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13 Jan 2003 : Column 456W—continued
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Zimbabwe
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the (a) extent and (b) degree of malnutrition in Zimbabwe and of the (i) distribution and (ii) availability of food supplies in Zimbabwe, broken down by region. [90046]
Clare Short: No credible nutritional assessment took place during 2002. Such data as was collected suggests that in August 2002, 24 per cent. of six month to five year olds were underweight. This compares to 13 per cent. in 1999. This indicates a significant level of chronic or 'background' malnutrition. Under current circumstances it is reasonable to predict that levels of severe malnutrition will be increasing. DFID is funding a rapid nutrition assessment, to include other health indicators, which will take place in the first two weeks of February.
The following table gives the distribution of maize since April 2002 by Government (as at early November) and by the World Food Programme (as at end December). Other food flows from bilateral feeding programmes are not currently available by district and are lower in total than WFP flows. These statistics do not include wheat and other commodities.
| Area | Government | World food programme |
|---|---|---|
| Masvingo | 34,662 | 36,174 |
| Matabeleland | 33,588 | 26,972 |
| Mashonaland | 96,431 | 21,040 |
| Midlands | 44,102 | 15,234 |
| Manicaland | 49,259 | 14,513 |
| Harare | 218,823 | — |
| Bulawayo | 92,438 | — |
| Total | 569,303 | 113,933 |
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Bangladesh
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance has been given to Bangladesh by her Department in each of the last three years. [89770]
Clare Short: The financial assistance given to Bangladesh by my Department in each of the last three years is set out in the table:
| Period | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 71.8 |
| 2000–01 | 76.9 |
| 2001–02 | 65.8 |
Cambodia
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department is giving to Cambodia in 2003–04; and if it is tied to sustainable forestry management. [90419]
Clare Short: No final decision on the 2003–04 allocation for Cambodia has yet been made. We are currently reviewing our funding promoting sustainable forestry but the bulk of our support will continue to be in the areas of health and sustainable rural livelihoods and will not be tied to forest management. Further information is set out in the Cambodia Country Strategy Paper of March 2000, a copy of which has been deposited in the Library of the House.
Capita Group
Mr. Burstow : To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the contracts that have been awarded to the Capita Group by her Department. [89971]
Clare Short : I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Henley on 6 March 2002, Official Report, column 337W and 7 March 2002, Official Report, column 466W. Since then, we have issued a further contract to Capita RAS, Support to the Ethiopian Civil Service Reform Programme at a cost of #51,250. Information on low value contracts is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Christmas Expenses
Mr. Djanogly : To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many departmental Christmas cards she and her Ministers intend to send in 2002; how much these cards will cost (a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if she will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card she has sent this year. [88113]
Clare Short [holding answer 19 December 2002]: I did not send any departmental Christmas cards.
Sally Keeble sent 81 departmental Christmas cards which cost 95p each to purchase. They took approx one and a half hours of staff time to sign, address and envelope. They were posted as second class mail. All
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expenditure incurred in the purchase and despatch of official Christmas cards was made in accordance with the departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.
I have placed a copy of the Christmas card in the Library of the House.
Mr. Djanogly : To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much will be spent on (a) entertaining, (b) Christmas decorations and (c) other festive activities this Christmas season by her Department and Government agencies answerable to her Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' (i) private offices and (ii) official residences. [88128]
Clare Short : [holding answer 19 December 2002]: An official reception was held at a cost of #2,261.44. Otherwise nothing was spent on entertainment, decorations or other festive activities this Christmas season. We do not have official residences. DFID does not have any Government agencies answerable to it.
Expenditure incurred for the reception was made in accordance with the departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.
North Korea
Tony Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department gives development aid to North Korea. [89551]
Clare Short: The United Kingdom is not providing development assistance, to North Korea.
However, we continue to respond to humanitarian needs through the European Commission, the United Nations and International Red Cross Movement. In financial year 2001–02, my Department provided just over #2 million to the International Federation of the Red Cross and the United Nations Children's Fund, for support to flood victims and to emergency primary health care programmes. In 2002, ECHO provided 15 million euros in food emergency aid and will provide a further 9.5 million euros for food aid in 2003. The UK contribution is 19 per cent.
