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Burundi
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is being done to improve the co-ordination of humanitarian relief for internally displaced people in Burundi. [47638]
Hilary Benn: We think that current co-ordination arrangements are working reasonably in exceptionally difficult operating circumstances. The UN is seeking to strengthen the staffing of its operations and of the joint UN/Government of Burundi working arrangements for addressing the needs of displaced people. We continue to encourage non-governmental organisations and UN agencies to co-ordinate closely together under the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Bushmeat
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with countries in Central and West Africa about the sustainability of the trade in bushmeat.[48148]
Hilary Benn: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 837W. DFID has been funding two bilateral projects in Cameroon with significant elements relating to bushmeat. From 1995–2002, the Mount Cameroon Project team worked closely with the Cameroon Ministry of Environment and Forests to establish field level community management of timber and wildlife resources. The Community Forestry Development Project in Cameroon continues to work up these and other field projects into ways for communities to manage their wildlife resources under the Forest Law.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department intends to undertake researach on the relationship between wildlife and poor people's livelihoods. [48145]
Hilary Benn: DfID is concerned with reducing poverty. We fund and will continue to fund projects and studies that addresss sustainable forest management and bushmeat production where this is key to tackling poverty. Annex 1 lists the main current DfiD activities that have direct impact on wildlife and their habitats.
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Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what analysis her Department has made of the effectiveness of participatory poverty assessments in analysing the importance of bushmeat in people's livelihoods. [48153]
Hilary Benn: DFID routinely assesses the effectiveness of the methodologies used in poverty reduction initiatives. Participatory poverty assessments (PPAs) are an important tool used widely in poverty reduction programmes to ensure that decision-makers are aware of poor people's views. DFID is funding research into the linkages between poverty and environmental issues in PPAs. The research to date has focused on the broad management issues relating to livelihoods of the poor, bushmeat included.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to raise the subject of the trade in bushmeat with Governments in Central and West Africa. [48147]
Hilary Benn: Neither myself, nor the Secretary of State for International Development have any current plans to discuss this issue with governments in Central and West Africa, but my Department will continue to raise these matters where they are relevant to our poverty objectives.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account has been taken of the bushmeat trade in her Department's Cameroon Country Strategy Paper. [48144]
Hilary Benn: Our Country Strategy Paper is focused on encouraging the sustainable management of forestry resources, of which bushmeat forms a part. The Community Forestry Development Project is working within the Government of Cameroon to establish community wildlife protocols for sustainable bushmeat harvesting. We are supporting the development of a Forestry and Environment Sector programme, one of the conditions for which is enhanced provision for poaching control campaigns. The programme will include a substantial community natural resource management component.
Wildlife and Poverty Study
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the Phase 1 report produced for her Department by Joanna Elliot entitled "Wildlife and Poverty Study". [48146]
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Hilary Benn: DFID has undertaken a Wildlife and Poverty Study to identify how best to ensure that poor people's wildlife resources are used for effective poverty reduction. We are pleased with the initial Phase One report and the public interest it has attracted.
The initial report documents anecdotal evidence of poor people's dependence on bushmeat. It highlights the lack of reliable aggregate data as to the extent of this dependence, the difficulty and expense of collecting that data, given that so much of the bushmeat trade is illegal, and the lack of proven instruments to enable poor people to manage bushmeat resources sustainably.
Phase Two of the study will focus particularly on the Policy and institutional environment that will improve poor peoples' access to the benefits flowing from the sustainable management of wildlife resources.
Commonwealth Development Corporation
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the required rate of return on investments is from public-private partnerships with the Commonwealth Development Corporation; and what plans she has to reduce this rate.[46706]
Hilary Benn: The Government does not set CDC a required rate of return.
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Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of whether the PSA target that 75 per cent. of bilateral country programme resources should be allocated to low income countries by 2002 will be met. [47905]
Hilary Benn: A report on progress against this particular Public Service Agreement (PSA) target, and against all other PSA targets set by my Department between April 1999 and March 2002, will appear in DFID's 2002 Departmental Report to be published later this month.
Pakistan
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will make a statement on the flow of refugees from Afghanistan into Pakistan; [46596]
- (2) what assessment she has made of the flow of refugees from Afghanistan into the camps in the Balochistan area of Pakistan fleeing economic hardship and tribal instability; and how these problems are being addressed by (a) her Department and (b) the international community; [46595]
(3) what support (a) the UK Government and (b) the international community are providing to the Government of Pakistan (i) to address overcrowding in and (ii) to provide adequate resources for refugee camps in the Balochistan area. [46598]
Hilary Benn: Pakistan has been shouldering the burden of some two million refugees from Afghanistan for many years. In the light of the stabilising situation in Afghanistan, since 1 March 2002, 150,000 Afghan
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refugees have been able to return home from Pakistan through the joint voluntary repatriation programme established by the Pakistani and Afghan Governments with UNHCR. However, significant numbers continue to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan, particularly into Balochistan province, with 10,000 Afghans crossing in the past week. UNHCR reports the majority are fleeing drought conditions in Afghanistan; some are now discussing returning to Afghanistan.
DFID has provided £3 million to UNHCR's operations, in response to the current crisis, to support its operations for refugees in the region, including in Balochistan province. This has included technical personnel, material and financial support. At the request of UNHCR, we have provided three relief flights to Iran and Pakistan transporting tents, shelter material and communications equipment. We have also provided a specialist site planner to UNHCR in Pakistan to assist with the setting up of new refugee camp sites. UNHCR and its partners are working to improve the conditions in all refugee camps, including the water supply, sanitation and health facilities in the waiting area at the border. We have also provided £7 million to the World Food Programme's regional programme, which includes food aid support to refugees in Pakistan—7,000 families waiting to enter Pakistan have been provided food rations. In addition we have provided £6 million to NGOs, much of which has been directed towards Afghans in neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, and £11 million to support communities in Pakistan most affected by the influx of refugees. We have also provided £15 million to support the Government of Pakistan in its economic reforms.
Job No: CW0126 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator Number 3. Date: 11/04/02/ corrs BILL
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on relations between refugees and the local communities in the Balochistan area of Pakistan. [46597]
Hilary Benn: Relations between Afghan refugees and local communities in Balochistan are reported by agencies in the region to be reasonable in areas where refugee communities are established. The current influx of 40,000 new refugees is reported to have increased tensions somewhat in the Chaman border area, particularly over water supplies, but no major incidents have occurred.
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