. The programme will include developing proposals for palliative care, curative treatment,
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and neutralising environmental contamination. We shall consider providing more substantive assistance on the basis of these proposals. Other donors such as Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Italy and the Vatican have shown an interest in providing humanitarian and other support.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Analogue TV Switch-off
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the viability of his Department's timetable for the switching off of analogue television transmitters. [121486]
Janet Anderson: We will be making regular assessments of the estimated timescale for the switch-over from analogue to digital transmission in the formal two-yearly reviews which I announced last autumn. The first of these reviews will be in autumn 2001. They will measure progress against the key tests of availability of digital services; affordability; and take-up of digital equipment. The Viewers' Panel, which we are setting up, will provide advice at each review on the extent of progress towards digital television from the viewers' point of view.
BBC News 24
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria will be used to assess the performance of BBC News 24 in the Government's review; and if he will make a statement. [121487]
Janet Anderson: We aim to announce our proposals for the reviews of the BBC's digital services in due course.
Seaside Resort Regeneration
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures he will take to encourage take up of Lottery funds to regenerate seaside resorts. [122364]
Kate Hoey: As a result of the National Lottery Act 1998 and Policy Directions issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, distributors are already doing much to ensure Lottery money is distributed more equitably. Research into the impact of the National Lottery on the coalfields and other areas, soon to be published, should help to identify what more can be done to ensure that those in every area, including seaside resorts, have access to grants from the National Lottery.
Television Licence
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost was of administering the television licence system (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of BBC licence fee revenue in each of the last 10 years. [122451]
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Janet Anderson: The cost administering the television licensing system in the 10 years to 1998-99, the latest year for which figures are available, was as follows:
| Year | £ million | As a percentage of licence fee revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 81.0 | 6.6 |
| 1990-91 | 84.3 | 6.2 |
| 1991-92 | 91.5 | 6.2 |
| 1992-93 | 92.5 | 5.8 |
| 1993-94 | 89.2 | 5.3 |
| 1994-95 | 91.0 | 5.2 |
| 1995-96 | 95.0 | 5.2 |
| 1996-97 | 96.9 | 5.1 |
| 1997-98 | 109.5 | 5.5 |
| 1998-99 | 133.1 | 6.1 |
Concessionary Television Licences
(Rotherham)
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many concessionary television licences have been withdrawn in Rotherham in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 in (i) council-run old peoples' homes and (ii) privately-run old peoples' homes. [122450]
Janet Anderson: Since 1991, the BBC has had statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system, including the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary licence scheme. The day-to-day management of the scheme is carried out by TV Licensing as agent for the BBC. I understand from the BBC that information on the concessionary scheme is not held in the form requested.
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