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16 Dec 2002 : Column 566W—continued
Sanitation
Mrs. Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what additional work her Department has undertaken to improve sanitation in developing countries, subsequent to the new target agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. [87066]
Clare Short: My Department promoted the target of reducing by half the proportion of people without access to hygienic sanitation facilities by 2015 in the run up to the Johannesburg Summit and adopted it in our Target Strategy Paper 'Addressing the Water Crisis', produced in March 2001. We worked hard to win international agreement to this target at the World Summit on
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Sustainable Development and will continue to emphasise sustainable and pro-poor sanitation and hygiene programmes.
The challenge today is being able to build-upon models of best practice to expand sanitation coverage, access to clean water and hygiene education. DFID is advocating an integrated approach to sanitation, water supply, and hygiene to improve health and combat poverty.
Through our commitment to multi-lateral initiatives and bi-lateral agreements weare prioritising support to national governments and civil society organisations toaccelerate work in sanitation and hygiene promotion in the countries of greatest need. In particular, we currently support several major multilateral initiatives including:
- The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), a multi-donor programme administered by the World Bank. Its mission is to reduce poverty by helping the poor gain sustained access to improved water and sanitation services.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), a concerted multi-donor organisation designed to raise awareness and the political profile of sanitation, hygiene and safe water.
The EU water initiative, which is aimed at creating strategic partnerships to achieve the world summit on sustainable development (WSSD) goals on clean water and sanitation. It will also improve the efficiency of existing financing mechanisms for water infrastructure through better donor coordination.
Southern Africa
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what volume of food was delivered (a) by her Department and (b) by the European Union, to Southern Africa in 2002; and what the total volume of food pledged (i) by her Department and (ii) by the European Union, to Southern Africa is for 2003. [87480]
Clare Short: My Department does not provide food aid directly, but funds the provision of food through operational partners such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The WFP plans to deliver 993,000 tonnes of food during the period September 2002 to March 2003 for the humanitarian crisis in Southern Africa. The UK has so far provided WFP with funding for 65,231 tonnes (6.57 per cent. of the total confirmed contributions of 662,945 tonnes).
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The European Community (EC) has committed 272,000 tonnes of food (of which 153,000 tonnes was through the WFP) for this humanitarian crisis since the beginning of 2002. The UK provides approximately 19 per cent. of funding for EC operations.
Statutory Instruments
Mr. Bercow: Asked the Secretary of State for International Development, how many statutory instruments have been (a) introduced, (b) removed and (c) amended by her Department since 1 January; and what the (i) cost and (ii) saving has been in each case. [64634]
Clare Short: (a) Four statutory instruments have been introduced by my Department in 2002. They are the International Development Act 2002 (Commencement) Order 2002; the African Development Fund (Additional Subscriptions) Order 2002; the Caribbean Development Bank (Further Payments) Order 2002; and the International Development Association (Thirteenth Replenishment) Order 2002. No statutory instruments have been (b) removed or (c) amended. The combined cost of printing was less than #500. There were no savings.
Sudan (Education)
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the new opportunities created by her Department for the support of education work in Sudan. [87235]
Clare Short: My Department has continued to build on the relationships with key agencies working on education in Sudan, following a successful seminar in London in June. The support for the UNICEF education project in the Nuba Mountains is moving ahead well, some 600 schools will receive additional books and materials by February next year. As I explained in my answer to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 25 November 2002, Official Report, column 32W, my Senior Education Adviser reviewed progress in the sector during a visit to Sudan in October. I hope to announce significant additional support for primary schools in the north and south in line with progress at the peace talks resuming early in the New Year.
Sustainable Development
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been done to integrate sustainable development into her Department's policies since the Earth Summit in Johannesburg; and how many country strategy papers her Department has revised to include a greater focus on sustainable development to take account of the conclusions of the Earth Summit. [87067]
Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 15 October 2002, Official Report, column 651W. My Department's overall goal is the elimination of poverty and the achievement of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the staff of her Department are women; and what the percentage was in June 1997. [66907]
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Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 5 July, Official Report, column 622W.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's funds allocated to improving sexual and reproductive health in developing countries have been administered by NGOs in each of the last five years. [66181]
Clare Short : My Department funds many sexual and reproductive health NGOs. Information on this is not held centrally and to collate it would incur disproportionate costs. DFID expenditure through UK NGOs (including sexual and reproductive health NGOs is listed in Statistics on International Development (table 14). A copy is available in the Library of the House.
CDC Capital Partners
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list CDC Capital Partners executives' proportional (a) salary and (b) remuneration increases since 1997. [67356]
Clare Short: Remuneration structures in CDC have been and continue to be revised in order to respond to the need for different skills and expertise, and to bring levels of pay and incentivisation more in line with the private sector:
(a) Base salary increases as approved by the Board were as follows:
| Approved percentage increase | |
|---|---|
| April 1997 | 3.0 |
| April 1998 | 4.0 |
| April 1999 | 4.0 |
| January 2000 | 3.6 |
| January 2001 | 3.5 |
| January 2002 | 3.4 |
Information on remuneration for CDC executives is available only at disproportionate cost. Details of remuneration for CDC Directors were published in annual reports for 1999, 2000 and 2001 copies of which were placed in the Library of the House.
(b) Percentage increases (decreases) on actual total cash remunerations costs since 1997 are as follows.
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| Approved percentage increase (decrease) | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | — |
| 1998 | 20.3 |
| 1999 | 10.98 |
| 2000 | 3.78 |
| 2001 | (1.47) |
The total cash remuneration of executives is principally made up of their salary, a short-term bonus programme introduced in 1999 and a long term incentive programme introduced in 2000.
Promotion of Good Governance
Mr. Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations she has received regarding the promotion of democratic governance. [68545]
Clare Short: The promotion of good governance is intrinsic to DFID's work and is discussed regularly with our partners in developing countries and the wider international community.
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