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Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of moneys are channelled through (a) her Department's projects, (b) NGO projects, (c) UN projects and (d) the interim administration for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. [61760]
Clare Short: Of the moneys disbursed since 11 September on humanitarian, recovery and reconstruction activities, about 6 per cent. has been channelled through DFID's programme of quick-impact projects; about 23 per cent. through international organisations and NGOs; and about 63 per cent. through UN agencies. No money has been directly channelled through the Interim Administration, but about 8 per cent. has been contributed to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, which has been set up to fund the recurrent costs of the Transitional Administration as well as investment programmes.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the performance of donor countries which attended the UN Conference in Tokyo in January has been in terms of meeting individual financial pledges and the corresponding levels of financial investment to Afghanistan reconstruction projects. [61759]
Clare Short: Contributions are now starting to arrive in the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, which has been set up to fund investment programmes and the recurrent costs of the Transitional Administration. The UK was the first to contribute. In all, the World Bank expects to receive $100 million from donors in the first wave of donations.
A number of reconstruction programmes have been approved. We do not have an exhaustive list, but the World Bank alone has recently approved a $10 million Emergency Public Administration Project, a $15 million Emergency Education Rehabilitation and Development Project, and a $42 million Emergency Community Empowerment and Public Works Project. EC projects include support to the Interim Authority (Euro 20 million), urban infrastructure (Euro 7 million), rural development (Euro 28 million), demining (Euro 10 million) and refugee reintegration and community support (Euro 22 million). The Asian Development Bank has approved a $14.5 million programme of technical assistance to build capacity for reconstruction and development. Other programmes are in the pipeline.
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Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with regard to education programmes in Afghanistan, what moneys (a) her Department has pledged, (b) her Department has delivered, (c) other G8 countries have pledged and (d) other G8 countries have delivered. [61763]
Clare Short: At the Tokyo Conference in January, international donors pledged funds for the overall reconstruction of Afghanistan, including humanitarian programmes. Pledges were not broken down by sector. The UK pledge was to commit #200 million over five years, on top of the #60 million already committed since September 2001.
The UK strategy in Afghanistan is to contribute directly to UN agencies and NGOs and to channel assistance via the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), which has been established to allow donor to finance investment programmes in all sectors, including education. We have made an initial contribution of #5 million to the ARTF. Since September 2001, my Department has also contributed #8 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), #2 million of which was specifically for the Back-to-School Campaign in Afghanistan. My Department also continues to support UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies to provide education services to Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran. We are currently considering what further support to provide in the education sector.
G8 nations have not pledged specific amounts for the education sector, but are currently thinking through their strategies in all areas (including education). A multi-donor mission, led by the Asian Development Bank, has scoped the requirements for a framework of assistance to the sector, but work is still at the design rather than the delivery stage.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will announce the date of the Spending Review. [62020]
Mr. Boateng: The conclusions of the 2002 Spending Review will be announced before the House rises for the summer recess.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he will (a) announce the result of the Spending Review 2002 and (b) publish his Department's Annual report; and if he will make a statement. [59676]
Mr. Boateng: The conclusions of the 2002 Spending Review will be announced before the House rises for the summer recess. The Treasury's Departmental Report was published on 10 June.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 1 May 2002, Official Report,
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columns 88283W, on the Budget Red Book, if he will provide comparable marginal deduction rate figures for individuals. [56466]
Dawn Primarolo: The table below shows estimates of the number of individuals facing marginal deduction rates (MDRs) in excess of 40 per cent.
Marginal Deduction Rate | Before Budget 1998 | 200203 system of tax and benefits | After the introduction of NTCs |
---|---|---|---|
Over 100% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Over 90% | 190 | 90 | 90 |
Over 80% | 450 | 340 | 290 |
Over 70% | 1,140 | 390 | 390 |
Over 60% | 1,180 | 1,140 | 1,750 |
Over 50% | 1,180 | 1,825 | 2,000 |
Over 40% | 1,240 | 1,875 | 2,275 |
The figures in the table cover the number of individuals in households in receipt of either income-related benefits or the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), or new tax credits from April 2003, where at least one person works 16 hours or more. The effects of income tax and National Insurance Contributions, and the withdrawal of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit have also been included.
The effect of tax and benefit changes introduced since Budget 1998, including WFTC, reduced the number of individuals in households facing MDRs in excess of 70 per cent. by around three-quarters of a million. As WFTC is more generous than the Family Credit that it replaced, more individuals in households benefit from it, hence the larger numbers facing MDRs over 40 and 50 per cent. in 200203.
Building on the success of WFTC, the Government will be introducing the Child and Working Tax Credits from April 2003. As the new tax credits will be more generous and inclusive than the current system of support, significantly more households will be eligible, and those currently eligible will receive more, hence a greater number will face MDRs over 40 and 50 per cent. from 200304.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place the underlying data used for the scorecard approach to monitoring public services value for money in Table 3.16 of HM Treasury's Annual report, (Cm 5425) in the Library. [63211]
Mr. Boateng: The scorecard is based on departmental progress against value for money PSA targets. Departments report progress against their PSA targets in their departmental reports, copies of which are placed in the Library.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 12 June 2002, Official Report, column 5437W, on the recommendations of the Wanless report, which
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passages of the Chancellor's Budget Statement of 17 April addressed the recommendation of the Wanless report on the need for a study of the trends affecting social care. [63378]
Mr. Boateng: The Chancellor's Budget Statement and the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report made a number of announcements in relation to health and social services which addressed the recommendations of the Wanless Report. The Government do not plan to commission a further study.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his assessment is of the extent to which (a) each EU Government have made their labour markets more successful at adapting to structural economic change and (b) the EU economy has improved its ability to create jobs and respond to structural change. [63368]
Ruth Kelly: The progress of reform of EU labour, product and capital markets to increase employment and raise sustainable growth is examined in the Government's White Paper XReleasing Europe's PotentialEconomic Reform in Europe", published in February of this year.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 April 2002, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollock (Mr. Davidson), Official Report, column 92W, on pension liabilities, if he will list the liabilities of the UK Government to unfunded public service pension schemes broken down by pension scheme; and what assessment he has made of the proportion of the rise in liabilities in recent years due to (a) wage inflation, (b) longevity, (c) extension of the rights of part time workers and (d) other factors; and if he will make a statement. [63205]
Mr. Boateng: For the main unfunded schemes' liabilities as at 31 March 2001 I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 12 June, Official Report, columns 129091W. There is an underlying increase in the cash values of about 13 per cent. since March 1998. Precise figures are not available for the proportion of the overall rise which is due to the factors specified, but well over half is the result of inflation and most of the rest is due to earnings growth.
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