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Kyrgyzstan

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) the United States of

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America, (b) the European Union and (c) Russia to encourage them to give aid to Kyrgyzstan; and if she will make a statement. [97166]

Clare Short: There have been no direct discussions with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Commission or

Russia on aid to Kyrgyzstan. The United States already provides development assistance to Kyrgyzstan: around US$35 million in 2002. Up to 1999 the EU Tacis programme, to which the UK contributes, provided grant assistance of Euro 53 million to Kyrgyzstan, with a further Euro 16 million being allocated for the period 2000–03.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent meetings she has had with non-governmental organisations and international aid organisations regarding Kyrgyzstan; and if she will make a statement. [97167]

Clare Short: Officials from my Department and the DFID office in Bishkek meet with international NGOs and local Kyrgyz NGOs, on a regular basis: some of the NGOs are actively involved in DFID projects in Kyrgyzstan.

The DFID office in Bishkek takes a leading role in donor coordination in Kyrgyzstan. Representatives of the donor community, which includes the international aid organisations, attend monthly coordination meetings. My Department has several collaborative projects with the World bank. Closer links are being established with the Asian Development Bank with a view to working with them also in Kyrgyzstan.

St. Helena

Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in respect of developing air links with St. Helena; and if she will make a statement. [97160]

Clare Short: The St. Helena Government, with our agreement, has decided to seek proposals for private sector participation. A prospectus is being prepared as a basis for inviting responses from interested parties.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Public Appointments

21. Mr. Edwards: To ask the Minister for Women what measures she is introducing to increase the number of women applying for public appointments. [97613]

Ms Hewitt: My hon. Friend, the Minister for State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and I led a national outreach programme, that finished only in

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December 2002, to encourage more women to apply for public appointments. We have now published an excellent practical guide that enables others to take forward this approach.

Social Enterprises

Mr. Mole: To ask the Minister for Women what measures her Department takes to support social enterprise by women. [97615]

Ms Hewitt: Women already play an important part in social enterprises and DTI supports them through a wide range of activities. This will be strengthened through the implementation of the Government's three-year strategy for social enterprise, which I launched in July 2002.

WALES

Air Quality Plans

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which local authorities in Wales have completed Ambient Air Quality (a) plans and (b) assessments. [96459]

Peter Hain: That is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Cardiff International Airport

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what annual emission of (a) NOx, (b) SOx and (c) CO2 was recorded for Cardiff International Airport in the last available year, classified by (i) aviation emissions, (ii) volume for each category of ground vehicle, (iii) type of power unit and (iv) type of fuel. [96454]

Peter Hain: This information is not held centrally and is a matter for the airport operator.

Flood Defences (Hampton Bishop)

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action the Welsh Environment Agency is taking to repair the weakness in the flood defence barrier by the Bunch of Carrots pub at Hampton Bishop, Herefordshire. [95654]

Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.

Operational responsibility for flood measures rests with the local operating authorities, normally the Environment Agency (EA) and local councils, who decide which projects to promote and their timing. This Department provides grants for flood and coastal defence capital works and associated studies, which meet essential technical, economic and environmental criteria and achieve an appropriate priority score.

I understand that EA Wales is preparing a submission to Defra for approval of grant aid on a proposed scheme to strengthen and improve approximately 1 km of the existing embankment along the River Wye at Hampton Bishop, Herefordshire. The EA has identified this length as having a potential weakness in extreme flood conditions. Additionally the Agency, in co-operation with Herefordshire county council, has put into place an Emergency Response Procedure for Hampton Bishop.

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This would include the evacuation of residents in the event of the Agency issuing a Severe Flood Warning for the location.

Gwydyr House

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales who owns the headquarters of his Department at Gwydyr House in Whitehall, London; what his estimate is of (a) the capital value of this building and (b) the annual estimated rental cost; and if he will make a statement. [89951]

Peter Hain: My Department owns Gwydyr House.

(a) £1.7 million;

(b) No recent estimate has been made of the annual rental cost.

Ministerial Visits

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the overseas visits of Welsh Office Ministers in each year from 1997–98 to 2002–03, setting out the (a) destination, (b) timing, (c) total cost and (d) reason for visit; and if he will make a statement. [90098]

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

Postal Votes

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the number of postal votes applied for in Wales for the forthcoming elections to the National Assembly, broken down by (a) Assembly constituency and (b) local authority area. [91830]

Peter Hain: The figures are not held centrally. However, I know that a number of local authorities have taken positive steps to publicise the availability of postal votes. This has led to an increase in applications, which I welcome.

Sickness Absence

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002. [90530]

Peter Hain: The number of days lost due to sickness absence in my Department in 2002 was 206.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many working days were lost due to illness in his Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years. [90747]

Peter Hain: My Department came into existence on 1 July 1999. The number of working days lost due to illness in my Department in (a) 2002 was 206 and (b) 2001 was 277, 2000 were 231 and 1999, from July to December, was 120.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Department in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [93496]

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Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not have any agencies or non-departmental public bodies. Since its establishment on 1 July 1999, there has been no reported absenteeism. The rate of sickness averages between 7.5 days in 1999 to 5.5 days in 2002 per staff year.

The Civil Service is committed to reducing sickness absence by 20 per cent. by 2010 (to 8.3 days per staff year). Wales Office average of sick leave is already below this target.

Vehicle Fleets

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he is taking to encourage Cardiff International Airport Ltd. to introduce low emission vehicles in its operations; and what the outcome has been. [96455]

Peter Hain: That is primarily a matter for the National Assembly for Wales and I will draw his question to their attention because I attach real importance to reducing vehicle emission.

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