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28 Mar 2003 : Column 482W—continued
Malawi
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on aid for Malawi. [105534]
Clare Short: My Department will publish the Malawi Country Assistance Plan for 2003–04 to 2005–06 within the next few weeks. A copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Our aim is to support Government of Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) goals, to deliver sustainable services to the poor and to help mitigate risks that threaten to derail these processes. A significant part of UK assistance will be aimed at improving Government systems. DFID will concentrate on health, education, rural livelihoods and Safety Security and
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Access to Justice. Measures to help ensure food security and to combat HIV/AIDS will form a major part of the programme.
UN Agencies
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department estimates to be the annual recurrent costs of maintaining a high level of preparedness for UN agencies. [104362]
Clare Short: The UN agencies do not provide detailed figures on the cost of their contingency planning and preparedness. The majority of DFID's regular support to UN agencies is provided as packages of assistance focused on capacity building and institutional strengthening, under the terms of its Institutional Strategy Papers.
In the financial year 2002–03, DFID provided approximately £27.2 million of support to UN agencies to strengthen their ongoing preparedness for emergent crises, Contributions per agency were as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| UNHCR | 14 |
| UNICEF | 3.3 |
| UNDP | 4.3 |
| OCHA | 4.5 |
| WFP | 1.1 |
By strengthening these agencies organisationally, DFID is also helping them to provide a more rapid and effective response both at headquarters and in the field. In particular, DFID's partnerships with OCHA, UNDP, UNICEF and WFP all include elements which aim to have a clear impact on their levels of preparedness. Our contribution to OCHA is designed to develop its capacity to develop and co-ordinate humanitarian response and capacity, £2 million of our contribution to UNDP is used to develop the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery's capacity to support UNDP Country Offices in the event of an emerging crisis and a further £2 million has been provided to UNICEF for strengthening of emergency response and preparedness. We have also provided additional support to specific agencies in preparation for the Iraq crisis.
World Food Programme
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the amount of food aid required by the World Food Programme; and how much has been distributed to the Occupied Territories. [105147]
Clare Short: The World Food Programme's (WFP) current Emergency Operations Programme covers the basic food needs of 500,000 of the most vulnerable Palestinians until June 2003. It estimates a requirement of food to the value of $18 million. The appeal is fully funded. WFP report that in February over 2,200 metric tonnes of WFP food aid was distributed. Current in-country stock is over 2,000 metric tonnes.
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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Council Tax (East Riding)
David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of unpaid council tax in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997. [105280]
Mr. Leslie: Central Government do not currently collect information on the level of council tax arrears owed to English local authorities. Figures are, however, collected by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, which it publishes annually in its Revenue Collection Statistics series. Those that are available for the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997 are tabled as follows.
| Financial year | In-year council tax arrears as at 31 March | Previous years' council tax arrears as at31 March | Total council tax arrears as at 31 March |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | (20)— | (20)— | (20)— |
| 1997–98 | 4,210 | 2,080 | 6,290 |
| 1998–99 | 2,718 | 2,461 | 5,179 |
| 1999–2000 | 2,766 | 2,896 | 5,662 |
| 2000–01 | 3,361 | 1,741 | 4,832 |
(20) Estimates for 1996–97 are not available
Following discussions with local government, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will, however, be collecting information from English billing authorities on the level of council tax arrears on the QRC4 return for each financial year from 2002–03.
Dorneywood
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on how many weekdays in 2002 Dorneywood was used for Government business. [97372]
- (1) Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times he has been in residence at Dorneywood since June 2001; and on what dates; [97476]
(2) what the cost to public funds of entertainment at Dorneywood was in each of the last 10 years. [97398]
(3) if he will list the (a) dates, (b) nature and (c) cost of official engagements held by (i) him and (ii) other departments of government at Dorneywood since June 2001. [97477]
Mr. Leslie: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's use of Dorneywood is consistent with the terms of the Dorneywood Trust. The information on costs requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has entertained only at public expense at Dorneywood once when the Indian Environment Minister visited for tea in 2001. All other entertainment has been paid for out of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's personal funds.
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Local Authority Powers (Drug Dealers)
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on powers available to local authorities to remove tenants convicted of drug dealing. [104176]
Mr. McNulty: The Housing Act 1996 provides a ground for possession where the tenant or their associate has been convicted of using the dwelling for immoral or illegal purposes (such as drug dealing from the premises) or has committed an arrestable offence in the locality of the tenancy.
Furthermore, the Home Office published an Anti-Social Behaviour White Paper on 12 March which proposes to give police the power to close down premises—rented, owner occupied or otherwise—where Class A drugs are being sold or used and where this has resulted in serious nuisance to the local residents and wider community.
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Ministerial Meetings
David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list for each official meeting he has held at his official residences since June 2001, (a) who were the attendees, (b) what subjects were discussed and (c) what were the dates; and if he will place the visitor books from his official residences in the Library. [94307]
Mr. Leslie: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister holds meetings at his official residences when necessary. Information relating to the detail of these meetings is not disclosed under exemption 2 and 7(b) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.
Repossessions
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many repossessions there have been in each region in each year since 1997. [104179]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
Figures for the number of possession proceedings executed since 1997 are provided in the table.
| Region | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 3,924 | 5,099 | 5,363 | 4,511 | 3,878 | 5,185 |
| Eastern | 3,911 | 4,393 | 4,461 | 4,129 | 3,986 | 4,433 |
| London | 13,067 | 18,596 | 21,071 | 19,800 | 21,834 | 19,127 |
| Merseyside | 1,087 | 1,269 | 1,793 | 1,719 | 3,789 | 1,542 |
| North East | 1,970 | 2,285 | 3,003 | 2,353 | 2,353 | 2,660 |
| North West | 5,883 | 5,506 | 6,804 | 6,318 | 5,456 | 5,797 |
| South East | 6,076 | 6,635 | 6,996 | 5,519 | 6,085 | 5,948 |
| South West | 2,939 | 3,245 | 3,655 | 2,549 | 2,041 | 3,441 |
| Wales | 2,036 | 2,593 | 3,075 | 3,090 | 3,079 | 3,439 |
| West Midlands | 4,639 | 5,255 | 6,755 | 6,145 | 7,556 | 6,023 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 4,333 | 4,825 | 5,747 | 5,448 | 5,563 | 5,103 |
| England and Wales | 49,865 | 59,701 | 68,723 | 61,581 | 65,620 | 62,698 |