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Rwanda

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she has taken to encourage Rwanda to withdraw its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo. [36568]

Clare Short: Rwanda has legitimate security concerns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since those responsible for the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 are fighting to invade Rwanda. The UK supports the full implementation of the Lusaka Peace Agreement from which links the need for progress on the formation of a transitional Government and a target date for elections in the DRC, the disarmament and demobilisation of the rebel forces seeking to destabilise Rwanda and Burundi and the withdrawal of foreign forces.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the next stage of the inter-Congolese dialogue in Sun City, South Africa. [36569]

Clare Short: The next stage of the inter-Congolese dialogue, due to start next week in Sun City, is a crucial step in the implementation of the Lusaka Peace Agreement which is the only viable solution to the long-running conflict in the DRC. It is important that the dialogue should lead to agreement on a transitional Government and a date for democratic elections in the DRC.

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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the outcome of the UN talks in Geneva on the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [36570]

Clare Short: The talks in Geneva, in advance of the Sun City meeting, failed to achieve agreement between the parties to the conflict. It is important that all parties should be encouraged to attend the talks in Sun City and to agree on the formation of a transitional Government and a date for democratic elections in the DRC.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what further help her Department will provide for aid agencies dealing with the provision of water sanitation in Renseraki, Republic of Congo. [31666]

Clare Short: We are not currently funding any projects with NGOs or other aid agencies in the Republic of Congo, and have no plans to do so. I understand that the ICRC plans to continue working on the rehabilitation of water and sanitation supplies to certain towns in the Republic, but that Renseraki does not currently feature in their plans at present.

World Summit on Sustainable Development

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to work with other Government departments to raise awareness (a) before and (b) during the World Summit on Sustainable Development. [36435]

Clare Short: My Department is represented at Cabinet Committee (MISC 18), chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, which has been set up to develop, co-ordinate and deliver the Government's strategy for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). We are also represented on the WSSD inter-departmental group and a high level steering group, both chaired by DEFRA. All Government Departments have agreed through MISC 18 a communications strategy for WSSD to raise awareness of the summit. We are working with other Departments to take it forward.

Development Awareness Fund

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of her Department's Development Awareness Fund is given in grants; and what percentage is spent on her Department's internal work. [36434]

Clare Short: Our budget for public information and awareness raising activities in 2001–02 is £7.25 million. Within this, the Development Awareness Fund has a budget in 2001–02 of £5.69 million (78.5 per cent. of the total) and is all grant based. Our wider public services work (which includes our publications, Development policy Forums, the DFID website, DFID Public Inquiry Point and DFID exhibitions and display activities) has a budget in 2001–02 of £1.56 million (21.5 per cent.).

Working Conditions

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people are

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employed in her Department on a job share contract; and what percentage of vacant positions was advertised on this basis in the last 12 months. [35363]

Clare Short: The Department currently employs 18 staff on official job share contracts. Two such posts out of a total of 348 (0.57 per cent.) have been advertised through our internal procedures in the last 12 months.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the effect of the working time directive on her Department's employees; how many employees are working in excess of 48 hours per week; what steps she is taking to reduce this number; and if she will make a statement. [35896]

Clare Short: DFID has no recorded incidence of employees working in excess of 48 hours per week and none who have been required to sign a waiver under the terms of the working time directive. The Department is conscious of its responsibilities under this legislation and is committed to ensuring that staff do not exceed the 48 hour limit.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many cases of work- related stress have been reported in her Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [35928]

Clare Short: The information requested is not held and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DFID is conscious of its legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees and is committed to meeting targets for reducing the number of working days lost generally due to work related injuries and illness.

Fair Trade Goods

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 931W, on fair trade goods, if she will review and increase the amount of fairly traded goods purchased by her Department during Fair Trade Fortnight. [35919]

Clare Short: As mentioned in my answer of 16 November 2001, my Department has supported FT initiatives for a number of years, both in developing countries and in the UK. This support forms part of a wider dialogue with the private sector to encourage them to adopt more socially responsible and ethical business practices. As companies and consumers become more aware of the connection between the way business is done and its impact on the livelihoods of people in developing countries, so the pressure for positive change grows.

Primarily for this reason, DFID is providing £120,000 to the Fair Trade Foundation over three years (2001–03) in support of its efforts to target new consumers through its annual Fair Trade Fortnight campaigns. In addition, Hilary Benn will be attending the launch of this year's campaign on 4 March 2002.

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We also continue to serve FT coffee at all our official meetings and our in-house caterers will be actively promoting FT goods during the fortnight.

Consultants

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost to her Department was of the use of external consultants in each of the last four years. [35025]

Clare Short: DFID expenditure on consultancies from the development programme over the past four financial years is given in the table:

	£ million
1997–98	204
1998–99	199
1999–2000	198
2000–01	209

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Expenditure on consultancy funded from DFID running costs has been around £2 million in each year.

Contracts

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts were let by her Department and agencies for which she is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case. [33852]

Clare Short: Details are given in the following table:

	Financial Year 1997–98			Financial Year 1998–99
Consultant	New contracts	Value £	Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts	New contracts	Value £	Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts
PricewaterhouseCoopers	28	5,575,135	14,910,760	38	11,193,643	12,158,276
Ernst & Young	9	445,792	444,823	15	838,429	734,951
Deloitte & Touche	1	4,185	54,815	5	269,070	36,852
KPMG	19	7,104,728	3,317,440	17	2,548,237	4,087,979
Arthur Andersen	0	0	0	3	24,558,244	2,745,702

	Financial Year 1999–2000			Financial Year 2000–01			Financial Year 2001–02(87)
Consultant	New contracts	Value £	Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts	New contracts	Value £	Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts	New contracts	Value £	Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts
PricewaterhouseCoopers	42	13,405,142	1,012,668	31	19,018,515	16,252,770	21	3,075,210	11,014,066
Ernst & Young	6	286,800	531,170	1	11,610	57,636	5	43,023	47,614
Deloitte & Touche	6	749,262	184,577	9	8,478,352	1,481,185	6	633,884	1,733,079
KPMG	23	12,773,757	3,097,485	17	4,700,110	5,626,769	15	2,185,931	3,977,785
Arthur Andersen	1	27,724	6,655,157	1	83,721	6,616,784	2	114,162	5,528,055

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