---

31 Mar 2003 : Column 498W—continued

Coastal Erosion (Norfolk)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk to the Norfolk Broads as a result of coastal erosion in the Happisburgh area. [103778]

Margaret Beckett: Responsibility for assessing such risks rests with the local operating authorities. The Environment Agency has sea defence responsibility for the length of coastline from Cart Gap, Eccles to Winterton, which fronts the low lying hinterland including the Norfolk Broads. North Norfolk district council has coast protection responsibility for the cliffs at Happisburgh. There is some concern abut the risk of a breach in the frontage at Cart Gap as a result of cliff erosion, but both operating authorities judge that such a risk is not expected for at least 15 to 20 years. Both authorities are keeping the position under review, and the Council monitors the rate of erosion monthly.

Departmental Catering Services

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of (a) the in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by the Department in 2002. [104251]

Alun Michael: The costs of the subsidies paid by the Department for the four in house canteens, three in central London and one in York, for 2002 was £132,413.75.

The figures for the full costs of these canteens and other catering services could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Invoices

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the occasions on which her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period within financial year 2001–02. [104313]

Alun Michael: Information on the occasions where the Department, Agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within the 30 days or after the agreed credit period can be obtained only by disproportionate cost. However I am able to say that the percentage of bills which were paid by Defra within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice was 91 per cent., or 85 per cent. when FMD transactions are included for financial year 2001–02. The average percentage of bills paid by the Departments' Agencies was 93 per cent. over the same period. The average percentage of bills paid by the Departments non-departmental public bodies was 76 per cent. over the same period.

Dog Fouling

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fines were imposed for dog fouling during 2001. [105714]

Alun Michael: The number of fines imposed nationally for dog fouling during 2001–02 was 2,227.

31 Mar 2003 : Column 499W

Environment Agency

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what plans she has to expand the remit of the Environment Agency; [105050]

(2) what recent discussions she has had with the Environment Agency regarding a more independent status for the organisation. [105052]

Mr. Meacher: We intend that the Environment Agency should take responsibility from local authorities and internal drainage boards for all watercourses that present the greatest flood risk. We also intend that the Agency's flood defence functions should be funded by a single stream of DEFRA block grant which will, subject to enactment of the water bill, replace our grants for individual capital schemes and also the levies currently paid by local authorities. The timing of these changes will be announced in due course. The Department has no other plans to change the remit or status of the Agency.

External Reports

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list (a) the title and subject, (b) the total cost to her Department and (c) the commissioned author or organisation of each external report commissioned by her Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997. [103714]

Alun Michael: The information requested in this question is not held centrally in the form requested and could be collated only at a disproportionate cost.

Rural Tourism

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she will take to ensure the promotion of rural tourism after the merger of the English Tourism Council and the British Tourist Authority. [105533]

Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.

VisitBritain, the new organisation which has been created from the merger of the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council will market England within Britain and Britain to the rest of the world. VisitBritain is developing a comprehensive long-term strategy for the marketing of England, to include the countryside. A partnership between VisitBritain, the Regional Development Agencies, the Regional Tourist Boards and the private sector will shortly launch a spring 2003 tourism marketing campaign urging British people to explore England.

Waste Minimisation and Recycling Schemes

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what priority will be given to the funding of waste minimisation and recycling schemes in local authorities with a significant number of landfill sites in their area when changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme are introduced; and if she will make a statement. [98525]

31 Mar 2003 : Column 500W

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 24 February 2003]: Prior to current Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) reform, LTCS funding was directed mainly at approved environmental and social/community projects (approximately one third of the Scheme) and at local authority collection and recycling infrastructure improvements.

Under the proposed reforms, the former will continue to be funded along similar lines as now, while the latter will be supported through closer focussing on sustainable waste management objectives. That will certainly include suitable waste minimisation and recycling schemes.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Aid Agencies

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the UK Government are taking to ensure aid agencies have safe access to endangered populations. [105200]

Clare Short: Humanitarian agencies cannot operate until a permissive security environment has been established. In the interim, the military will discharge their humanitarian obligations under the Geneva Convention and Hague Regulations in order to provide relief in the areas they occupy. Once the situation allows, NGOs will need to undertake their own security assessments before engaging.

Cuba

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on aid to Cuba. [105497]

Clare Short: We do not have a government-to-government bilateral aid programme to Cuba nor do we have plans to develop one.

Funding for DFID programmes in Cuba in 2001–02 was £346,000 primarily through NGOs.

In addition DFID contributes £1 million as its share of the EC aid programme to Cuba.

Emergency Preparations

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons the Government has not made extra funding available to her Department to finance emergency preparedness. [105202]

Clare Short: On 27 March the Chancellor announced that HM Treasury would provide an additional £120 million to DFID for its work in Iraq.

Humanitarian Assistance

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government will take to support the role of the UN in co-ordinating humanitarian relief efforts. [105181]

Clare Short: It is essential that international plans are co-ordinated. This is the role of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). We

31 Mar 2003 : Column 501W

have provided £150,000 to support their Iraq co-ordination centre in Cyprus and have seconded two members of staff.

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government will take to ensure that humanitarian assistance is given on the basis of need by impartial and independent organisations. [105212]

Clare Short: The UK is committed to humanitarian assistance being provided by civilian agencies wherever possible, on the basis of need, and not as part of a military strategy. We are supporting the role of UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in co-ordinating humanitarian assistance. DFID funds for humanitarian assistance are disbursed through independent agencies.

Iraq

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral funding her Department has allocated for development aid for Iraqi citizens in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) each of the next three years. [105065]

Clare Short: Our bi-lateral programme assistance to Iraq in 2002–03 is expected to total approximately £8 million.

Since the onset of the current crisis, DFID has committed £50 million to support preparations by humanitarian agencies, including £32 million for the Red Cross/Red Crescent and £8 million for the World Food Programme. DFID has a further £160 million earmarked for the humanitarian response and is considering further assistance in line with emerging needs. We will consider further resource needs for the reconstruction phase in due course. It is not possible at this stage to anticipate the sums that will be required over the next three years, or to anticipate the balance between bi-lateral and multilateral funding.

DFID provides 19 per cent. of European Community (EC) funding to Iraq through the Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission (ECHO). Since 1991, these contributions have totalled £15 million.

On 21 March 2003, the College of European Commissioners proposed to release an additional 79 million euros from their Emergency Aid Reserve for Iraq, increasing their total humanitarian commitment in the current crisis to 100 million euros. This funding is still to be approved by the European Council.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the levels of food and medicines stockpiled by the coalition on the Iraqi border for Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people within Iraq. [105106]

Mr. Ingram: I have been asked to reply.

United Kingdom forces will, where they are able, deliver emergency humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq until the post-conflict security situation stabilises sufficiently for civilian agencies to deploy. The coalition has long recognised that this would be the case, and has made extensive preparations, including the purchase and pre-positioning of food, water, medicines and other

31 Mar 2003 : Column 502W

supplies. Those supplies will be deployed as any humanitarian requirements arise, and on the advice of experts from the Department for International Development.

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the (a) cost and (b) logistical challenge of aid operations to replace the Oil for Food Programme will be met. [105201]

Clare Short: The immediate humanitarian priority is to get the UN humanitarian actors back into Iraq as soon as the security situation allows, at the same time we must work to get the Oil For Food (OFF) programme back up and running. A new Security Council Resolution has been passed which allows the UN Secretary General to take charge of the programme.

The UK has meanwhile been in discussion with the UN humanitarian agencies, Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and international NGOs to determine what resources they require to procure food to cover any temporary, gap in the OFF programme. The UN is currently planning on a medium case scenario under which the World Food Programme will provide food assistance for a three-month period. We have committed £115 million to support the preparations of our humanitarian partners including the World Food Programme. The WFP is acutely aware of the need to maintain and re-build the Iraqi distribution system used for OFF so that humanitarian supplies can be delivered quickly to those in need.

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to discuss the re-building of Iraqi institutions with European Union partners. [105829]

Clare Short: The first step is to secure a strong UN mandate for reconstruction. The European Council on 20 and 21 March agreed that the UN Security Council should give the UN such a mandate for post-conflict Iraq and make sure that the new Iraqi administration is one that is representative, respects the human rights of the Iraqi people, and allows the people of Iraq to live in peace internally and with their neighbours.

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how she will ensure that humanitarian aid and re-construction of Iraq are carried out under the auspices of the United Nations. [105830]

Clare Short: The UN humanitarian agencies are well prepared and ready to re-enter Iraq as soon as the security situation allows. Iraq staff are still working within Iraq. The UN system has prepositioned stocks and supplies in the region, the World Food Programme has one months worth of food for two million people and is procuring more. The next priority is to get the Oil For Food (OFF) programme back up and running. A Security Council Resolution has now been passed to allow the UN Secretary General to take charge of the programme. 16 million people are reliant on OFF. Most have been provided with food supplies to the end of April but thereafter the need to supply food will be very urgent.

We are also working to secure a UN mandate which will be required to provide legal authority for the reconstruction effort, and to make possible the

31 Mar 2003 : Column 503W

engagement of the International Financial Institutions and the wider international community. The Government are holding on-going discussions with key partners to ensure such a mandate is put in place.

---