| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
9 Apr 2003 : Column 302W—continued
Iraq
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list (a) UK and (b) non-UK NGOs with which her Department has had meetings regarding the humanitarian situation in Iraq. [107547]
Clare Short: DFID officials have been meeting with NGOs in London since 13 February on a weekly basis. The Save The Children Fund UK (SCF-UK) co-ordinates this informal group on Iraq, which is a forum for discussing latest developments. Attendance at these meetings includes Christian Aid, SCF-UK, Mines Awareness Group (MAG), Oxfam, CAFOD and Tearfund. We are also meeting with non-UK NGOs in
9 Apr 2003 : Column 303W
Amman and Kuwait. Attendance at these meetings includes GOAL, Premiere, Enfant du Monde, Architects of People in Need (APN), Danish Church Aid, Norwegian Church Aid, SCF-US and Mercy Corps.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the cost (a) of humanitarian aid distributed from (i) HMS Sir Galahad and (ii) other sources associated with the UK and (b) assumed to have been incurred by the use of UK troops in distributing the aid will be charged to the UN Oil for Food Programme; and if she will make a statement. [107748]
Clare Short: Humanitarian supplies being provided and distributed by UK forces will not be paid for by the Oil for Food Programme (OFF). The Ministry of Defence has been allocated £30 million by HM Treasury to help it carry out its humanitarian obligations under the Geneva Convention and The Hague Regulations.
The UK does not otherwise provide significant bilateral humanitarian assistance; our assistance is channelled mainly through UN and international aid agencies.
National Insurance
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost will be to public funds in 2003–04 of the rise in national insurance contributions on the salary bill of her Department. [107897]
Clare Short: It is estimated that the changes to employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget will increase pay costs on average by 0.7 per cent. next year.
Southern Africa
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with other donors in relation to the World Food Programme's shortfall in funds for the southern Africa food crisis; and if she will make a statement. [107548]
Clare Short: The World Food Programme's $507 million appeal in July 2002 is now 76 per cent. funded. Both the Prime Minister and I have written to other donors to urge further contributions. The international communities response to the crisis has funded enough food and other supplies to avoid a major catastrophe. DFID officials meet regularly with WFP and other donors, including USAID and the EU, to monitor the food security position in southern Africa. The UK has contributed more that £106 million in humanitarian assistance to Southern Africa since September 2001. The UK share of EU assistance was over £21 million.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the southern Africa food crisis after mid-May; and if she will make a statement. [107549]
Clare Short: Southern Africa has suffered a serious humanitarian crisis since late 2001. Harvests are due across the region starting in April. Early forecasts are
9 Apr 2003 : Column 304W
for variable but generally improved crops. If these forecasts are accurate, then there should be a significant reduction in the scale of the crisis in the region. There will be little need for food aid in Malawi and Zambia, but continuing pockets of need in Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland.
However, there continues to be a major crisis in Zimbabwe. There is likely to be a 1 million tonne shortfall in maize production, and although the number needing food aid in the coming months may drop from the present level of 7 million, this figure is almost certain to climb again by the end of the year.
Websites
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the (a) cost of and (b) number of visitors to each website operated by her Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which her Department is responsible in each year since its establishment. [107634]
Clare Short: The Department for International Development currently operates three principal websites: the departmental site (www.dfid.gov.uk), a site providing access to development education resources (www.globaldimension.org.uk) and a site relating to DFID's quarterly magazine, 'Developments' (www.developments.org.uk). For the launch of the 2000 White Paper on International Development, DFID supported the creation of an additional site (www.globalisation.gov.uk). All sites are active, although the 2000 White Paper site is treated as dormant for the purposes of uploading new information. It would not be possible to list all start-up and annual running costs since inception without disproportionate effort. However, operating and associated costs for each of the websites for the last three financial years are as follows:
| Financial year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |
| DFID website | 37,825 | 122,504 | 64,677 |
| Global Dimension website | 37,595 | 118,984 | 131,268 |
| 2000 White Paper website | 60,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| Developments website | 9,272 | 7,304 | 17,704 |
Figures for 2002–03 are subject to final auditing to take account of any end of year adjustments.
