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Central African Republic

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact the use of child labour in the diamond trade of the Central African Republic is having on efforts to educate children in the country; and if she will make a statement. [70871]

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Clare Short: None. The Central African Republic is not a country with which we have a close relationship. Our development assistance is provided through multilateral channels.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to bring good governance to the Central African Republic. [70870]

Clare Short: DFID has no programme in the Central African Republic and contributes through multilateral channels. The European Commission's ninth EDF programme sees institutional capacity building and the promotion of good governance as a priority area.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that HIV/AIDS detection facilities are available in the Central African Republic. [70880]

Clare Short: Our assistance to the Central African Republic (CAR) is provided through multilateral channels. We provide support to UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation who are currently assisting the CAR improve HIV/AIDS surveillance and detection facilities through the implementation of their national AIDS strategy. The EC programme in CAR, to which we contribute, includes work on HIV health education.

Food Shortages (Africa)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the money allocated by the Government for the procurement of maize meal in Lesotho has been spent; and if she will make a statement. [70873]

Clare Short: Of the £18.75 million that we allocated to the World Food programme for their emergency operations in Central and southern Africa, £1.5 million was earmarked for their emergency operation in Lesotho. The WFP tell us that our allocation in Lesotho has purchased 2,560 tonnes of split peas, 555 tonnes of vegetable oil and 400 tonnes of beans.

Sierra Leone

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance she has offered to the President of Sierra Leone to ensure the provision of basic services in the country. [70876]

Clare Short: This year we plan to provide around £40 million of development assistance to Sierra Leone, of which some £10 million is in the form of direct budgetary support, in part to help meet social sector expenditure. When I met President Kabbah last month, I indicated that the UK was prepared to make a 10-year commitment to maintain a high level of support to Sierra Leone, so long as the Government remained firmly committed to raising standards of governance. Tackling corruption, thereby ensuring resources (including those going to health and education) were no longer wasted, would be a tangible indicator of this commitment.

HIV/AIDS

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes the

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Government are funding to fight AIDS in Africa; how much the Government are planning to spend on this in the next three financial years; and what other measures the Government plans on this issue. [71012]

Clare Short: DFID currently commits over £180 million to bilateral programmes working to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa. Major DFID HIV prevention and care programmes are currently running in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Malawi.

Considerable additional financial support continues to be provided by DFID to institutions such as WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA, the EC and to NGOs and civil society organisations in a coherent effort to combat this disease and support those already living with it. We have committed over £25 million to International Partnership Against AIDS in Africa which specifically supports action in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi and Ghana.

New initiatives are being planned in a number of countries across Africa. A £20 million HIV/AIDS programme is currently being developed in Zambia aimed at behaviour change and HIV prevention. In South Africa, DFID is planning to invest up to £40 million in a multi- sectoral response to HIV/AIDS programme. In Nigeria, a £25 million HIV/AIDS multi-sectoral programme is currently under design to complement a £52 million national behaviour change programme started earlier this year.

African Union

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department intends to give to the new African Union. [71138]

Clare Short: DFID has worked with the African Union through its transition from the Organisation of African Unity into the new African Union. DFID provides support to the African Union's Conflict Management Centre, to enhance its capacity to prevent, resolve and manage conflict in Africa. Capacity is being built through the funding of staff posts, including four specialists, to increase early warning analysis and to improve recommendations to the secretary general.

In financial terms, DFID expects to provide £480,000 from 2002–03 to 2003–04, through the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool, and provided £530,000 between 1999 and 2001–02.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the African Union. [71137]

Clare Short: I warmly congratulate the African Union on its inauguration, and endorse the message of support sent by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to its first summit. The African Union has great potential to play an integral part in resolving the many problems faced by Africa today, including the need for a resolution of conflicts, better economic management and integration, improved health and education systems.

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Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects have so far received funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. [71011]

Clare Short: Since approving its first round of proposals, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria has been working intensively with recipients to agree financial management and monitoring arrangements. Funding will flow as soon as these arrangements are in place.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the progress made by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in fighting AIDS. [71009]

Clare Short: The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is now legally established as a foundation in Switzerland. WHO is providing administrative support and the World bank is the trustee. The first board meeting of the fund took place in Geneva in late January 2002 during which the legal and framework documents for the purpose, scope and operations of the fund were approved. The second Global Fund Board in April made two key decisions. It selected Richard Feachem as Executive Director, and approved funding for the first tranche of proposals. Of 380 proposals received, 40 programmes in 31 countries were approved, totalling $378 million over two years. A further 18 proposals from 12 countries were approved subject to clarifications, totalling $238 million over two years. Total pledges to the fund now amount to around US $2 billion. The UK has pledged $200 million over five years, and has already distributed its first tranche of $40 million.

Over the coming months, the fund will be clarifying fiduciary and other arrangements for approved first round proposals, with funding flowing as clarifications are received. It is also engaged in improving the application process for the second round. There will be a policy Board in October and a second round of proposals for which the closing date will be around early October and which will be considered at a January Board meeting.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she intends to continue to fund the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in the next financial year. [71010]

Clare Short: As I have made clear we have committed £500 million to the Global Fund over the next five years.

Angola

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the United Nations regarding the protection afforded to internally displaced people in Angola. [71144]

Clare Short: The United Nations estimates that more than four million people have been displaced from their homes in Angola. Three million of these require urgent nutritional and medical assistance. The UK made strong representations to both the United Nations and the Government of Angola to agree a framework for humanitarian assistance and we have made contributions of £3.3 million this year, including £1.65 million to the

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UN, to meet urgent needs. I have met Ibrahim Gambari, the UN SGSR for Africa three times this year to discuss the situation in Angola.

With a genuine peace agreement now in place, people are starting to return to their homes. It is vital that human rights are respected during this time. This is the responsibility of the Angolan Government though we expect the UN to monitor the process. The UK are assisting with the disarmament, demobilisation, and re-integration of former UNITA combatants. My Department also has an emergency response team assessing the humanitarian situation in Angola at present. We will continue to monitor the situation as access to more remote areas becomes feasible and maintain a dialogue with the UN.

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