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Oral Questions

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many oral questions she has transferred to other departments in each of the last 18 months. [65509]

Mr. Morley: DEFRA was created in June 2001, and since then the number of oral questions transferred to other Government Departments in each month is shown in the following table.

	Number of oral questions transferred
June 2001	6
October 2001	7
November 2001	2
December 2001	3
January 2002	2
March 2002	2
April 2002	0
May 2002	3
June 2002	1
Total	26

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

G7 Finance Ministers' Meeting

Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the outcome was of the G7 Finance Ministers' meeting on 14 and 15 June regarding funding for education in developing countries; and if she will make a statement. [64669]

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.

At their meeting in Halifax, G7 Finance Ministers noted the World bank's Education Action Plan and strongly endorsed the expeditious implementation of a plan focused on programme quality and measurable results. They pledged that, "each of us in turn will work to support the 'Education for All' goals with countries that have credible education plans and strong policy commitments in place. We urge other donor Governments and the multilateral development banks to join us".

Zimbabwe

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of NEPAD in bringing good government to Zimbabwe. [66220]

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 15 May 2002, Official Report, column 692W.

2 Jul 2002 : Column 254W

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what part the Crown Agents played in the (a) procurement and (b) supply of the Land- Rover Defender vehicles supplied to the Zimbabwean police as part of a DfID-funded project. [65214]

Clare Short: I suspended this project in May 2000 as it was no longer appropriate given the turbulent political situation and clear evidence of misuse of the vehicles for political ends. The Government of Zimbabwe placed the procurement contract directly with Land Rover Exports Ltd. The Crown Agents were not involved in the contract, but administered the grant account on behalf of the Zimbabwe Government.

Drought (Africa)

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the answer of 20 May, Official Report, column 14W, on Africa, what further financial assistance has been given to (a) Malawi, (b) Mozambique, (c) Zimbabwe and (d) other African countries affected by the drought; and if she will make a statement. [65042]

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South-East Cornwall (Mr. Breed) on 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 61W.

Arms Trade (Indian Subcontinent)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations her Department has received regarding the amount of GDP Pakistan spent since 1998 on (a) arms imports in general and (b) arms imports from the United Kingdom. [65451]

Clare Short: My Department has not received any representation since 1998 regarding the amount of GDP Pakistan spent on arms imports in general. DFID is working with the World bank and IMF to track Pakistan's reform programme, including the pattern of fiscal expenditure. Pakistan's defence budget as a percent of GDP has been broadly stable around 4 per cent. over recent years. However, Pakistan's intention to reduce defence spending is under threat given the current stand-off with India.

The total value of UK standard individual export licences (SIEL) applications for which licences were issued in 1999 and 2000 was £11.5 million and £6 million respectively. By contrast, Pakistan's budget defence expenditure between 2000–01 was approximately £1.6 billion.

Sudan

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the aid to be provided to non-departmental organisations to assist the people of Sudan in 2002–03. [64696]

Clare Short: The UK provides humanitarian support to Sudan through non-Government and international organisations. We also support the peace process and the preparation for peace. We expect to spend about £8 million in 2002–3.

2 Jul 2002 : Column 255W

EU Directives

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the EU directives and regulations that have been implemented through her Department in 2002; and what was the cost of each to public funds. [64991]

Clare Short: No new directives relating to international development have been implemented through my Department in 2002. The question of cost does not arise.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the EU directives relating to her Department which have been (a) amended and (b) repealed in 2002. [64941]

Clare Short: No EU directives relating to international development matters have been amended or repealed in 2002.

EU Aid

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the steps she has taken to improve the quality and timeliness of EU interventions in seeking to assist the poorest countries. [64692]

Clare Short: My Department's detailed proposals to improve the quality, effectiveness and poverty focus of EC aid have been set out in strategy papers published in December 1998 and August 2001.

Development

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the purposes for which the United Kingdom's annual contributions to the International Development Association are used. [64694]

Clare Short: Under the last three year replenishment, the UK contributed 7.3 per cent. of new donor resources for the International Development Association (IDA)—the aim of the World bank providing concessional finance to the poorest countries.

The World bank's annual report 2001 details the use of IDA funds by country, region and sector. This report will be available in the Library of the House.

Globalisation

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the progress of her proposals for managing the process of globalisation in a way that increases opportunities for the world's poor. [64701]

Clare Short: The second White Paper on International Development sets out an agenda for managing globalisation to ensure that poor people are able to share in its benefits. The White Paper sets out long term commitments for how the Government will contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Report on progress is contained in DFID annual reports.

2 Jul 2002 : Column 256W

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

English Heritage

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the role of English Heritage in planning applications. [66516]

Mr. McNulty: English Heritage is a non-Departmental Public Body responsible for advising the Government on all aspects of the built heritage in England. It has a statutory role as consultee in certain planning and other heritage casework. This role is set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 and the joint DETR/DCMS Circular 01/2001.

Ordnance Survey

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what circumstances Ordnance Survey is permitted deliberately to omit information from OS maps; who is empowered to require this; and if he will make a statement. [65165]

Mr. McNulty: Ordnance Survey works within the guidelines of a Sensitive Site Register and discusses with the owners of the properties on the register the detail which can be shown on our mapping.

Beacon Status

John Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will invite councils to apply for beacon status in the fourth round of the scheme. [66798]

Mr. Raynsford: We will publish an application brochure shortly, inviting councils to apply by 26 September 2002. Copies of the brochure will be placed in the Library of the House.

Health and Safety

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his departmental responsibility for setting health and safety standards for new building works and on their implementation by the Health and Safety Executive. [63707]

Mr. Leslie: The health and safety standards which must be achieved by new building works are set by the Building Regulations and are the responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. These standards are enforced by local authority building control officers. The Health and Safety Executive, responsibility for which now resides with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, enforces the separate legislation protecting the health and safety of workers and the public from risks arising during construction work.

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