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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Remuneration

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will estimate the number of individuals in her (a) Department, (b) related agencies

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and (c) related non-departmental public bodies whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000 and (ii) £200,000 in each of the last four years. [26320]

Clare Short: For the four years in question the figures are as follows:

(a) As at 1 April 1998

One individual had an annual salary in excess of £100,000. No individual had an annual salary in excess of £200,000.

As at 1 April 1999

one individual had an annual salary in excess of £100,000. No individual had an annual salary in excess of £200,000.

As at 1 April 2000

One individual had a salary in excess of £100,000. Another whose salary was less than £100,000, but who was serving overseas, received a remuneration package which included relocation expenses, a tax free cost of living addition for serving overseas, hardship allowance, and education expenses for children in the UK, which meant their total remuneration exceeded £100,000. No individual had an annual salary in excess of £200,000.

As at 1 April 2001

Three individuals had a salary in excess of £100,000. Another whose salary was less than £100,000, but who was serving overseas, received a remuneration package which included a tax free cost of living addition for serving overseas and a hardship allowance, which mean their total remuneration exceeded £100,000. No individual had an annual salary in excess of £200,000.

(b) DFID has no related agencies.

(c) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 253W.

Anti-personnel Mines

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps her Department has taken to promote the convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. [31281]

Clare Short: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office leads on promoting the Ottawa Convention. It does so by playing a full role in the follow-up process, including taking suitable opportunities to lobby States non-party to the convention about the desirability of ratification or accession.

DFID helps developing countries implement their obligations under the Ottawa Convention. We do this by undertaking programmes of humanitarian mine action, in particular mine clearance, stockpile destruction, raising mines awareness and strengthening indigenous capacity.

My Department also works to strengthen the international community's capacity, particularly that of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)—to provide a more coherent, timely and cost-effective response.

In the current financial year DFID expects to spend approximately £10 million in pursuit of these objectives.

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Tanzania

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work her Department is undertaking to help improve the standard of school facilities in Tanzania. [31671]

Clare Short: DFID funded a pilot project to help the Government of Tanzania trial a decentralised system for primary classroom construction. This system has now been adapted and is being used as the mechanism for the major construction programme now being undertaken in Tanzania (15,000 new classrooms a year).

DFID is now providing support to the education sector in Tanzania directly through the budget. This means that we are assisting the Government of Tanzania to provide additional resources into the education sector, which is then spent on priority activities designed to improve the quality of education in Tanzania. The first success is evident in the dramatic increases in enrolment to the first grade of primary school in January this year.

Departmental Salary Costs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions. [32016]

Clare Short: Our current forecasts show that salary costs and pension contributions will account for approximately 1.4 per cent. of DFID's departmental expenditure limit for 2001–02.

Afghanistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether there are United Kingdom-sponsored aid workers operating in areas of Afghanistan subject to recent attacks with cluster bombs; and what guidance has been issued by her Department to aid workers on safety in relation to unexploded sub- munitions. [31637]

Clare Short: There are agencies receiving DFID support that are working in areas of Afghanistan where cluster bombs have been dropped. We are aware of the particular dangers that threaten the security of aid workers in Afghanistan, including the threat posed by unexploded ordnance. We are actively supporting our partner agencies in joint efforts to improve the security of their programmes and safety of their staff. This is being done through sharing information available on particular

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threats—including the location of areas where cluster bombs have been dropped—and by supporting field security training and practical security arrangements.

In addition, we are supporting the Office of the UN's Security Co-ordinator (UNSECOORD) to enhance the security framework for aid personnel in the region. We are also supporting the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) programme in Afghanistan. This includes both the clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance, and an expanded programme of mine awareness initiatives in collaboration with UNICEF and NGOs.

Departmental Leave Entitlements

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in her Department in each of the last four years. [31749]

Clare Short: It would involve disproportionate cost to the Department to calculate the average leave entitlement of staff for the last four years. The list sets out the leave allowances of staff by grade:

Grade	Annual leave
Senior civil service	30 working days
Band A	30 working days
Band B	22 working days rising to 25 days after one year and 30 days after 10 years total service
Band C	22 working days rising to 25 days after one year and 30 days after 10 years total service

These allowances have not changed over the last four years.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Statutory Instruments

Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the President of the Council whether the Government intend to improve the explanatory material supplied with statutory instruments. [32387]

Mr. Robin Cook: I am pleased to announce that, with effect from 1 March, all affirmative statutory instruments laid before the House will be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum, which will be a fuller document than the existing explanatory note. This is intended to assist Parliament in considering the instrument. The new memoranda will be in addition to the explanatory notes, which will continue to be printed with statutory instruments.

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TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND

THE REGIONS

Rolling Stock

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress in the replacement of slam-door rolling stock on the railways. [26310]

Mr. Jamieson: Orders have already been placed for a total of 1,235 new vehicles to replace Mark 1 slam door stock. We expect a further order to be placed shortly. All these vehicles are due to enter service before 2005.

New Train Routes

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many proposals for new train routes have been presented to his officials from London local authorities in the last five years. [27705]

Mr. Jamieson: Ministers have received a wide range of representations, especially in relation to Crossrail extensions to the East London line and rail links to London airports. Precise information is not held centrally.

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what investment in new train lines is planned in each of the next five years within London. [27703]

Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan sets out for the first time the committed projects which are being taken forward network-wide over the next 10 years. Copies of the plan have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Rail Passenger Partnership

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how much new money has been allocated to the rail passenger partnership in the SRA strategic plan; [28539]

(2) what proportion of the money announced for the rail passenger partnership scheme has been allocated; [28575]

Mr. Jamieson: At December 2001, £45 million had been committed. The rail passenger partnership has now been enlarged with an increased budget of £430 million.

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