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Eritrea

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what development aid has been made available in each of the last two years to Eritrea. [98806]

Clare Short: Bilaterally we provided £788,000 in 2002 and £839,000 in 2001. These funds were spent on meeting humanitarian needs and also on a small grants scheme. In addition we contributed 20 per cent. of EC spending, which in 2000, the most recent year that we have figures available for, was a UK contribution of £700,000.

In addition we provided £500,000 in 2002 and £250,000 in 2001 to the UN Trust Fund for the delimitation and demarcation of the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

The UK does not have a development partnership with Eritrea. We will continue to make a contribution to meeting urgent humanitarian needs, and to the consolidation of the peace process. We will also continue to assess the scope for helping with economic and political reform.

Ethiopia

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether malnutrition rates in Ethiopia are increasing. [98270]

Clare Short: The latest UN assessment is that although they have not observed a general deterioration in the nutritional status of the drought affected population, there has been a slow but gradual increase in Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in some of the drought affected areas of Ethiopia. Some areas are now above 10 per cent. GAM allowing no margin for error. The situation therefore requires constant monitoring.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if, at the meeting to be held with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, she will ask him what steps are being taken by the Ethiopian Government to investigate the detention without trial and torture and ill-treatment of (a) up to 60 demonstrators arrested in Oromia in April 2002 and (b) approximately 48 persons in the capital Addis Ababa, suspected of being members of the Oromo Liberation Front in August 2002. [98827]

Clare Short: Her Majesty's Government encourage the Ethiopian Government to handle political protest—violent or peaceful—in accordance with the provisions of their own law and relevant international conventions on human rights. I shall be discussing this issue within the context of the request for support I have received from Prime Minister Meles for transforming the Ethiopian police force into a force working with the community.

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Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to what extent funding to Ethiopia under the Department's Direct Budget Support system will be conditional upon an improved human rights situation in the country. [98873]

Clare Short: My Department is developing a three-year programme of direct budget support to Ethiopia to support the implementation of the Ethiopian Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Programme (SDPRP). This will follow up on the disbursement agreed in January 2003. We intend to measure progress by the Government against a range of indicators from the SDPRP and other Government policy statements that will be agreed between the Government and a group of interested donors, including the UK. These indicators should cover the full range of commitments in the SDPRP including issues related to democratisation, empowerment and respect for human rights—economic and social, as well as civic and political.

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether, at her meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, she will raise (a) the detention without trial of thousands within Ethiopia; and (b) the likelihood of the Ethiopian Government either releasing such persons or placing them on trial as soon as possible. [98874]

Clare Short: In the Memorandum of Understanding I signed with the Ethiopian Government in January 2003, the Ethiopian Government renewed its commitment to protect the full range of human rights including economic and social rights of all Ethiopians, especially the poor. We are supporting the implementation of this commitment through our support for the Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Programme (SDPRP) and through regular dialogue with the Ethiopian Government, at which we raise human rights and other issues of concern. At my planned meeting with Prime Minister Meles, I expect to discuss progress on implementing the SDPRP and any issues of concern that arise.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Department will be conducting training of Ethiopian police and security forces as referred to in the Department's Ethiopian Country Assistance Plan. [98828]

Clare Short: My Department will be leading a joint DFID/MOD/FCO mission to Ethiopia to discuss with Government and civil society what support might be usefully provided for security sector reform and reforming the police. The provision of training will be considered during that mission.

Global Fund (Contributions)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to the US Government on contributions to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria. [98994]

Clare Short: The UK Government have pledged £138 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) over five years and have urged other donor countries, including the US, to commit to multi year funding. The UK remains strongly committed to

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the fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria. In considering future contribution levels to the Fund, we will look closely at its performance and effectiveness relative to other channels of assistance, and at the extent to which the Fund is supporting health and development plans and processes formulated by developing countries.

Iraq

Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what preparations are being made to (a) monitor the humanitarian impact of military action in Iraq and (b) provide the appropriate humanitarian assistance. [98600]

Clare Short : My Department is holding regular discussions with the Ministry of Defence, UN agencies and other humanitarian actors about contingency planning for a range of eventualities in Iraq.

In the event of military action, a key priority for the Government would be to minimise the suffering of the Iraqi people, who are already very vulnerable. This would include: provision of immediate humanitarian assistance by those best placed to do so; and re-establishment of the UN Oil For Food Programme distribution network. DFID is providing an additional £3.5 million contribution to support UN humanitarian contingency planning for Iraq, including the prepositioning of basic supplies, through funding to UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, OCHA and UNSECOORD.

Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what additional funds have been allocated for humanitarian relief to accompany any military action in Iraq. [98601]

Clare Short: DFID has a contingency reserve of £100 million which we will draw on for any emergency situation in Iraq.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what steps have been taken to monitor the humanitarian situation in Iraq in the event of military action; [98880]

(2) what analysis has been conducted as to likely humanitarian needs in the event of military action in Iraq. [98882]

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend for Derby, North (Mr. Laxton) (to PQ 98600) earlier today.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what additional funds have been allocated to address the need for humanitarian relief in Iraq following military action. [98881]

Clare Short: DFID has a contingency reserve of £100 million, which we will draw on for any emergency situation in Iraq.

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contingency plans she has made to provide assistance to the people of Iraq in the event of military action being taken against that country. [98954]

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Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend for Derby, North (Mr Laxton) (to PQ 98600) earlier today.

IT Contracts

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list IT contracts in her Department above £50 million in each year since it was established; what the inception date for each system was; when it became fully functional; when it became fully debugged; and what the cost of over-runs has been. [99007]

Clare Short: My Department has taken forward IT projects on a step-by-step incremental basis and we have had no contracts above £50 million.

Malawi

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid her Department is giving to Malawi to deal with food shortages. [98271]

Clare Short: The Department for International Development has spent approximately £34 million since the onset of the crisis: on food importation and distribution, provision of wages for employment on public works programmes (cash for work), support to agricultural production (targeted inputs of seed and fertiliser for 2 million of the poorest farmers) and rehabilitation of rail and road links on the import corridors. DFID's contribution forms a significant part of the effective consortium approach developed to deal with the crisis in which the Malawi Government, donors, NGOs and the commercial sector are partners.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what evidence has been collated by her Department on the early harvesting of immature maize in Malawi; and what assessment she has made of the effects of late planting of maize in Malawi on food stocks there. [98991]

Clare Short: Early harvesting of maize for immediate use is a regular component of the coping strategies for poor rural household in Malawi during the annual hungry season, which lasts normally from January to March. Although this may result in reduction in the grain harvest, the impact on national food security is expected to be minimal as present national maize grain stocks are higher than at any similar time during the last five years.

Although there has been some localised flooding, the general picture of the 2002–03 rainy season remains good, with the latest maize crop estimate for a harvest of 2.05 million tonnes, about 95 per cent. of national requirements.

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