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MOD Shooting Ranges

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what MOD shooting ranges there are in Hampshire; who uses them; and if he will make a statement. [36303]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's outdoor live firing ranges in Hampshire are:








The users are:





14 Feb 2002 : Column 574W

RAF Chilmark

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on (a) decontamination and (b) disposal of the site of former RAF Chilmark. [36135]

Dr. Moonie: The explosive ordnance disposal exercise at RAF Chilmark is continuing. Approximately half of this 52 hectare (317.5 acre) site should be certified as clear by autumn 2002.

A considerable section of the site has already been sold on the open market. Defence Estates is currently in discussion with the representatives of a trust, which has been constituted with a view to buying an area of the site which is of high conservation and wildlife value. It is hoped that this sale will be concluded during 2002.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to change the (a) resource departmental expenditure limit and (b) administration costs limit for her Department in 2001. [37065]

Hilary Benn: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the Department for International Development Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2001–02 will be increased from £3,127,152,749 to £3,140,099,492. The administration cost limit will increase from £67,561,000 to £76,661,000. Within this DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are set out in the following table:

£000
Resources
Change90,446
New DEL2,811,939
of which:
Voted2,139,919
Non-voted672,020
Capital
Change-71,500
New DEL328,160
of which:
Voted20,447
Non-voted307,713

The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from:



14 Feb 2002 : Column 575W

The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from:


CDC

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the performance of the CDC Capital Partners. [34654]

Hilary Benn: CDC met all the Investment Policy targets in 2001. When it is available, I will place a copy of the audited annual report and accounts for 2001 in the Library of the House.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 5W, how many of the investments made in poorer countries by the CDC were investments made in countries in sub-Sahara Africa in the years from 1998 to 2000; and if she will break these investments down by country. [34328]

Hilary Benn: The information is as follows:


This breaks down, by country, as follows.

199819992000
Malawi441
Mozambique321
Zambia332
Zimbabwe431
Kenya544
Tanzania1169
Uganda521
Swaziland232
Cote d'Ivoire122
Ghana252
Nigeria001
Sierra Leone100


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Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 5W, how many private equity funds were jointly managed by the CDC in the years from 1996 to 2000, broken down by country. [34315]

Hilary Benn: Between 1996 and 2000 CDC did not jointly manage any private equity funds. In 2001 CDC formed a joint venture fund management company with Norfund, creating Aureos Capital. A series of country funds which hitherto had been solely managed by CDC were rolled up as part of Aureos Capital and are now jointly managed. These funds and their country of origin are shown as follows.


Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 5W, how much was invested in the private equity funds which are jointly managed by the CDC in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000 broken down by country. [34327]

Hilary Benn: No private equity funds were jointly managed by CDC in the years concerned. A series of country funds which CDC had managed on its own became jointly managed with Aureos Capital in 2001. Information giving an exact breakdown of the amount invested in each of these funds in 1998, 1999 and 2000 is not centrally available.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 5W, on the Commonwealth Development Corporation, whether the jointly managed series of private equity funds are subject to the same targets of 70 per cent. of new investments being made in poorer countries and 50 per cent. being made in sub-Sahara Africa. [34329]

Hilary Benn: Yes. The targets do not apply to each fund separately, but to the total of CDC's activities.

Fair Trade Products

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to encourage UK supermarkets to stock a greater range of fair trade products. [36082]

Hilary Benn: Fair Trade (FT) is a small but significant part of the international trading system that aims to build more equitable trading partnerships between north and south, by offering better prices and better trading terms to small and medium-sized producer groups in developing countries.

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The growth in sales of FT labelled products in the UK over the past five years has been dramatic—albeit from a low base. Moreover, whereas in the past, FT products were sold only through dedicated FT outlets, nowadays FT foods and beverages are to be found in an increasing number of UK supermarkets. Some retailers have even launched own label FT products and there is every indication of this trend continuing as more FT standards are agreed and consumer demand for FT increases.

DFID has provided financial support to the media campaigns of the Fair Trade Foundation designed specifically to raise both supermarket and consumer awareness of FT. In particular DFID funds the Fair Trade Foundation's annual Fair Trade Fortnight (4–17 March 2002) which will draw shoppers' attention to the increasing range of FT products available in UK supermarkets.


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