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Everything but Arms Initiative
22. Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received on compensation for vulnerable groups affected by the Everything But Arms proposals; and if she will make a statement on the proposals. [143217]
Clare Short: Since October 2000, I have received letters from the Mauritian Minister for Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources and the Fijian Minister for Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Sugar. The Jamaican Trade Minister and High Commissioner met with officials from my Department in November to discuss these issues. We have made clear to all these middle income, sugar producing countries that the Least Developed Countries do not have the capacity to expand sugar productions rapidly and that generous support is available from the EU to assist these countries to adjust to the phasing out of preferences to which they are already committed.
HIV/AIDS
23. Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the work of her Department on HIV-AIDS in Bangladesh. [143218]
Clare Short: My Department is supporting the efforts of Bangladesh to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through:
- funding NGOs to develop cost-effective interventions aimed at preventing transmission of the disease among individuals who are at the greatest risk of infection.
- supporting effective disease surveillance. To establish the extent of spread of the disease.
28. Mr. Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the work of her Department on HIV-AIDS in India. [143223]
Clare Short: Helping to control the spread of HIV/AIDS in India is a high priority for my Department and we are committing substantial resources in this area. We are currently implementing three projects, at a total cost to DFID of £37 million, through the Government of
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India's National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) and through non-governmental organisations. Between them, these projects cover some of the worst affected areas in the country, and those most vulnerable to HIV. We are now urgently considering a proposal to channel all our support through NACO and to increase our commitment to £80 million to support the second phase of the National Aids Control Programme.
Malawi
25. Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes her Department supports in Malawi. [143220]
Clare Short: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South-West Devon (Mr. Streeter) on 8 November 2000, Official Report, column 230W.
Indian Sub-continent
26. Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her proposed budget is for development assistance to (a) Pakistan, (b) India and (c) Bangladesh in the financial year 2001-02 (i) as bilateral aid and (ii) from the EU out of her Department's resources. [143221]
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Clare Short: The proposed budgets for DFID bilateral assistance in the 2001-02 financial year, as published in the Department for International Development's Departmental Report 2000, are as follows:
- Pakistan (2001-02)--£10 million
- India (2001-02)--£140 million
- Bangladesh (2001-02)--£75 million.
In addition, contributions are made by the European Union, through the European Commission. The EC operates according to a calendar, rather than a financial year. In 2001, the EC plans to contribute 275.1 million euros, which is approximately £168.6 million, to these three countries. The UK provides 19.6 per cent. of this contribution, which is approximately 53.9 million euros or £33 million. Accordingly, the UK's contribution through the EC, in calendar year 2001, will be approximately 5 million euros (£3.1 million) to Pakistan, 22.7 million euros (£13.9 million) to India, 19.4 million euros (£11.8 million) to Bangladesh, and 6.8 million euros (£4.2 million) for regional economic co-operation in all three countries.
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| EU assistance (euros, million) | EU assistance (£ million, approx) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Development assistance | Economic co-operation | Total | Total | UK share |
| Pakistan | 25.5 | 0 | 25.5 | 15.6 | 3.1 |
| India | 100 | 16 | 116 | 71.1 | 13.9 |
| Bangladesh | 98 | 0.8 | 98.8 | 60.5 | 11.8 |
| Region | 0 | 34.8 | 34.8 | 21.3 | 4.2 |
| Total | 223.5 | 51.6 | 275.1 | 168.6 | 33.0 |
Notes:
1. December 2000 exchange rate euro 1.6319 : £1
2. Pakistan receives no economic co-operation assistance due to the military regime.
3. Totals may not add due to rounding.
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Polio
29. Liz Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts her Department is taking to help with the global eradication of polio. [143224]
Clare Short: The global eradication of polio is achievable by 2005. The UK has contributed around £165 million towards this end since 1995, and this has directly contributed to a significant fall in the incidence of polio. We are now in the final phase, which requires intensified efforts to interrupt transmission in all remaining reservoir countries by 2002, and subsequent surveillance to ensure certification of eradication by 2005. I have recently agreed £35 million in support of the World Health Organisation's final eradication effort. This is aimed at the areas of greatest need and at catalysing support from other donors.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what categories of
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submissions from civil servants to Ministers, other than those relating to (a) intelligence and (b) personnel matters, are not circulated to Special Advisers; [143810]
- (2) what categories of submissions from civil servants are submitted to Special Advisers before being seen by Ministers. [143811]
Mr. Lock: The Special Adviser in this Department has access to material produced by permanent civil servants in accordance with paragraph 14e of the "Model Contract for Special Advisers".
Child Contact Centres
Helen Jones: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what financial support her Department has made available to child contact centres in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement. [145154]
Jane Kennedy: The Government greatly appreciate the valuable work which child contact centres do in enabling
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parents and children to have contact in cases where this might otherwise be impossible, and in providing supported or supervised contact where this is necessary. In the financial year 2000-01 the Lord Chancellor's Department has so far agreed grants of £501,428 to contact centres or to other voluntary sector organisations which provide help to children experiencing family breakdown.
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The grants made include £200,000 for the National Association of Child Contact Centres; £77,000 for NCH--Action for Children; £53,000 for the Coram Family Child Contact Service; £47,501 for Welfare Community Projects; £47,000 for Get Connected; £37,077 for the Norfolk and Norwich Families' House; £31,250 for the St. Andrew's Family Contact Centre; and £8,600 for the NCH Durham and Darlington Contact Centres.