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Zimbabwe

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department is giving to international efforts to overcome the threat of starvation in Zimbabwe. [106764]

Clare Short: I have contacted all OECD Development Ministers to ask them to do more to help Zimbabwe and have increased the UK's contribution, which now stands at £51 million since September 2001. As a part of this, DFID has provided £18.3 million in support of the World Food Programme's emergency operation, which is currently feeding almost five million Zimbabweans. My Department has also been active in supporting the wider work of the UN, assisting in their analysis of needs, the design of relief efforts, and helping support UN logistical and management capacity.

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department is giving to (a) the Government and (b) non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe to combat the threat of mass starvation. [106762]

Clare Short: Donors work through the UN and non-governmental channels in Zimbabwe, and do not support the Government's programme which is not operated transparently.

DFID has provided £3.75m for NGO feeding direct NGO programmes since September 2001, which are currently providing supplementary food to more than 1.5 million vulnerable Zimbabweans per day. We have also provided £5m through NGOs for seeds and fertilizer to help increase food production this year.

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Advertising Campaigns

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's total spending was on advertising and promotional campaigns between April 2002 and March 2003; and what the cost of each campaign was, broken down by costs relating to (a) television, (b) radio and (c) print media. [106437]

Clare Short: Between April 2002 and March 2003, DFID spent £292,957 on promotional activity to raise development awareness, and £137,837 on the promotion of initiatives such as DFID's Public Service Agreement and HIV/AIDS Awareness to DFID staff in the UK and overseas. The total spending on advertising in print media relating to recruitment and contract procurement during the same period was £1,146,000.

These figures are subject to final auditing to take account of any end of year adjustments.

There was no expenditure on television or radio advertising in this period.

Afghanistan

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money was pledged by donors in Tokyo for Afghan reconstruction in 2002; how much money has been received for Afghan reconstruction; and how much of this money has been spent on (i) relief and (ii) reconstruction and development. [106917]

Clare Short: At the Tokyo conference in January 2002 donors pledged US$4.5 billion for reconstruction and humanitarian assistance over one to five years. As some donors made multi year pledges it is difficult to place a specific figure on how much of this aid was designated for 2002. However, over $1.8 billion was disbursed last year, with many donors providing more than their single year pledges or front-loading multi year pledges.

It is very difficult to sustain a meaningful distinction between relief and reconstruction and development assistance to Afghanistan. We estimate that up to 50 per cent. of assistance last year was for humanitarian assistance.The trend towards a larger proportion of assistance being directed towards long term development will continue in the next and future years.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the slum areas arising around Kabul, Herat and other Afghan cities, with particular reference to the humanitarian conditions in these slum areas. [106918]

Clare Short: Urbanisation is a common phenomenon in developing countries in Asia. The situation is made particularly acute in Afghanistan by a combination of a shortage of shelter, due to the destruction of buildings caused by decades of conflict, and an increase in demand, caused by internal displacement of people to the cities and the return of 1.7 million Afghan refugees in 2002. 1.2 million more are expected to return in 2003. Limited or lack of employment opportunities in the rural areas add to the problem, with many rural inhabitants migrating to the cities.

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Lack of adequate shelter in informal urban settlements is a major humanitarian concern in Afghanistan. This was particularly serious during the recent winter months. The UN, working with local Afghans as well as international NGOs, have been providing assistance to meet humanitarian needs throughout Afghanistan, including in these urban areas and in particular through their recent successful Winterisation Programme. For example, UNHCR is assisting in the sustainable re-integration of returning refugees. Their assistance includes immediate needs including cash, and shelter kits. UNICEF is also working to provide shelter, water/sanitation, health, nutrition, and education.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the rights of Afghan women outside Kabul. [106923]

Clare Short: The rights of Afghan women remain a concern throughout Afghanistan, although we welcome the recent signing on 5 March of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The UK will help Afghanistan to implement CEDAW, with access to services by women and girls being monitored as in those reconstruction programmes that we support. Access to healthcare and education for women and girls in rural areas continues to be a problem, although 1.5 million girls have returned to school as part of the ATA and UNICEF's Back-to School programme.

Women's rights and access to services often vary between regions and provinces, however. In the north, for example, women hold senior positions in local government ministries and have influence in the local community. About a third of teachers in the north are women, and mixed classes of boys and girls are permitted. Approximately 30 per cent. of the students are girls.

In other areas of the country, with different ethnic balances and different cultural and religious norms the situation is less advanced. We are concerned about the recent decree from Ishmael Khan in Herat, enforcing strict gender segregation in schools. As there is a shortage of female teachers in Herat, we understand that this may prevent women and girls from receiving an education.

Burundi

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of (a) political stability and (b) the humanitarian situation in Burundi. [106928]

Clare Short: Despite the 2 December 2002 ceasefire agreement with the FDD, fighting continues in Burundi. Moreover the FNL still remain outside the peace process. We welcome President Buyoya's decision to step down on 1 May, thereby honouring the provisions of the Arusha Accord settingup the transitional government. The early deployment of the African mission force is central to achieving a full ceasefire and the smooth transition of power after the 1 May

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handover. The UK is working actively within the UN and with regional leaders to achieve this and we are ready to contribute to the costs involved.

The humanitarian situation in Burundi is very poor, with very high levels of disease, high rates of malnutrition and, resulting from this, high levels of mortality. There are serious problems of access to some communities. DFID committed £1.9 million to Burundi last financial year, made up of £1 million in humanitarian interventions and £0.9 million for peace building activities. Our humanitarian interventions have focused on nutrition and health support, channelled through international NGOs and UN agencies. The EC provided humanitarian funding totalling US$ 15.7 million (about £10.12 million) in 2002. The 2003 Community budget for humanitarianassistance totals US$ 15 million (about £9.67 million).

Departmental Pay

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made with the pay review in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible, with particular reference to the gender pay gap; and if she will make a statement. [106754]

Clare Short: The Department has just substantially completed its equal pay audit of staff below the Senior Civil Service, in line with the Government's commitment to review pay systems by April 2003 in response to the Equal Opportunities Commission Task Force "Just Pay" report. So far no significant pay gaps have been found. However, there are some areas requiring further analysis and these are being taken forward in consultation with recognised trade unions.

Departmental Running Costs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the running costs in 2002 were of (a) her Ministers' private offices, separately identifying expenditure on staff, and (b) her Department. [106003]

Clare Short: DFID's net expenditure on running costs for 2001–02 (the last year for which figures are available) was £81.957 million. Figures for DFID running costs for 2002–03 will be published shortly in the departmental Resource Accounts.

Figures for the running costs of Ministers' private offices are not recorded separately.

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