---

20 Jan 2003 : Column 16W—continued

Water Shortages

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action was taken by the UK in 2002 to contribute to the prevention of water shortages for the world's population by 2025. [90460]

Clare Short: DFID recognises the key role that water plays in the reduction of poverty and is committed to assisting those in the developing world to assess and manage their water resources in a sustainable manner. Nearly two-thirds of the world's population will be living in countries of significant water stress by the year 2025. 1.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. Strong commitments were made at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development for Better Management of Water Resources and Improved Access to Drinking Water and Sanitation, and these must now be implemented.

In 2002, my Department has continued to support a substantial number of on-going activities, which seek to contribute to the prevention of water shortages. Such shortages may be caused because insufficient water is available or because of a lack of infrastructure, poverty or pollution which mean that people cannot access the resource.

The sustainability of the quality and quantity of water resources depends on the balance of agricultural, industrial and domestic uses and environmental needs against the prevailing hydrological conditions. DFID, with most other bilateral and multilateral organisations, is promoting integrated water resource management, which is the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources.

20 Jan 2003 : Column 17W

My Department is supporting a number of global initiatives, including the Global Water Partnership; the International Hydrological Programme; the Dams for Development Unit of the World Commission on Dams; Water for Food and Nature Dialogue and the International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage. My Department also supports initiatives for assessment and monitoring of the status of the world's water through the UNESCO-led World Water Assessment Programme and the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme. Our Knowledge and Research Programme also supports a number of projects that aim to improve meteorological and hydrological assessment, collection, analysis and modelling for improved water resource assessments, as well as projects that investigate improvements in the efficiency of irrigation water use.

There is an increasing possibility of conflicts over water becoming more common in regions of water stress. Equitable sharing of water between users at national and at local level has a significant contribution to make towards reducing conflict and promoting peace and security. The Nile Basin Initiative is a current example of an initiative being supported by the World bank, my Department and other donors, to manage competition for water equitably.

Africa Action Plan

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of Secretary of State for International Development, what progress the UK has made with implementing the G8 Africa Action Plan. [91796]

Clare Short: The UK is implementing all six areas of the G8 Africa Action Plan. UK implementation priorities are peace and security, trade, health, education, aid effectiveness and transparency in the extractive industry. A recent success was the agreement by the UK Working Group of a report setting out a framework to give Africa's poor access the medicines.

Aid (Points of Entry)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the principal points of entry are for international aid to (a) Zambia, (b) Malawi and (c) Zimbabwe. [91258]

Clare Short: WFP's logistical arrangements have been modified and adjusted as appropriate during the first six months of this emergency operation. The graph shows that the actual corridor use and the estimated use of corridors in the period July-December 2002. The shift, which can be attributed to the GMO and milling issues, has in particular affected the Beira corridor which was expected to supply Zambia and Zimbabwe in much higher quantities. The GMO issue demanded that an increased tonnage of non-GM cereals was purchased in Tanzania and the Republic of South Africa (RSA) whereas as a result of the need for milling of GM cereals, more cargo was routed through the RSA for milling prior to dispatch to Zimbabwe.

20 Jan 2003 : Column 18W

WFP: Corridor use: planned, actual, expected

	Percentage of total traffic
	Planned July-December 2002	Actual July-December 2002	Planned January-June 2003
Dar-es-Salaam	11	8	14
Nacala	4	2	6
Beira	40	19	27
Maputo	19	3	10
Durban	25	24	27
Regional purchase	—	48	18

It is not realistic simply to extrapolate the actual use of the various corridors during the past six months in order to determine the logistics plan for the next six months. Due to the fact that the availability of non-GM cereals in the region is now limited, WFP will need to make future purchases on the international market and therefore cargo is expected to arrive through the originally planned points of entry. It should be noted that this shift to international purchases will negatively impact on the lead time for arrivals of cereals at the points of entry.

As a result of the increased tonnages of non-GM cereals being purchased on a FCA basis in the RSA, the logistical set-up in Johannesburg had to be revamped when WFP became a major exporter of food commodities rather than an importer.

Angola

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what evidence has been collated by her Department on abuse of civilians by army personnel in the Cabinda enclave of Angola; and if she will make a statement. [91156]

Clare Short: Access to Cabinda is difficult and the UK government has been unable to assess the situation on the ground. However as part of its emergency response mandate in Angola, the UN is planning an inter-agency mission to the region at the end of this month. This is likely to include UNICEF, the World Food Programme and one of the UN protection agencies, as well as the Government of Angola. We expect that the mission will address the issue of human rights.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in the distribution of food aid to inaccessible areas of Angola. [91165]

Clare Short: The UN has been able to provide food aid to an additional 1 million vulnerable Angolans since the ceasefire agreement last April. However, humanitarian agencies are still unable to reach many parts of the country because of mine infestation and poor road infrastructure. The World Food Programme (WFP) is to conduct airdrops of food aid to Angolans in inaccessible areas.

Serious mine accidents have closed a number of roads. Re-opening them is a UN priority and the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs has contributed US $460,000 from the Emergency Response Fund (ERF) to clear the mines from some of the main transport arteries used to deliver emergency supplies. My Department has allocated £500,000 to the ERF and a further £300,000 to UNDP for a project aimed at

20 Jan 2003 : Column 19W

improving the effectiveness of mine action through strengthened co-ordination at the provincial level. The United Kingdom also contributed 19.7 per cent. of the 6 million euros which the EC has made available for mine action in Angola. This included 5 million euros to a variety of mine clearance agencies.

A $6.9 million WFP Angola Special Operation (SO 10149.1) was recently approved to improve access to vulnerable populations and to reduce the cost of delivering humanitarian assistance. In addition to the £2 million my Department has contributed to WFP food aid in Angola, a further £750,000 has been provide for this special operation to enable WFP to lease all terrain trucks to deliver food aid. The first trucks have arrived in Mavinga where they are being used to deliver food to 70,000 Angolans in the two gathering areas outside the town.

Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much producing her Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [90900]

Clare Short: The cost to my Department of producing our 2002 Annual Report was £61,236. The number of copies printed for DFID was 3,500. This excludes copies ordered by The Stationery Office Ltd. for sale to their

20 Jan 2003 : Column 20W

customers (these costs are not charged to government). The number of copies sold by The Stationery Office at cover price was 421.

DFID does not charge for copies of its Annual Report. By the end of 2002, 1,733 copies of the report had been provided free of charge to people within the following groups: Parliament; British Embassies and High Commissions; Churches and Faiths; International Development Organisations; DFID headquarters, overseas offices and delegations; Other Government Departments; Non Governmental Organisations; Libraries; University Research Institutes and other Development Academics; and individuals who requested them via the DFID website or public inquiry point.

My Department also produced a summary version of the report at a total cost of £11,673. 15,000 copies of this summary were produced, of which 12,694 have been provided free of charge to people within the groups listed above.

---