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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 17 December 2001
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Bishop of Exeter
Mr. Butterfill: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have provided support to the Bishop of Exeter in connection with his role as Chairman of the South West Regional Convention; and if he will make a statement. [23627]
Mr. Bell: The Church Commissioners support the Bishop of Exeter in paying for his office and working costs as Bishop of the diocese. The Bishop's costs in connection with his role as Chairman of the South West Regional Convention have been reimbursed by a non- Church organisation.
Commission of the Bishops' Conference
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, which European Community-funded bodies receive funding from the Church Commissioners, with particular reference to the Commission of the Bishops' Conference of the European Community. [22878]
Mr. Bell: None. The Church Commissioners' primary responsibility is to manage their assets for the financial support of the Church of England's serving and retired ministry.
The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community is a Roman Catholic body, wholly funded by that Church. It holds regular dialogue with partner ecumenical organisations, which include Anglican representatives, but there is no direct financial or structural link.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, who first briefed the media of the contents of the recent letter to the Chairman of the Commission from the Parliamentary Commissioner. [21980]
Mr. Kirkwood: The Speaker's Secretary was approached by the media from 3 December seeking confirmation of reports that the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards had written to the Speaker informing him that she did not wish to apply for reappointment. On 4 December he confirmed to the media that these reports were correct. He made it clear that the text of the letter would not be released.
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Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when members of the Commission or the Chairman's office was informed of the Parliamentary Commissioner's intention to make her letter available in full to the media if part of its contents were communicated to the media. [21981]
Mr. Kirkwood: Members of the House of Commons Commission were not aware that the letter would be released, nor did the Speaker's Office understand that this course of action would be followed.
Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will establish an inquiry into reports of briefing against the Standards Commissioner. [22723]
Mr. Kirkwood: The Commission will consider the reply of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to Mr. Speaker's letter of 5 December when it is received, and will then consider what action is appropriate.
Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Commission was first informed of reports of campaigns against the Standards Commissioner; when a member of the Commission first raised reports of a campaign for discussion by the Commission; when the Commission was informed of (a) the contents, (b) the partial and (c) the total release of the contents of the Standards Commissioner's letter to the Speaker dated 28 November; and what action on the reports of a campaign against her was taken before the Speaker's statement of Wednesday 5 December. [22724]
Mr. Kirkwood: The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards said in her letter of 28 November to Mr. Speaker that pressure had been applied to her. The letter was copied to members of the Commission shortly after it was received, and was considered by the Commission at its meeting on 5 December. I and, I understand, other Commissioners were made aware by journalists of the release of the letter during the evening of 4 December. At its meeting on 5 December the Commission was informed that the Speaker's Office had the previous day in response to specific inquiries confirmed reports that the Parliamentary Commissioner had decided not to seek reappointment but had indicated to the media that the text of the letter would not be released. Following the Commission's consideration of the letter, Mr. Speaker wrote to the Parliamentary Commissioner to ask her to provide details.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Kenya
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the aid that her Department is giving to Kenya; and what projects are benefiting from that aid. [22970]
Clare Short: In financial year 2001–02 my Department will disburse £30 million in Kenya on poverty-reducing programmes principally on health; education; enterprise
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development and livelihoods; governance and public sector reform; and drought relief. The largest projects are as follows:
In health we fund: an HIV/AIDS prevention and care programme including by educating teachers and children about HIV/AIDS; malaria prevention including social marketing of insecticide treated malaria bednets; efforts to decentralise health care; and family planning and safe motherhood programmes. In education we give matching funds to a new Government budget for primary school textbooks and equipment.
In enterprise and livelihoods we help Kenya to improve its business environment; work with the finance sector and NGOs to give poor Kenyans access to credit; help smallholder farmers and pastoralists with marketing, animal health improvements, and the supply of pedal powered water pumps for irrigation.
In governance we fund the provision of civic education; are helping Kenya to develop its Poverty Reduction Strategy; fund anti-corruption activities; are helping with development of a new government financial management system and public service pay policy; support Parliament's key institutions; and through programmes in Nairobi's and Mombasa's urban slums, are helping to reform local government. Programmes in conflict prevention, drought relief and environmental governance will also reduce the threat to livelihoods.
Sudan
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance the UK is giving to Sudan. [22976]
Clare Short: This calendar year DFID has pledged over £6.3 million for humanitarian work in Sudan.
This includes contributions to both of the 2001 Appeals for Sudan made by the International Committee of the Red Cross and World Food Programme (£2 million and £1 million respectively); other responses, funded through non-governmental organisations (NGOs)—such as Save the Children, Medecins sans Frontieres, Action Contre la Faim, Care, the Intermediate Technology Development Group and Oxfam—have involved emergency therapeutic feeding (for children) in North Darfur; emergency medical intervention (for children) in western Darfur; water projects in North Darfur and South Kordofan; flood relief; Kala Azar treatment in Gedaref State and Upper Nile; TB treatment in Upper Nile; alleviation of malnutrition in Bentiu; assisting women's rights development associations; and the returning of abducted women and children to their homes.
We monitor the situation carefully and will make further responses as necessary.
Somalia
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance her Department has given to aid agencies working in Somalia in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001; and if she will list the assistance according to type. [22689]
Clare Short: The information is as follows.
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2000
Agriculture:
World Vision: agricultural rehabilitation work in Middle Juba (£198,230).
Minority Rights Group: pastoralist communities in seven countries including Somalia (£154,141 1 ).
Health:
World Vision: primary health care programme in Bay region (£198,582).
Health Unlimited: Saxan Saxo Well Women Project, Somaliland (£250,000 1 ).
Primary Education:
Save the Children: community based primary education project in Belet Weyn (£230,518).
Nutrition:
Action Contre la Faim: emergency nutritional intervention in Gedo (£168,722).
2001
General Emergency and Humanitarian:
International Committee of the Red Cross: 2001 Appeal for Somalia (£1,000,000).
Security and Co-ordination of Relief Work:
United Nations: 2001 Consolidated appeal for Somalia—for UN security and co-ordination activities (£410,850).
Health:
World Vision: primary health care projects in Middle Juba (£328,785) and Bay Region (£266,163).
Medecins sans Frontieres: health assistance projects in the Bakool Region (£207,000) and Middle Shabelle Region (£377,689).
Gender/Peace:
International Organisation for Migration: workshop to encourage Somali women's participation in the peace process (£88,969).
Water and Sanitation:
Norwegian Peoples' Aid: water rehabilitation in the Sool Region (£200,173).
Education:
Africa Educational Trust: developing community school partnerships in Somaliland (£123,863 1 ).
1 These projects were funded by the Civil Society Challenge Fund and the contribution covers three to five years operations. All other projects run for 12 months or less.
Clare Short: Last month DFID's field manager covering Somalia visited some of the most vulnerable parts of the south. The Somalia Desk also keeps in close contact with (and support) agencies working in the more at-risk areas, receiving regular reports from them.
Our current assessment of the situation, derived from these sources, is that there are pockets of urgent need, particularly in the south of the country. These needs are primarily a consequence of the continuing conflict—though the background of poor rainfall has not helped (most notably in Gedo).
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