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Poverty Reduction Strategy

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2002, Official Report, column 753W, which countries have a poverty reduction strategy that exhibits characteristics of strategic processes for sustainability. [65500]

Clare Short: There is no internationally-agreed system for monitoring the extent to which poverty reduction strategies exhibit characteristics of strategic processes for sustainability. The 'characteristics' of strategic processes for sustainability are broadly the same as the agreed 'principles' of strategic processes for sustainability. The challenge is to ensure that strategies adhere to these principles.

The following 13 countries have agreed formal Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) with the World bank: Albania, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Guyana, Honduras, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.

A further 33 have interim PRSPs, which set out a road-map for reaching a full PRSP:


Full details of these can be found at www. worldbank.org. Other developing countries have poverty plans, though the sustainability of these is difficult to quantify. Some display more sustainable characteristics than others. My Department, together with partner

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governments and the rest of the international community, works to ensure they provide the framework for sustainable development.

UN World Food Summit

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people attended the UN World Food Summit in Rome in June from (a) her Department and (b) other UK Government Departments; and what the total cost of the visit was. [66223]

Clare Short: The World Food Summit: five years later event in June was attended by (a) seven people from DFID and (b) four from DEFRA. The total travel and subsistence costs were £6,250.00. There were also three non-officials on the delegation whose costs wee not met from public funds.

UN Summit on Children

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people attended the UN Summit on Children in New York in May from (a) her Department and (b) other UK Government departments; and what the total cost of the visit was. [66221]

Clare Short: The delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children comprised eight people from DFID, including Hilary Been, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, 11 people from other UK Government Departments and six people from the UK Mission in New York. Not all invoices have been received but the total cost of the visit will be in the region of £75,000.

In addition other Government Departments financed attendance by one NGO representative and two young people at an approximate cost of £15,000.

Departmental Energy Use

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the estimated (a) level and (b) cost of energy use in her Department and associated agencies was in each year since 1997; what proportion of energy was generated from renewable sources; and if she will make a statement. [65957]

Clare Short: The information requested is as follows:

Gas (Kw/H)Electricity (Kw/H)Oil (litres)Total cost (£)
1996–973,078,9042,837,540n/a212,935
1997–983,065,4133,037,7809,892227,056
1998–993,271,4993,105,21711,233211,036
1999–20003,694,8013,078,37511,744185,826
2000–013,180,6022,895,15011,679187,857
2001–023,279,0183,018,02115,378221,941

n/a = Not available

The contract for our electricity supply in London has recently expired. Our new agreement sets out that 10 per cent. of our supply is from renewable sources. We will look to establish a similar arrangement for our East Kilbride office when the current contract expires next year.

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South Africa (Discussions)

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Government of South Africa regarding the humanitarian situation in (a) Malawi, (b) Mozambique, (c) Zimbabwe, (d) Zambia, (e) Lesotho and (f) Swaziland. [66177]

Clare Short: DFID officials are in touch with the Government of South Africa and with Grain South Africa. South Africa is participating in World Food Programme and SADC discussions on the humanitarian situation in the region.

South Africa's transport corridors are essential for moving food supplies to inland countries in the region. The South African Government has recently worked with WFP on an assessment of the routes.

South Africa could also be affected by movements of people from areas of food shortage.

Trafficking

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to prevent people trafficking in (a) West Africa and (b) central and eastern Europe. [66183]

Clare Short: Combating people trafficking is part of a wider set of issues related to the vulnerability of poor people to the interests of national and international traffickers. It is an international problem requiring co-ordinated action. DFID's goal is to eliminate the poverty and social injustice that creates the conditions where such abuse can flourish. With other Government Departments, we are supporting the efforts of Governments and international agencies to strengthen social protection policies and justice systems in line with the international treaty framework covering these issues.

We are also supporting efforts such as Anti-slavery International's work with civil society in West Africa to stop the trafficking of children for domestic work, and the International Organisation for Migration's programme of training for agencies helping trafficked women in the Balkans.

Ghana

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department is doing to support cocoa producers in Ghana. [66187]

Clare Short: DFID has provided a bank guarantee to secure finances for the Day Chocolate Company (33 per cent. owned by Kuapa Kokoo—a Ghanaian smallholder cocoa farmer's union). Our support aims to develop new opportunities for mainstreaming fair trade chocolate into the United Kingdom large-scale multiple retail market. The products are Divine, Darkly Divine and Dubble. This represents a major advance in fair trade marketing.

DFID is also supporting a substantial portfolio of research developing integrated pest management and biological control solutions for a variety of key cocoa pests and diseases. These technologies are particularly critical in view of the move towards organic productions.

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We are also supporting the Government of Ghana's (GoG) plans to improve rural infrastructure by installing steel bridges on feeder roads in rural areas of western and central regions—the main cocoa growing regions. Most of the current log bridges have deteriorated to the extent that they cannot carry loaded vehicles and, as a result, there is limited access to markets and social services. The goal of the project is to improve the livelihoods of the people living in the targeted areas by providing physical access, all year round, to markets, schools and hospitals/ clinics. DFID has committed £8.5 million to this project and so far 28 bridges have been constructed, with a further 37 envisaged.

Central and Eastern Europe

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's funding has been allocated to countries in central and eastern Europe in each of the last five years. [66188]

Clare Short: Figures on DFID spending broken down by country are available in "Statistics on International Development", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The relevant tables for the figures requested are Table 7.4 "Bilateral Aid by Country (Europe)" which shows DFID spend in each country in Europe for the last five years and Table 3 "Gross Public Expenditure on Aid" which shows DFID expenditure split between bilateral and multilateral channels for the last five years.

Corruption

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to combat corruption in (a) Malawi, (b) Mozambique, (c) Zimbabwe, (d) Zambia, (e) Lesotho and (f) Swaziland. [66179]

Clare Short: The six countries are all signatories to the Southern African Development Community Protocol against corruption, which outlines comprehensive measures to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption in the public and private sectors.

Working with governments and other development organisations, our programmes provide a range of assistance depending on the particular needs of each country. This addresses both enforcement action against corruption, such as effective anti-corruption agencies, and preventive measures, such as strengthening public sector financial management and supporting civil society to promote transparency and accountability in public life.

Malawi and Zambia benefit from £2 million DFID support for a World Bank Institute anti-corruption programme in 14 countries.

In Mozambique and Zambia we are working with the World bank to survey the extent of corruption and to support efforts to develop a national anti-corruption strategy which involves all key stakeholders. In Lesotho we are working with the Government to design a justice sector programme which will include the establishment of an anti-corruption unit.

In Malawi and Zambia we have helped to establish anti-corruption commissions and have provided assistance to build up their management systems and capability to conduct preventative and investigative activities.

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In Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Lesotho we are supporting efforts to strengthen financial controls and administrative systems in government.

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