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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the question from the hon. Member for Pendle relating to the cost of the funeral of the Queen Mother. [64323]
Mr. Ingram: I have written to the hon. Member today.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Reproductive Health Programmes
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 884W, on reproductive health programmes, what the aims are of the HIV/AIDS and reproductive health programme in Zambia; how much funding has been provided to it by her Department per annum since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [62586]
Clare Short: The aim of DFID's "Family Planning and HIV/AIDS" project in Zambia is
- 'To increase the use of modern methods of family planning and use of condoms for HIV/STI prevention.'
| Year | Amount £000 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 116 |
| 2001 | 1,439 |
| 2002 | 1,345 |
| Total | 2,900 |
DFID is currently developing a targeted £20 million multisectoral HIV/AIDS programme in Zambia while continuing to address the impact of HIV/AIDS through all sectors of its wider country programme.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 884W, on reproductive health programmes, what the aims are of the Regional HIV/AIDS Programme of the Southern African Development Co-ordinating Committee; how much funding has been provided to it by her Department per annum since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [62585]
Clare Short: The aim of this programme is to support the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) HIV/AIDS strategy with a focus on interventions in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.
- Strengthening of SADC's Health Sector Coordination Unit (and its successor following SADC restructuring);
Improved inter-country coordination and strengthening of National AIDS Control Programmes;
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Increased promotion of, and access to, low cost condoms via social marketing;
Support to people living with HIV/AIDS groups for increased advocacy and service capability;
More effective management of sexually transmitted infections, particularly in private sector employing migrant labour;
Increased ability in Government Departments and NGOs for behaviour change communication interventions.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 884W, on reproductive health programmes, what the aims are of the sexual and maternal health programme in Malawi; how much funding has been provided to it by her Department per annum since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [62584]
Clare Short: Since 1997, my Department has committed a total of £23.5 million for sexual, reproductive and maternal health programmes in Malawi. The main purpose is to increase access to, and utilisation of, reproductive, maternal (ante-natal, delivery and post-partum care) and sexual health services and adoption of safer sex practices especially among the poor, young people and marginalised groups. A further benefit is the positive effect such help can have in countering the incidence of HIV/AIDS.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 884W, on reproductive health programmes, what the aims are of the sexual and reproductive health programme in Zimbabwe; how much funding has been provided to it by her Department per annum since 1997; if funding continues; and if she will make a statement. [62583]
Clare Short: Zimbabwe has one of the world's worst HIV/AIDS epidemics. Adult HIV prevalence is 34 per cent., and it is estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 people die of AIDS each week.
DFID's Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme is a £20 million programme approved in 2000 to run over five years. It aims to prevent and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS for poor Zimbabweans. The programme works through civil society and parastatal organisations and activities focus on promoting behaviour change, condom supply and sexual health services for high-risk groups, and capacity building for community home-based care. The programme has spent £5.267 million in the last two years and continues.
Royal Prerogative
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what decisions have been made by her Department in the last year under authority from the royal prerogative. [63133]
Clare Short: The Department does not keep records of the individual occasions on which powers under the royal prerogative are exercised.
Nepal
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department
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has given the Nepalese Government to assist it in rebuilding facilities destroyed due to terrorist attacks by Maoist groups. [63477]
Clare Short: My Department has not provided assistance to the Nepalese Government to rebuild facilities destroyed by Maoists. My Department has, however, developed a programme of short-term support for people in conflict affected areas, and is working to reorientate the entire DFID programme towards conflict resolution.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the estimated cost is of damage to UK-funded projects in Nepal due to terrorist attacks by Maoist groups. [63476]
Clare Short: Maoist insurgents in Nepal have not so far targeted UK development staff or project activities and, despite the worsening security situation throughout the country, UK funded-development assistance is continuing, albeit more slowly.
Development Projects (Environmental Impact)
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what standards her Department uses to assess the environmental impact of proposed development projects; and whether the environmental standards applied to development projects are less stringent than those applied in the United Kingdom. [63515]
Clare Short: DFID are rarely involved in funding major infrastructure projects of the sort that would require an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in the UK. DFID procedures require environmental screening on all projects above £1 million, or below this threshold if significant environmental impacts are anticipated. The screening is supported by DFID's environmental guide, which provides guidance, such as screening checklists that highlight potential beneficial and adverse impacts. If initial screening indicates that an activity could have significant impacts on the environment, then further investigation must be undertaken, which may include further environmental analysis; a full EIA; or an environmental audit. The objective of DFID's appraisal system is not only to assess potential positive or negative impacts, but also to seek opportunities to improve policy formulation and decision-making, e.g. we are currently undertaking an appraisal of strategic choices regarding Russia's accession to the WTO.
The DFID environmental appraisal process applies to expenditure on policies, programmes and projects. The EC EIA directive, transposed into UK legislation, currently applies to projects (e.g. building new roads, building power stations, etc.), but the EU directive on programmes and plans (2001/42/EC) is in the process of becoming UK law. DFID procedures also allow for intermediate level of investigation—environmental analysis—where a full EIA is not required. In the UK EIA legislation there is no such intermediate form of analysis.
Safe Drinking Water
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the aid distributed by her Department in the past five years has funded the provision of safe drinking water in developing countries. [63513]
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Clare Short: DFID place as much emphasis on access to appropriate sanitation as they do on access to safe water. Much of the work supported by DFID is for both water supply and sanitation, for example, support to the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council and the Water and Sanitation Program. Therefore, it is not possible to clearly apportion financial expenditure to water supply solely.
The proportion of bilateral aid commitments whose principle aim was to target safe drinking water and adequate sanitation in developing countries was 6 per cent. on average over the last five years. This represents a commitment of 3 per cent. total aid commitments on average.
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