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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 7 March 2002

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Non-Governmental Organisations

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list non- governmental organisations operating in the south-west region that receive public funds from her Department; and what amount of annual funding they received in the most recent year for which figures are available. [39184]

Clare Short: We have offered funding support to the following organisations in the south-west during the financial year 2001–02.

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	£
Action on Disability and Development	422,908
Action for Conservation through Tourism	83,030
African Initiatives	62,695
Motivation	28,815
Prompt	10,206
Resources Project	34,330
Development Education in Dorset	95,005
GLADE Global and Development Education	16,095
Gloucestershire Development Education Centre	105,333
Cornish Association for Development Education	4,875
Somerset Goes Global, county council	99,120
Gloucestershire county council	17,000
Gloucester Development Education Centre	31,674

The total amount of funding offered for 2001–02 is £1,011,086.

Capita Group

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the contracts that have been awarded to the Capita Group by the Department. [39346]

Clare Short: The information requested is in the table.

	Contract	£
Capita RAS	Recruitment consultants for Pillar IV of United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo	180,000
	Open recruitment exercise for DFID	15,101
Capital Business Services	Ethiopia police development assistance programme	1,204,616
Capita Grosvenor Ltd.	Assistance with resource accounting and budgeting overview training	34,377
	Efficiency scrutiny of accounts department	34,050

Angola

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Angola, with particular respect to children; and if she will make a statement. [39610]

Clare Short: The humanitarian consequences of the continuing conflict in Angola are appalling. The forced displacement of people by both sides continues, with children and other vulnerable groups bearing the brunt of the suffering. The death of Jonas Savimbi may provide a chance for the Government and UNITA to make a lasting peace and we urge both sides to respond to this opportunity. The UK has contributed £2.5 million in the last year to the humanitarian relief effort through UN agencies and NGOs, as well as our contribution through the EU.

Press and Public Relations

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people were employed in a press or public relations function in her Department on 1 January in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and (f) 2002. [39942]

Clare Short: We currently employ four press officers, and this number of posts has remained the same since January 1997. We also have small teams working to raise awareness and understanding of international development issues through educational work, publications, policy forums and other related activities.

Press Releases

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press releases were issued by her Department (a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive. [40036]

Clare Short: The number of press releases issued is as follows:

	Number issued
1997(1)	47
1998	74
1999	82
2000	29
2001	38

⁽¹⁾ May to December

South Africa

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with Ministers in the South African Government with regard to the HIV/AIDS situation in South Africa. [40662]

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Clare Short: During my last visit to South Africa in October 2001, I met Deputy President Jacob Zuma, who heads the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) to discuss the HIV/AIDS situation in South Africa. I also discussed the situation with former President Nelson Mandela.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to provide support and assistance to the Nations Trust in South Africa. [40661]

Clare Short: My Department has no plans to provide support and assistance to the Nations Trust in South Africa.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent meetings her Department (a) has had and (b) proposes to have with the Nations Trust in South Africa. [40660]

Clare Short: My Department has had no meetings with the Nations Trust in South Africa. No such meetings are planned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Breast-Feeding

Jean Corston: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if she will make a statement about breast-feeding facilities in the House. [41788]

Mrs. Roe: The Administration Committee recommended to Mr. Speaker that the House should give a lead to the country in promoting breast-feeding by allowing mothers to feed their babies wherever it is appropriate to them in the Palace of Westminster and associated buildings; that suitable, non-toilet facilities should be made available for feeding babies; and that staff should be provided with information in order that they can answer queries from breast-feeding mothers about available facilities.

On the Speaker's instructions the Serjeant at Arms has undertaken a comprehensive study with a view to improving the facilities that are available in the House for nursing mothers. The study has identified a number of improvements. I will ask the Administration Committee to examine these at its next meeting with a view to recommending early implementation.

Mr. Speaker has informed the Committee that, after undertaking broadly-based consultations within the House, he has decided to make no change to the current regulations under which breast-feeding is not permitted in the Chamber, in Committees or in the public galleries.

A copy of Mr. Speaker's letter and details of the improvements identified by the Sergeant at Arms have been placed in the Library.

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many days were added to the pay of the former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards after 1 January. [40199]

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Mr. Kirkwood: Details of pay for any individual employed by the House of Commons Commission are confidential. I refer the hon. Gentleman to my previous reply to him, 27 January 2002, Official Report, column 1277W.

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement on how and when the Commission first had the information that the former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards was not being paid for every day she was working. [39629]

Mr. Kirkwood: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 2 May 2001, Official Report, columns 640–41W. The House as a good employer would always wish to ensure that work done is properly remunerated. Arrangements to reimburse the former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards were made administratively following claims submitted by her, as the hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) informed the House on 13 February 2002, Official Report, column 267.

TREASURY

National Insurance Fund

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the expenditure of the excess surplus in the National Insurance Fund for each of the past four years. [41278]

Dawn Primarolo: Any balance in the Fund is invested. Estimates of the income from investments in specific years are given in the Government Actuary's annual report on the level of the Fund.

Taxation

Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the tax burden was in real terms at the end of financial years (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2000–01. [40833]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Historical series of net taxes and social security contributions as a per cent. of GDP are available in table B22 of the November 2001 pre-Budget report.

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