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British Council
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list (a) British Council grant-in-aid funded by her Department and (b) the value of contracts awarded to the British Council in each year from 1979 to 2000 [124566]
Clare Short: (a) in 1998-99 it was agreed that the management of the British Council by two Departments was unnecessarily cumbersome. Responsibility was passed to the FCO along with the funds earmarked for this purpose.
(b) The total value of consultancy and Technical Co-operation Training contracts that DFID have awarded to the British Council in each of the following financial years are:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 23.3 |
| 1998-99 | 52.8 |
| 1997-98 | 42.2 |
| 1996-97 | 62.0 |
| 1995-96 | 27.3 |
We introduced a new computerised contract monitoring system early in 1996, and we are unable to provide accurate data prior to this period.
Sierra Leone
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to what extent the supply of arms to the Sierra Leone police and army is funded by her Department. [123971]
Clare Short: None of the arms supplied have been funded by my Department.
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid programmes her Department is currently funding in Sierra Leone. [123924]
Clare Short: DFID has allocated resources in support of the following projects in Sierra Leone:
- Support to the Government of Sierra Leone's National Programme for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration
- Emergency support to Lungi Demobilisation Camp
- Security Sector Project (SILSEP)
- Support to the Commonwealth Police Development Taskforce (includes Police Humanitarian Fund and Public Order support)
- Provision of an Inspector General of Police
- Military Reintegration Plan (MRP)
- Commonwealth Community Safety and Security Project
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- Support to Civil Society (Campaign for Good Governance)
- Support for the return of Paramount Chiefs
- Law Development Project (including Legal Draftsman)
- Media Development Project
- Governance Assistance Programme: managed by British Council
- Support to the President's Office
- Humanitarian Relief and reconstruction
- Budgetary Support for essential services/repayment of debts
- Provision of a ferry
- DFID is also a significant contributor to the programmes of the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Commission and United Nations.
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the World Food Programme concerning farming and food security in Sierra Leone. [124056]
Clare Short: Discussions were held with World Food Programme representatives during a recent visit to Sierra Leone by humanitarian specialists from my Department. They established that there were adequate food stocks available within the country to cope with current needs. Hunger and cases of malnutrition have been reported some two months ahead of the usual pattern. The situation is particularly bad in rebel-held areas of the north and east where food stocks have been severely depleted through looting. Humanitarian agencies are constrained from assisting until access becomes possible.
Basic Education Projects
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many basic education projects were funded by her Department in (a) Bangladesh, (b) Bolivia, (c) Burkina Faso, (d) Cambodia, (e) Colombia, (f) Ethiopia, (g) Gambia, (h) Ghana, (i) Guatemala, (j) India, (k) Kenya, (l) Malawi, (m) Mozambique, (n) Myanmar, (o) Nepal, (p) Niger, (q) Nigeria, (r) Pakistan, (s) Peru, (t) Philippines, (u) Russian Federation, (v) South Africa, (w) Southern Africa, (x) Sri Lanka, (y) Sudan, (z) Tanzania, (aa) Uganda, (bb) Zambia and (cc) Zimbabwe; and what was the aggregate cost of each one. [124567]
Clare Short: Our bilateral aid programme is currently financing the following projects and programmes which support basic education:
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Also supports the development of basic education in many of the countries given in the table through its multilateral aid programme and grants to UK NGOS.
Our aim is to help build and sustain effective and equitable education systems which give priority to primary education for all. This requires a shift from the traditional projects-based approach to a sector-wide approach to education, with development agencies working together around a focused, agreed strategy drawn up by the Government of the country concerned. Uganda is a good example. In collaboration with five other donors and the Government of Uganda, DFID has played a key role in the establishment of a sector-wide approach to education, resulting in 1998 in its largest ever commitment to a programme in Africa (£67 million) towards the education sector support programmes. This will provide flexible budget support to the Government for five years.
Angola
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the current humanitarian situation in Angola. [124563]
Clare Short: The situation in Angola is serious. The UN estimate that about 3.7 million civilians are affected by the civil war.
The UK has provided over £2.5 million bilateral humanitarian assistance since the beginning of 2000. A lasting peace is desperately needed to enable Angolans to rebuild their lives.
Debt Relief
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list (a) each country that had received 100 per cent. debt relief from Her Majesty's Government by 23 May and (b) how much aid has been cancelled in each case. [124059]
Clare Short: The Government announced in December 1999 that they will provide 100 per cent. relief for qualifying HIPC countries on their remaining debts owed to the ECGD. Aid debts have already been cancelled. This relief will be available, on a conditional basis, from Decision Point until Completion Point, when it will become irrevocable. By 23 May, Uganda, Bolivia, Mauritania, Tanzania and Mozambique had reached their Decision Point under the revised HIPC framework, and so qualified for full relief on their debts to ECGD.
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The amount of debt that will be relieved under the 100 per cent. policy for each country will not be known until it reaches Completion Point. So far, only Uganda has reached Completion Point, and all of its remaining ECGD debt will be cancelled under the HIPC framework.
This assistance is additional to the aid provided under our existing bilateral programmes with HIPC countries.
Disaster Response
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to improve the way that the international community responds to natural disasters. [124568]
Clare Short: My Department has been working since 1997 to strengthen and improve the three main elements of international disaster response. Firstly, we are working with the Red Cross Societies to improve their preparedness and response to disasters, specifically in poor countries. Secondly, we are working with United Nations organisations such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, United Nations Children's Fund and United Nations High Commission for Refugees, to improve their coordination and improve the speed and effectiveness of their responses. And, thirdly, we are working with the international non- governmental organisations to agree minimum standards of assistance that those affected by disasters can expect to receive.
Our aim is to build a better international humanitarian system but until that is achieved there is a role for donor Governments, such as the UK, to fill gaps in rapid direct response. Therefore my Department maintains an extensive capacity to respond to emergencies around the clock. The decision on whether an operational response is justified and, if so, in what form, is based on assessed needs on the ground and the operational resources available locally or regionally.
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