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DEFENCE
Defence Estates Agency
Dr. Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Estates Agency for financial year 2002–03. [55841]
Dr. Moonie: As detailed in the Defence Estates Corporate Plan 2002–07, the following key targets have been set for the agency.
- Key Target 1:
- Disposal Receipts—to accrue gross disposal receipts of at least £185 million.
- Key Target 2:
- Prime Contracting—to award the initial Regional Prime Contract, for Scotland.
- Key Target 3:
- Project SLAM—to award the contract by 30 September 2002.
- Key Target 4:
- Project Aquatrine—to award the contract for Package A.
- Key Target 5:
- Estate Strategy Core Sites process—to have a proposed set of categorised core sites ready for publication to TLBs by 31 December 2002.
Copies of the new Defence Estates Corporate Plan will be placed in the Library of the House.
Retirement Ages
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department introduced a normal retirement age of 60 years for senior and professional technology officers; whether his Department has completed its review of its age retirement policy; and if he will make a statement. [55023]
Dr. Moonie: The normal retirement age for senior professional and technology officers, and a number of other grades, was changed from 65 to 60 in 1992 as one of the measures needed to manage the "Options for Change" reduction in the size of the Ministry of Defence's civilian work force which became possible following the end of the cold war.
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The MOD has completed its further review of age retirement policy. The conclusions are being considered and we shall make an announcement about them as soon as we can.
West Freugh
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military aircraft movements have taken place at the West Freugh new DEFRA facility in Wigtownshire in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [55106]
Dr. Moonie: I have taken the question to refer to the Defence Evaluation Research Agency at West Freugh. DERA was, as previously announced, subsumed in QinetiQ and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in July 2001. The number of military aircraft movements that took place at West Freugh in each of the last 10 years, is listed. These figures do not include overflights or range runs.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1992 | (1)— |
| 1993 | 3,868 |
| 1994 | 1,666 |
| 1995 | 5,253 |
| 1996 | 4,501 |
| 1997 | 5,946 |
| 1998 | 4,636 |
| 1999 | 7,236 |
| 2000 | 5,976 |
| 2001 | 3,861 |
(1) Not available
Our records are not in a form that readily enables provision of the figures as far back as 1992. I will write to the hon. Member following further analysis of the available data to see what information can be provided and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Debt
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the lending policies of (a) the World Bank, (b) the IDA, (c) the Asian Development Bank and (d) the EBRD. [53623]
Clare Short: The multilateral development banks make a unique contribution to international development and poverty reduction. Each of these institutions have different, complementary lending policies. Further details of these are publicly available through the following websites: www.worldbank.org (for World Bank and IDA); ww.adb.org; and www.ebrd.com.
My Department has published institutional strategy papers for the multilateral development banks which set out how the UK Government can work in partnership with each of these institutions to maximise the effectiveness of our combined development efforts (available www.dfid.gov.uk or through our public inquiry point, tel. 01355 843132). These papers outline our views on the
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effectiveness of these institutions and how we intend to ensure that their lending contributes to poverty elimination.
Tanzania
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department last discussed the political situation in Tanzania with (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) the Department for Trade and Industry and (c) the Ministry of Defence; and what was discussed. [54262]
Clare Short: DFID maintains a regular dialogue with other Government Departments on all aspects of our work.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of Tanzania regarding the purposes of the air defence system recently purchased by the Tanzanian Government. [54255]
Clare Short: We have had various discussions with the Government of Tanzania regarding the proposed air traffic control system. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is currently undertaking a review of Tanzania's civil aviation requirements and will report to the World Bank and Government of Tanzania.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to promote good governance in Tanzania. [54261]
Clare Short: Governance is a core element of the DFID programme in Tanzania, which supports the Government of Tanzania's Poverty Reduction Strategy. DFID supports several programmes aimed at improving governance. Some of these are with the Government of Tanzania and include financial management reform and financial accountability, decentralisation through local government reform, public service reform and civic education. We are also working with civil society at local and national levels, disseminating information and supporting networks for advocacy and lobbying.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact of her decision to withhold aid from Tanzania; and when she expects aid to resume. [54254]
Clare Short: In October 2001 DFID provided £35 million budget support to Tanzania. We have delayed disbursement of the next tranche of £10 million budget support pending the Government of Tanzania's response to the review of the country's civil aviation requirements. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has been in Tanzania to undertake this review and will report to the World Bank and Government of Tanzania.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Tanzania regarding the peace process in the DRC. [54256]
Clare Short: I have not had discussions recently with the Tanzanian Government regarding the peace process in the DRC, but my Department and the FCO maintain a regular dialogue with the Tanzanian Government on all regional issues including the Great Lakes. We have encouraged them in their attempts to bring the Burundian
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rebels to agree a ceasefire and join the political process under the Arusha Peace Accords, and have offered to help with the costs of these meetings. We have encouraged them to continue to link their efforts in this regard to those of the Burundian peace facilitation team under Vice- President Zuma of South Africa and President Bongo of Gabon, to whose team we are giving technical support. We are also in close touch with the Governments of Tanzania and Burundi, and with UNHCR, on resolving the question of the large number of Burundian refugees still in refugee camps in Tanzania.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 24 January 2002, Official Report, column 1002, on Tanzania, what further information she has collated on the impact of the purchase of an air traffic control system on the sustainability of Tanzania's debt servicing obligations and the achievement of anti-poverty targets. [54842]
Clare Short: The Government of Tanzania agreed with the World Bank to review its civil aviation requirements in consultation with the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The ICAO has been in Tanzania to undertake this review and will report to the World Bank and Government of Tanzania. It is not possible to determine the impact of the purchase of an air traffic control system until the ICAO report is issued and the Government of Tanzania and the World Bank have considered it.
Zimbabwe
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Tanzania regarding good government in Zimbabwe. [54258]
Clare Short: Neither my Department nor I have had discussions with the Government of Tanzania regarding good government in Zimbabwe.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of business links between Tanzania and Zimbabwe and their impact on (a) political stability and (b) international development. [54253]
Clare Short: I have made no recent assessment of the business links between Tanzania and Zimbabwe but the Zimbabwe crisis is impacting on the region.
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