(23) Estimated figures (Hits/Unique Visitors) used for April 2001 to October 2001
(24)
,
(25) No Page Impression figures available
(26) Estimated figures (Hits, Page Impressions, Unique Visitors) used for February 2001 to March 2001
(27) Estimated figures (Hits, Page Impressions, Unique Visitors) used for April 2001, December 2001 to March 2002
(28) Estimated figures (Hits, Page Impressions, Unique Visitors) used for April 2002 to May 2002
(29)No 'Hits' or 'Unique Visitors' figures available
(30)No 'Hits' or 'Unique Visitors' figures available
(31)No 'Hits' or 'Unique Visitors' figures available
9 Apr 2003 : Column 305W
World Food Programme
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution her Department has made to date to the World Food Programme appeals for (a) Southern Africa and (b) Ethiopia. [108020]
Clare Short: DFID has contributed over £106 million since September 2001 to support humanitarian assistance and recovery programmes across six countries in southern Africa (Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe). In addition, the UK has contributed over £21 million to the European Community's response.
Of the total bi-lateral UK contribution, £38.22 million has gone directly to the World Food Programme to support its operations and a further £30.87 million has been provided to support NGO feeding operations, which are closely coordinated with the World Food Programme.
For Ethiopia, DFID has contributed £15 million for food aid at the end of December 2002 to the World Food Programme and in March 2003 we made a further payment of £2 million to them.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Turks and Caicos Islands
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the US Coast Guard regarding the exodus of Haitian immigrants to the Turks and Caicos. [107284]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Government and the FCO Overseas Territories Law Enforcement Adviser, based in Miami, are in regular contact with the US Coast Guard on policy and operational matters, including the extension of measures to combat illegal migration. The US Coast Guard on the Bahamas Island of Gt. Inagua co-ordinates drug interdiction operations under a tripartite agreement between the USA, TCI and the Bahamas, dating from 1990. This can include operations against vessels carrying illegal migrants. TCI law enforcement personnel participate in these operations.
9 Apr 2003 : Column 306W
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Haiti regarding Haitian immigrants in the Turks and Caicos. [107276]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have been in discussions with the Haitian authorities for some time about Haitian immigrants to the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). On 24 March, our ambassador to Haiti held discussions on this subject with the Haitian Foreign Minister in Port-au-Prince at which it was provisionally agreed that a Haitian Government delegation would visit the TCI later this month to continue the dialogue with the TCI authorities.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department gives to the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands regarding the criteria for awarding citizenship. [107279]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The criteria for British Overseas Territories Citizenship are detailed in the British Nationality Act 1981. The Home Office, which has lead responsibility for British nationality matters, has issued detailed guidance, which was transmitted in the form of an instruction manual to the Governors of the British Overseas Territories.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what figures his Department holds for the number of Haitians who have been awarded citizenship in the Turks and Caicos Islands for each year since 1992. [107280]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Regrettably, we do not hold the statistics requested. The following statistics in relation to British Overseas Territories Citizenship have been provided by the Governor's Office, but they are total figures and do not include details by nationality;
| Registrations | Naturalisations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 (August to December) | 0 | 9 |
| 2001 | 50 | 35 |
| 2002 | 35 | 42 |
| 2003 (January to March) | 2 | 9 |
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the government of the Turks and Caicos about illegal Haitian immigrants. [107285]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We are in regular contact with Ministers and Officials of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) on this issue. My noble Friend Baroness Amos last raised the issue with the Chief Minister on 3 March.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the government of the Turks and Caicos islands regarding the human rights of (a) Haitian immigrants and (b) naturalised Haitians. [107287]
9 Apr 2003 : Column 307W
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We are in regular contact with Ministers and Officials of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) on these issues. My noble Friend Baroness Amos last raised the issues with the Chief Minister on 3 March.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the internal security situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands. [107996]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Governor delegates responsibility for day to day operations to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Government Ministries and law enforcement agencies. The FCO Overseas Territories Law Enforcement Adviser, based in Miami, and the regional Defence Adviser, based in Jamaica, also visit the TCI regularly and submit independent assessment reports on the internal security situation. The last visit by both was in February. The assessment process is continuous.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |