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22. Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress the Government are making towards their goal of ensuring that all children benefit from primary education. [127760]
Clare Short: We are making good progress in helping developing countries achieve the international development target of universal primary education (UPE) by 2015. But much remains to be done; it is unacceptable
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that in the year 2000 more than 113 million children, a large majority of whom are girls and those from socially vulnerable groups, have no access to primary education.
The bulk of spending on education by most developing countries remains directed to higher education. The reason is that elites are powerful in very poor countries. It is difficult political task to get a commitment to spending on the poorest children in rural areas. We are working hard on this task through the international system, and by contributing more funds. We have committed £300 million over the past three years to UPE programmes and will do more. We are working to persuade governments and their civil societies to prioritise the education of poor children. Progress is being made and we need sustained interest through to 2015.
Our strategy for achieving the UPE target is set out in the Department for International Development's consultation document "Education for All: The Challenge of Universal Primary Education". Copies are available in the House of Commons Library.
23. Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made on the preparation of the second international development White Paper. [127761]
Clare Short: Work on the White Paper is proceeding well. There has been a public consultation agreement across Whitehall on the provisional outline, research has been commissioned and detailed work is being undertaken by cross-departmental groups.
24. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department is helping to promote human rights in poorer countries; and if she will make a statement. [127762]
Clare Short: Human rights are central to my Department's work, which is dedicated to the achievement of the human rights of the poorest people of the world. We will shortly be publishing our strategy paper on "Human Rights for Poor People".
25. Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of micro credit schemes in reducing poverty in Zambia. [127763]
Clare Short: Studies of one of our micro-credit partners, the Christian Enterprise Trust of Zambia, show that access to micro-credit helps its clients, who come from the poorest groups, to achieve higher incomes, better household nutrition, and increased access to education and health services. Our other micro-credit projects show similar results.
Mr. Pearson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list for her Department and its agencies the approved list of
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manufacturers of (a) cars and (b) commercial vehicles; and if she will make a statement on her Department's leasing and purchasing policy. [128991]
Clare Short: The Department for International Development makes use of three official cars, namely a Vauxhall Omega, a Vauxhall Vectra and a Ford Mondeo. All cars are used on a lease basis from the Government Car Service costing a total of £142,476.36 per annum.
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees of her Department and its agencies have been recruited from the New Deal; and what percentage this represents of total staff. [129097]
Clare Short: The information requested is as follows.
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the PFI contracts entered into by her Department, indicating (a) their dates of commencement, (b) their value, (c) if they have been subject to refinancing and (d) if her Department has a claw-back entitlement to share in savings arising from refinancing. [129052]
Clare Short: My Department has not entered into any PFI contracts.
Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what pressures she will bring to bear on countries attending the G8 Summit in July to ensure that the debt owed by the world's poorest countries is cancelled. [129085]
Clare Short: When the Prime Minister met the Japanese Prime Minister last month, they agreed the importance of discussing debt issues at the G8 Summit in Okinawa.
It was at the Cologne Summit last year that the G7 agreed a very substantial improvement to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, which was agreed by the boards of the World bank and IMF at the annual meetings in September 1999. The enhanced HIPC initiative provides faster, wider and deeper debt relief to poor countries committed to eradicating poverty.
The emphasis now is on implementing the enhanced initiative, so that the target of three-quarters of eligible countries starting to receive debt relief before the end of the year can be achieved. At the spring meetings of the World bank and IMF in April, we persuaded the bank and the Fund to establish a joint committee to oversee the implementation process. The Government are committed to keeping up the momentum not only in the run up to the G8 Summit but also beyond it.
Mr. Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consultations she is
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holding with organisations in developing countries in advance of the publication of the White Paper on Globalisation. [127745]
Clare Short: We are consulting widely organisations and individuals here and in developing countries as part of the preparation of the White Paper on Globalisation and Development. In March, an outline of the White Paper was sent out to key institutions and a website established. We have invited submissions from individuals and organisations in the UK and from developing countries. In addition, on 11 and 12 July I am chairing a round table on globalisation and development for various academics and practitioners from developing countries.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the charges made in the last year for which figures are available for policing commercial events; and if he will make a statement. [128576]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Information on charges made by police forces for policing commercial events is not held centrally.
The decision whether to charge for costs of policing at local events is for the local police authority and the Chief Constable.
Under Section 25(12) of the Police Act 1996,
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces have achieved the requirement of year-on-year efficiency savings of 2 per cent.; what monitoring is undertaken of how forces are achieving the efficiency savings and what guidance is issued by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [128536]
Mr. Charles Clarke: There are two elements to the achievement of the 2 per cent. efficiency targets set for the police each year between 1999-2002. The first is to plan and deliver savings, either cashable, non-cashable or both; the second and most important element is to deliver
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levels of performance to a required standard. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) reported in May 2000 that all 43 forces were on track to deliver the required efficiency gains subject to performance levels being assessed as satisfactory. I expect HMIC to report on police performance levels later this month.
The efficiency process is subject to rigorous inspection by HMIC with support from the Audit Commission and external auditors. This ensures that only permissible savings are counted. The police authority and force must also ensure that a link between resources and performance outcomes is established.
The Home Office issued guidance on efficiency planning to police forces and authorities in November 1998, when the process was launched, and again in December 2000 to support planning for the second year of efficiency gains. HMIC also issued detailed guidance in the course of its inspection process and has advised forces and authorities throughout the process.
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