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Married Couples Allowance

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the married couples allowance. [151617]

Dawn Primarolo: The married couples allowance and related allowances did not effectively support either children or marriage. They were available to all married couples, whether or not they had children, and were also available to single parents and to unmarried parents living together. The overlap between these allowances meant that twice the usual amount of relief could be available in the year a married couple separated.

We are therefore replacing the married couples allowance with the Children's Tax Credit, which will give more help to families at the time they need it most: when they have children. Following this year's Budget, it will be worth up to £520 a year from April (over two and a half times the former married couples allowance). In April 2002, to help families with a new baby, there will be a higher rate of Children's Tax Credit in the year of their child's birth worth up to £1,040 a year, over five times the value of the former married couples allowance.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the difference between the carbon dioxide emissions projections set out in paragraph 6.15 of the Red Book and those in Table 1 on page 53 of the Climate Change Programme. [153388]

Mr. Timms: The carbon dioxide emission projections set out in paragraph 6.15 of the 2001 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report include the effect of the additional measures that are set out on pages 124 to 125 of the Climate Change Programme. These measures are not included in Table 1 on page 53 of the Climate Change Programme, which sets out the UK's baseline emissions.

Credit Unions

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he is making to establish a central support organisation for credit unions. [153571]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Treasury maintains regular contact with the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd., and the other representative bodies, who are finalising their proposals for a CSO.

14 Mar 2001 : Column: 655W

Incontinence Products

Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost to individuals and their carers of urinary incontinence products on which VAT is levied in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [153549]

Dawn Primarolo: Customs and Excise does not have data on the amount of expenditure on urinary incontinence products on which VAT is levied.

Departmental Policies (Paisley, South)

Mr. Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Paisley, South constituency, the effects on Paisley, South of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [153763]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Paisley, South, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, is benefiting from the long- term action we have taken to build economic stability and secure high and stable levels of growth and employment. Since the general election, claimant unemployment in the constituency has fallen by 971, or 35 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 85 per cent., and long-term unemployment has fallen by 61 per cent.

Macro-economic stability is being complemented at the micro-economic level by the Government's policies to ease the transition from welfare into work and to make work pay. To the end of December 2000, the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds had helped 946 young people in Paisley, South constituency gain valuable skills and experience--487 (51 per cent.) of whom had moved into employment. The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), introduced in October 1999, is helping to make work pay for low and middle income families. In August 2000, 1,700 families in Paisley, South constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

The Government are also committed to policies which enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. All pensioners, including 13,100 in Paisley, South, will receive an above-inflation increase in the basic state pension from April 2001. Single pensioners will receive an extra £5 a week, and couples will receive an extra £8 a week. All pensioners aged 75 or over have also been entitled to a free TV licence since November 2000--including around 8,900 in Paisley, South.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Georgia

7. Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received from Georgia about the teaching of English language to children of refugees in Georgia; and if she will make a statement. [152215]

Mr. Mullin: I have received no representations on the teaching of English to refugee children in Georgia. There are up to 400,000 people displaced by the war in Abhkhizia. We are supporting their resettlement in Georgia.

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Child Poverty

8. Mr. Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to help alleviate child poverty; and if she will make a statement. [152216]

Clare Short: The Chancellor of the Exchequer and I are determined to do all we can to mobilise the international system to meet the International Development Targets by 2015 in order that today's poor children do not become the parents of larger numbers of children living in extreme poverty in the next generation. The targets include the aim of lifting one billion people out of extreme poverty, all children in primary schools, and infant and child mortality reduced by two thirds by 2015.

These targets are achievable but require a greater and more united international effort. To this end the Chancellor and I hosted a conference in London on February 26 at which all the international institutions were represented. A copy of the commitments made at the conference is available in the Library of the House.

Kosovo

9. Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if, when she last met her colleagues from other member states of the European Union, they discussed the provision of aid to non- governmental organisations operating in Kosovo. [152217]

Clare Short: During our emergency assistance to Kosovo we funded a wide range of NGO projects. We are currently focusing on improving administrative systems, the capacity of Kosovars to govern themselves and preparing for elections. We have, provided support through NGOs for voter education, election monitoring, and housing projects.

West Africa

10. Mr. Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to address the humanitarian crisis in west Africa. [152218]

Clare Short: Half of Sierra Leone is under RUF rebel control and all basic services have broken down. One quarter of the population of Sierra Leone is displaced. We are providing £35 million per annum to support Sierra Leone and also supporting the UN peace keeping effort and helping train a new Sierra Leoneian army so that the country can return to peace. Fighting has recently spread to border areas as Liberian packed forces are seeking to destabilise neighbouring Guinea. This has led to the displacement of half a million people many of whom had moved to avoid fighting in Sierra Leone. The UN High Commission for refugees is trying to resettle and provide help to the refugees. We have provided £12 million for this work.

African Conflicts

11. Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to reduce conflict and promote peace in Africa. [152219]

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Clare Short: Half the countries and 20 per cent. of the population of sub-Saharan Africa are living under conditions of conflict. This is a cause of massive suffering and a barrier to development on the continent. My Department, the FCO and MOD have arranged a high level seminar at the Queen Elizabeth ll conference centre on 26 March to discuss with representatives of Africa and the whole international community how we can better resolve these conflicts in Africa. A paper analysing the course and nature of African conflict has been prepared for the conference and I will place copies in the Library and would welcome comments from Members.

25. Mr. Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department is taking, in co-operation with other Government Departments, to address violent conflict in Africa. [152233]

Clare Short: Twenty per cent. of the population of sub-Saharan Africa are living under conditions of conflict. Reducing conflict is critical if there is to be sustained development and poverty reduction in Africa. We have established new arrangements in Whitehall to develop joint policies and common approaches for conflict prevention and peacekeeping.

28. Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what initiatives her Department is taking to address the challenge of conflict prevention and resolution in Africa. [152236]

Clare Short: More than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are currently affected by or recovering from violent conflict. Violent conflict is one of the biggest barriers to development in Africa.

We have established new arrangements in Whitehall to develop joint policies and common approaches for conflict prevention and peacekeeping.

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