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House of Commons Commission
Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make it his policy henceforth that the Commission will (a) meet in public and (b) publish agendas and minutes of its meetings. [15533]
Mr. Kirkwood [holding answer 19 November 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Worthing, West (Peter Bottomley) on 2 November 2001, Official Report, column 864W.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Afghanistan
Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the European Union about its contribution to humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan; and what was the outcome. [16066]
Clare Short: I had informal meetings with European Union Development Ministers on 10 October and 8 November. We agreed upon the importance of continued, substantial, assistance from the European Union for humanitarian programmes in Afghanistan. We also agreed on the importance of effective international co-ordination.
The EC's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) has recently announced the provision of a further 15 million euro of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. This brings the amount of EU humanitarian aid committed for the Afghan people so far in 2001 to nearly 44 million euro. The UK contributes 19 per cent. of this.
Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on (a) recent developments in the supply of humanitarian resources in Afghanistan and (b) her priorities in the supply of humanitarian needs in Afghanistan over the next three months. [16065]
Clare Short: There has been good progress by humanitarian agencies in opening up routes to get food and other emergency supplies into Afghanistan. From 13 November until 19 November, World Food Programme (WFP) operations were suspended (due to local hauliers' concern about the security situation in southern Afghanistan). The WFP resumed operations from Peshawar on 19 November. Operations from Quetta are still suspended, although the WFP continues to deliver food via the northern routes from Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. International staff from humanitarian agencies are beginning to return to Afghanistan, where possible, in order to accelerate deliveries so that winter stockpiles can be strengthened.
Our immediate priorities are to help meet lifesaving needs within Afghanistan, to support refugee needs in neighbouring countries and to strengthen the work of international humanitarian agencies. At the same time, we will also support the people of Afghanistan in building a better future. We continue to work with the international community on plans for rehabilitation and recovery. The principles and priorities guiding our approach are outlined
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in a document entitled "Afghanistan—Recovery: An emergency plan for the first 100 days". A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with (a) her counterparts in other Governments and (b) the United Nations High Commission for Refugees on the aid programme for Afghan refugees (i) within the borders of Afghanistan and (ii) in neighbouring countries. [15865]
Clare Short: My Department is in regular contact with other Governments through the Afghanistan support group of major donors, including USA, Japan and European countries. We are also in daily contact with key agencies, including UNHCR, regarding the humanitarian situation in the region.
In its inter-agency donor alert, the UN system identified $664 million of priority needs for Afghanistan. Over $700 million has been pledged against the appeal—sufficient to meet immediate requirements—of which over $280 million have actually been contributed (over 40 per cent. of the requirement). This is good by historic standards.
The UK was the first donor to pledge assistance, even prior to the UN inter-agency donor alert. We have so far allocated £40 million to support the work of UN agencies, the Red Cross movement and NGOs for immediate humanitarian assistance to Aghans, both in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. Of this, £3 million has been disbursed to UNHCR, and includes financial, technical and in-kind assistance in support of its regional programme. At UNHCR's request, my Department has provided three relief flights to Iran and Pakistan transporting tents, shelter material and communications equipment. We have also provided a specialist site planner to UNHCR to Pakistan to assist with the setting up of new refugee camp sites.
In addition, we have allocated a further £11 million to support refugee-hosting communities in Pakistan. This will support the delivery of public health services, the supply of drugs and health equipment, and water and sanitation services. It will focus particularly on North- West Frontier Province and Baluchistan, where most of the Afghan refugees have settled.
Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with UNHCR about the adequacy of provision for refugees outside Afghanistan. [16067]
Clare Short: My Department is in regular contact with UNHCR at both field and headquarters level so that resources are used effectively for the provision of assistance to refugees and the protection of their rights.
So far we have committed £3 million to UNHCR's operations for refugees in response to the current crisis. At the request of UNHCR, my Department has provided three relief flights to Iran and Pakistan transporting tents, shelter material and communications equipment. We have also provided a specialist site planner to UNHCR in Pakistan to assist with the setting up of new refugee camp sites.
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Our assessment is that while the situation in some camps may remain difficult, the general level of assistance to refugees has improved. In addition, there is sufficient reserve capacity in Pakistan to address the needs of a further 300,000 refugees.
Ethiopia
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the status of the New Africa Initiative with respect to Ethiopia. [17719]
Clare Short: The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), as the New African Initiative is now known, is an Africa-wide initiative, that does not focus on specific countries. Ethiopia is one of the 17 members of the NEPAD implementation committee, and therefore takes a full part in NEPAD activities. NEPAD has set up teams to work on five areas, which are capacity-building peace and security, economic and corporate governance, infrastructure, central bank and standards, and agriculture and market access. Work on these areas should bring benefits to Ethiopia, as it will to other countries in Africa that are part of NEPAD.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on bilateral agreements between the UK and Ethiopia. [17720]
Clare Short: We are currently exploring how to engage most effectively in a development partnership with Ethiopia, where the overall objective of our assistance will be to support the Government of Ethiopia's poverty reduction strategy. We will discuss plans to seek agreement with the Ethiopian Government when we hold development talks early in the new year.
Departmental Expenditure
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will list her Department's aid contributions specifically aimed at human rights issues and eliminating gender disparity in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and the projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004 (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of GNP; [16644]
- (2) if she will list her Department's aid contributions that incorporate human rights and gender disparity in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and the projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004 (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of GNP. [16640]
Clare Short: Information in the appropriate format has been collected centrally only since 1 April 1998.
In the last three fiscal years, DFID has committed the following amounts to projects which are aimed at addressing human rights or gender disparity issues:
| Project objective | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Rights | ||||||||||||||||||
| Principal | 95 | 28 | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Significant | 98 | 152 | 302 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 193 | 180 | 325
| Removal of Gender Discrimination
| Principal | 2 | 0.1 | 11
| Significant | 223 | 276 | 265
|
| Total | 225 | 277 | 276
| | |
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Principal project objectives are fundamental in its design and explicit to its goal. Significant project objectives although important are not one of the principal reasons for undertaking the project.
It is not appropriate to present these figures as a proportion of GNP. Contributions for future years are not available.
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's actual and as a percentage of GNP overseas expenditure on (a) human resources, (b) technical aid (c) commodities and (d) direct financial assistance for debt relief in each of the last four years. [16637]
Clare Short: Figures on DFID's aid contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97—2000/01", a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address: www.dfid.gov.uk/. The tables which are of relevance are "Table 12 DFID Programme: Bilateral Technical Co-operation, Table 13 DFID Programme: Bilateral Grants and Other Aid in Kind, Table 15.1 DFID Debt Relief: Retrospective Terms Adjustment by Country, and Table 15.2 Other Debt Reorganisation by Country". A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's overseas aid contribution for (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003, and (h) 2004 broken down by (i) bilateral, (ii) EU, (iii) multilateral and (iv) NGO aid contributions (A) in total and (B) as a proportion of GNP. [16545]
Clare Short: Figures on DFID's aid contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97—2000/01", a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address: www.dfid.gov.uk/. The tables which are of relevance are "Table 3 Gross Public Expenditure on Aid 1996/97—2000/01, and Table 13 DFID Programme: Bilateral Grants and Other Aid in Kind". Please note it is not appropriate to provide these categories of assistance as a proportion of GNP or to provide projected contributions for future years. A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's overseas aid contributions for the years (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and projected contributions for the years (f) 2002, (g) 2003, and (h) 2004 (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of GNP. [16543]
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Clare Short: Figures on DFID's aid and contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97–2000/01" a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address www.dfid.gov.uk/. The table which is of relevance is "Table 16.1 UK Total Net Flows to Developing Countries: 1976–2000". Please note it is not possible to provide projected contributions either in total or as a proportion of GNP. However, the Government will ensure that the ratio of oda to GNP will rise to 0.33 per cent. by financial year 2003–04.
A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's aid contribution to emergency relief aid in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004. [16643]
Clare Short: Figures on DFID's aid contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97–2000/01" a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address www.dfid.gov.uk. The relevant table in the publication is Table 10 Humanitarian Assistance. Please note it is not possible to provide projected contributions for future years. A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.
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