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Clean Energy
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what funding will be allocated to the development of clean energy sources in the forthcoming spending review; if the Government will end the exemption of incineration from the Climate Change Levy; and if he will make a statement. [126276]
Mr. Meacher: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Overseas Pensioners
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many colonial and overseas pensioner schemes are still in existence; how many British residents are (a) current or (b) potential beneficiaries of such schemes; and what steps she is taking to align benefits with comparable domestic public sector schemes. [133293]
Mr. Foulkes: There are 104 colonial pension schemes still in existence. Some 26,700 pensioners currently receive benefits under the differing provisions of those
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schemes, of whom 17,214 reside in the UK. There is no record of how many British residents are potential beneficiaries.
The colonial pension arrangements are unique, and cannot be compared with those of domestic public sector schemes. The Government therefore have no plans to bring them into line.
Pakistan
Mr. Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support she is able to give General Musharraf in order that he is able to carry out legislative reforms in Pakistan. [133211]
Mr. Foulkes: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State informed the House on 6 June 2000, Official Report, columns 173-74W, we have agreed to provide technical assistance to assist the Administration to prepare some key reforms. We have not received any specific requests to help with legislative aspects; but we would be ready to consider these, should they be made.
Mr. Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support she intends to offer Pakistan during the forthcoming elections there. [133209]
Mr. Foulkes: The Pakistan Government has embarked upon a very ambitious timetable for local elections and has requested Britain's assistance in this process. A DFID Senior Governance Adviser is visiting Pakistan at present to formulate detailed proposals for possible support by this Department for preparations for these elections and electoral reform more generally.
AIDS
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's total budget is for AIDS-related projects; and what proportion of the projects supported by her Department are AIDS-related. [132857]
Mr. Foulkes: In 1998-99, the latest year for which complete figures are available, DFID's total bilateral expenditure on projects and programmes was £1,176 million
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and total bilateral expenditure on HIV/AIDS was £43 million. This sum excludes multilateral contributions to organisations such as Joint United Nations Programme in HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS) and United Nations Population Find (UNFPA), support to vaccine research and development initiatives, and funding of projects costing less than £100,000. Thus some 4 per cent. of total bilateral expenditure was spent on HIV/AIDS related projects. We will forward the 1999-2000 figures to the Library of the House as soon as they have been prepared.
The total number of active bilateral projects for 1999-2000 was 1,832 of which 194 were related to HIV/AIDS projects. Thus some 10 per cent. of projects supported by the Department are related to HIV/AIDS. These figures do not include projects containing elements of HIV/AIDS work which are deemed too small to be reported or activities costing less than £100,000.
Arms Exports
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on introducing legislation to limit the impact of small arms in developing countries. [132509]
Mr. Foulkes: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had recent discussions with Ministerial colleagues about the Government's proposed legislation on arms export controls which will address, inter alia, the control of small arms in developing countries. She has also had discussions with colleagues regarding the Government's cross-cutting review on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa and the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons, both of which will also address the control of small arms.
Official Visits
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the visits outside Britain made by her Department's Permanent Secretary on official business since 1 January 1999, indicating the date and purpose of the visit in each case. [132753]
Mr. Foulkes: The Permanent Secretary of the DFID made the following visits outside Britain on official business since 1 January 1999:
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Advisory Bodies
Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list all the (a) task forces, (b) action teams, (c) policy reviews and (d) other temporary advisory bodies with external members currently in existence within her Department; and on what date each body (i) was set up and (ii) is expected to terminate. [131451]
Mr. Foulkes: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given yesterday by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 800W.
Press Releases
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press releases have been issued so far this year; and what the total cost of the production and issuing of press releases was in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000 to date. [132778]
Mr. Foulkes: Rules governing the work of the GICS are laid down in the Guidance on the work of the Government Information Service published by the Cabinet Office in July 1997. More specific guidance on the writing and issuing of press releases is given in the Working Guide for Government Information Officers. Copies of both documents are in the Libraries of the
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House. Twenty-three Press Releases have been issued by the Department so far this year. Press Releases are issued via post, and through the COI's News Distribution Service. The total cost of production and issuing of releases for the years 1997-2000 inclusive is outlined as follows:
- (a) 1997--8,180
- (b) 1998--10,090
- (c) 1999--10,710
- (d) 2000--5,420.
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