Theft/Fraud
Mr. Bercow : To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002. [89866]
Clare Short: The estimated cost to DFID's budget of theft and fraud in the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 is #84,000. Details of suspected or proven fraud are provided to the Treasury on an annual basis. The annual report that the Treasury prepares is deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
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PRIME MINISTER
Boundary Committee
Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister when he wrote to the Boundary Committee; and about which boundaries. [89755]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on Monday 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 522W.
Delivery Unit
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister to which Minister the Delivery Unit is accountable; and if he will make a statement. [89557]
The Prime Minister: The Delivery Unit reports to me. Lord Macdonald, Minister for the Cabinet Office, oversees its work on a day-to-day basis.
Euro (Swedish Referendum)
Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of Sweden concerning the Swedish referendum on the Euro scheduled for 14th September. [90109]
The Prime Minister: I have discussed a range of EU issues with the Prime Minister of Sweden recently, on 15 November in Warsaw and at the Copenhagen European Council on 12–13 December.
Farming and Food Commission
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Prime Minister how many written representations he has received in support of the recommendations of the Policy Commission on the future of farming and food. [88382]
The Prime Minister: I received over 300 letters last year about farming, including ones on the recommendations of the Policy Commission report on the Future of Farming and Food.
Overall, there was widespread support for the broad thrust of the recommendations. The Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food for England, launched on 12 December 2002, incorporates the Government response to the recommendations and builds on the vision set out in the Policy Commission's report.
Honours
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister how many persons (a) knighted or equivalent and (b) admitted to each rank of the orders of chivalry in each honours list since January 2002 were honoured for their contribution as (i) employees of Her Majesty's Government or a Government-sponsored organisation, (ii) employees of local government or a local government-sponsored organisation, (iii) private sector employees, (iv) voluntary sector employees, (v) health service employees, (vi) school staff and (vii) volunteers. [89564]
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The Prime Minister: I can give details of those honoured in the Birthday 2002 and New Year 2003 lists which I recommended to Her Majesty. The information available is as follows:
- (i) Four State Servants were honoured at Knight/Dame level in the Birthday Honours List and another four in the New Year Honours List—2003. 33 were honoured at CB, CMG or CBE, 33 at OBE and 61 at MBE in the Birthday Honours. 33 were honoured at CB, CMG or CBE, 31 at OBE and 57 at MBE in the New Year Honours List. It is not possible to readily identify employees of Government sponsored organisations.
(ii) Among local government employees, including police officers and fire fighters, there were four honours at Knight/Dame level, eight CBEs, 10 OBEs and 34 MBEs in the Birthday List. At New Year, there were four honours at Knight/Dame level, nine CBEs, 12 OBEs and 46 MBEs. Figures for people employed by local government sponsored organisations cannot be readily identified.
(iii) It is not possible to identify from the names on the Lists those people who are employed in the private sector, many of whom will have been honoured because of what they have done outside their place of employment.
(iv) The list does not distinguish between paid and unpaid workers in the voluntary sector. Overall, people from the voluntary sector accounted for almost half of those on the List in the Birthday Honours and more than half of those in the New Year Honours.
(v) The list does not distinguish between NHS employees and others working in the health sector. In the health sector overall, there were five awards at Knight/Dame level, 12 at CBE, 28 at OBE and 66 at MBE in the Birthday List. There were four awards at Knight level, 12 at CBE, 21 at OBE and 68 at MBE in the New Year List.
(vi) In education, the list does not distinguish between those involved in primary and secondary education and those involved in tertiary and vocational education. In the education sector overall, five awards were made at Knight/Dame level in the Birthday List and again in the New Year List. 18 awards were made at CBE level, 35 at OBE and 60 at MBE in the Birthday List. In the New Year List, 16 awards were made at CBE level, 35 at OBE and 63 at MBE.
The Prime Minister: The information available is outlined in tables showing the number of awards made on my recommendation in each county in each honours
lists since January 2002. The tables will be placed in the Library.
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