| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
North Korea
8. Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the international aid programmes in North Korea. [138111]
Mr. Foulkes: The deprivation and suffering, particularly of the children, which was featured in the 'Dispatches' programme, is principally the result of the policy and action of the Government of North Korea. Since 1998 we have provided over £2.5 million of humanitarian assistance, channelled through UN agencies and international NGOs, focusing particularly on agriculture rehabilitation and food security.
Zimbabwe
10. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance Her Majesty's Government are providing to Zimbabwe; and what are the aims of her Department's programmes there. [138114]
16. Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her aid projects in Zimbabwe. [138120]
Clare Short: We are providing assistance for projects which assist the poor in improving rural livelihoods; providing water and sanitation; and access to reproductive health needs. I have recently agreed a commitment of £20 million for HIV/AIDS prevention.
Renewable Energy
11. Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts are being made by her Department to encourage the development of renewable sources of energy in the developing world. [138115]
22 Nov 2000 : Column: 185W
Clare Short: We are spending £1.5 million per year on research to improve energy provision for the poor. The work falls under four themes:
- The development and promotion of renewable energy sources, especially for rural communities;
- The more efficient supply, conversion and use of energy;
- Improved access to clean energy in poorer households;
- Reducing the environmental impacts of energy use.
I will place a copy of the most recent newsletter in the Library of the House.
AIDS (Asia)
12. Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department is taking to assist countries in Asia in combating AIDS. [138116]
Clare Short: Combating HIV/AIDS in Asia is one of our major priorities and we are working with international and regional agencies to this end. At country level, we are supporting major HIV/AIDS programmes in India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and China and smaller efforts elsewhere. We are also supporting a variety of community-led initiatives designed to reduce the impact of the epidemic.
In 1999-2000, DFID spent over £13 million on HIV/AIDS bilateral programmes in Asia. This year, we will contribute over £43 million to the United Nations Population Fund and UNAIDS. Both organisations contribute significantly to anti HIV/AIDS work in Asia.
Kosovo
13. Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Kosovo in respect of children. [138117]
Clare Short: We receive regular reports on the humanitarian situation in Kosovo through our own representative and through international humanitarian agencies, including UNICEF. We have provided £2.5 million to UNICEF for programmes in Kosovo, and a total of £12.5 million for the Balkans as a whole.
Our support to programmes in Kosovo, both directly and through our share of the funding of the programmes of the EC and multilateral agencies, includes support to health care, social welfare, housing and community development.
Burma
14. Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with NGOs which are involved in provision of aid to Burma. [138118]
22 Nov 2000 : Column: 186W
Clare Short: We consulted non-governmental organisations in preparing our Country Strategy Paper on Burma which was published in July, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House. I met NGOs concerned with Burma in June.
Education (Poor Countries)
15. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what initiatives she is taking to help poor countries improve their education provision. [138119]
Clare Short: We are committed to the achievement of universal primary education (UPE) and gender equality as priorities for development. This means making a strong contribution to the international effort to achieve these targets. Our three priorities for action are:
- (i) Contributing to the international policies and programmes designed to achieve education for all.
- (ii) Strong, well targeted country programmes--with priority to sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia--which provide assistance to governments and civil societies committed to UPE and gender equality. We have committed over £400 million to this work since May 1997 and will do more.
- (iii) Knowledge and research strategies and outcomes that will contribute to the ability of the international community, including partner countries, to learn lessons, share experience and monitor progress.
Indonesia
18. Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what new initiatives she is taking in Indonesia to support poverty reduction and development. [138122]
Clare Short: We published our Country Strategy Paper, setting out the broad framework for UK development assistance to Indonesia, in September. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Key elements of our development programme include a recently agreed Multistakeholder Forestry Programme, which aims to promote more equitable and sustainable management of Indonesia's forests; technical advice and funding to the Governance Partnership, a facility which provides support to governance reform initiatives identified and prioritised by Indonesian government and civil society; and support for the Community Recovery Programme, an Indonesian civil society response to the economic crisis, providing a "safety net" for those worst affected. We are also exploring with government, civil society and other donors how we might best support pro-poor policy making and budgeting in Indonesia.
Africa (Small Arms)
19. Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to halt the spread of small arms in Africa. [138123]
Clare Short: We have supported the implementation of the Moratorium on the Import, Export and Manufacture of Light Weapons in West Africa through funding concrete programmes in conjunction with the UN. We have provided direct support for the Southern Africa Development Corporation (SADC) Action Plan against the proliferation of small arms in that region and helped to fund some of their projects. We have also actively
22 Nov 2000 : Column: 187W
supported the Nairobi declaration on the problem of the Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and in the Horn of Africa and we are assisting in the development and implementation of an Action Plan in support of this Declaration. We plan further efforts to stem the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons.
CPA Conference
20. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many delegates to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Annual Conference in Edinburgh visited her Department's stall; and what the take-up was of publications and other materials from the stall by delegates. [138124]
Clare Short: We estimate that over 200 delegates visited the Department for International Development stand during the Conference, representing over a third of those attending. There was considerable interest in the publications, which covered a wide range of issues about the Department and its work.
Palestinian Authority
21. Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on recent UK development aid to the Palestinian Authority. [138125]
Clare Short: The UK's priority is to continue support to build a Palestinian nation through economic and social development that takes full account of the needs of the poor. As well as supporting the peace process, our development programme seeks to improve parliamentary democracy, Palestinian basic health care, education, access to water and sanitation, gender equality, legislation, integration into the global economy and improving the efficiency and accountability of the Palestinian Authority. We are also seeking to increase the effectiveness of our support via multilateral institutions, in particular the EC and the UN Relief Works Agency.
In response to the recent troubles DFID has provided $100,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross for medical assistance and two emergency experts to the UN Office for the co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. We are following events in the region closely and will respond where we can to developments.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |