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India
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to support long-term agricultural projects in the Orissa region of India. [99235]
Clare Short: Our Country Strategy for India identifies Orissa, which is one of the poorest states in India, as one of the four states in which DFID's activities will be focused.
The £8 million Eastern India Rainfed Farming project has been working since 1995 in three states, including Orissa, to pilot new approaches to rural poverty including improved farming systems.
In July 1999, DFID agreed with the Government of India to provide £32.75 million over ten years for the new Western Orissa Rural Livelihoods Project. This initiative builds on lessons learned from the Eastern India Rainfed Farming project and works within the Government of Orissa's watershed development programmes in four very poor districts. The project has a strong agricultural component and will address issues of increased agricultural production and improved food security, through a comprehensive natural resource strategy. This strategy also includes a focus on soil and water conservation, livestock, fisheries, fodder and forestry.
The cyclone which hit the west coast of Orissa on 29 October has caused extensive damage to coastal regions, including agricultural land and crops. We are considering how we can best help the government to minimise the long-term impact of the cyclone and continue efforts to eliminate poverty in the state. It is currently too early to know whether or not this will include support for agricultural projects.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made with the Ethical Trading Initiative; and how many companies have joined the initiative. [99248]
Clare Short:
Considerable progress has been made by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) over the last year. With the help of Department for International Development (DFID) funding, a Secretariat has been established and is fully staffed. Board and members meet regularly and a Base Code of ethical trading practice has been debated and agreed. Progress is being made on four pilot projects--in the garment industry in China; horticulture in Zimbabwe; wine production in South Africa; and the banana industry in Costa Rica. With the appointment of a new information officer, information and media services are being established. A Conference was held in December 1998 and another is planned for early in 2000.
In addition to its trade union and non-governmental organisation membership, ETI now has 16 company members and is dealing with a growing number of inquiries from interested organisations. The list of existing company members is as follows.
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Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made with the reconstruction of Honduras since Hurricane Mitch. [99256]
Clare Short:
In the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, the international community responded with wide ranging emergency assistance and pledges of further funds for the reconstruction of Honduras.
In the year since the hurricane many emergency projects have been completed, especially housing, roads and bridges and the establishment of health centres. These have provided essential assistance to those who suffered as a result of the effects of the hurricane. The UK's contribution included a rural roads and bridges programme, and a cash for work incentive targeting particularly neglected municipalities.
Since the Stockholm Donors' meeting in May this year, donor countries and multilateral organisations have pledged approximately $9 billion medium term assistance and projects are beginning to get under way.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his proposals for the electoral register. [98621]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Representation of the People Bill, which was published last Friday, includes a number of provisions relating to the electoral register.
The Bill will introduce a system of "rolling" electoral registration which will enable people to change their electoral registration details in-year rather than making registration dependent on a single annual qualifying date.
The Bill's provisions will also make it easier for remand prisoners, mental patients, the homeless and service voters to register.
The Bill also provides a power to make regulations limiting access to the full electoral register.
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Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new asylum applications were received in each year since 1990; for each year what proportion were port applications; what proportion came from (a) former Yugoslavia, (b) Somalia, (c) Sri Lanka, (d) former USSR and (e) Afghanistan; and from which country the most applicants arrive. [98682]
Mrs. Roche:
For 1990-98, the available information is given in the tables. Information on the number of asylum applications received in 1999 can be found on the Home Office internet site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm.
23 Nov 1999 : Column: 72W
Lambert Howarth Global
Levi Strauss
Littlewoods
Marks and Spencer
Monsoon
Premier Brands
Pentland Group
Safeway
Somerfields Stores Ltd.
Tesco
The Body Shop
The Tea Sourcing Company.
| Year | Nationality | Number | Percentage of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Sri Lanka | 3,330 | 13 |
| 1991 | Zaire | 7,010 | 16 |
| 1992 | Former Yugoslavia | 5,635 | 23 |
| 1993 | Sri Lanka | 1,965 | 9 |
| 1994 | Nigeria | 4,340 | 13 |
| 1995 | Nigeria | 5,825 | 13 |
| 1996 | Nigeria | 2,900 | 10 |
| 1997 | Somalia | 2,730 | 8 |
| 1998 | Former Yugoslavia | 7,980 | 17 |
(1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5
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| Applied at port | Applied at in-country | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| Former Yugoslavia | * | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Somalia | 1,440 | 16 | 810 | 5 | 2,250 | 9 |
| Sri Lanka | 2,340 | 26 | 990 | 6 | 3,330 | 13 |
| Former USSR | * | 0 | 100 | 1 | 100 | 0 |
| Afghanistan | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Total for the year | 9,005 | 34 | 17,200 | 66 | 26,205 | 100 |
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(2) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 with * = 1 or 2
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