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14 Apr 2003 : Column 517Wcontinued
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in her Department have used their leave entitlement under the Parental Leave Directive since it came into force. [108424]
Clare Short: The responsibility for authorising and monitoring such leave is devolved to individual management units and could only be collected at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people are employed in her Department's Press Office; and how many were employed on 2 May 1997. [108402]
Clare Short: The information for all years from 199697 is as follows:
Year | Number of press officers | Annual cost(£) |
---|---|---|
199697 | 6 | 195,000 |
199798 | 6 | 243,000 |
199899 | 4 | 240,000 |
19992000 | 3.3 | 100,000 |
200001 | 4.5 | 150,000 |
200102 | 4 | 148,000 |
200203 | 5 | 191,000 |
For 199697 to 199798 the figures are taken from the "Government Information and Communications Service" (HC 770) published by the Select Committee on Public Administration (29 July 1998) and include the Head and Deputy Head of Information Department who were not fully employed on press duties but whose costs cannot be disaggregated from the totals. Separate records have not been maintained by DFID for those years.
From 19992000 to 200203 the costs include annual salary and pension contributions.
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There are five people employed in the DFID press office. From the information available, as indicated above, there were six people employed on 2 May 1997.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the estimated value is of the Property Portfolio held by her Department. [108365]
Clare Short: The general practice in my Department is to rent office accommodation. The only owned property in UK is our East Kilbride office, Abercrombie House. This is 23-years-old and was valued at £3 million in 2002. It is presently undergoing refurbishment following which, Government Appointed Valuers anticipated the potential value would be between £14 and £16 million.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the role of her Department's officials seconded to the Ministry of Defence; and whether they will remain in the Ministry of Defence (a) for the duration of the war in Iraq and (b) to influence the postwar reconstruction of Iraq. [108882]
Clare Short: My Department has seconded two humanitarian advisers to the Ministry of Defence to assist UK forces in the provision of humanitarian assistance as part of their obligations under the Geneva Convention and Hague Regulations governing armed conflict. DFID advisors will provide advice for as long as it is necessary for the military to engage in the humanitarian response.
The UK is committed to humanitarian assistance being provided by civilian agencies wherever possible. The military fully appreciates the need to hand over to humanitarian agencies as soon as the situation allows.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the salary bill was for special advisers in her Department in 200203; and what it is expected to be in 200304. [108497]
Clare Short: My department has employed two Special Advisers since 1997. The salary cost for the two years requested is as follows:
Year | Salary costs |
---|---|
200203 | 74,220 |
200304 | (9)85,141 |
(9) Estimate
Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking following commitments made at the Third World Water Forum in Kyoto; and if she will make a statement. [108745]
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Clare Short: The provision, use and management of water are central to both sustainable development and poverty reduction. Nearly two thirds of the world's population will be living in countries of significant water stress by the year 2025. If we do not pay more attention to equitable water management we will see conflict and war generated by water shortages. 1.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. The provision of clean drinking water and sanitation is essential to prevent 2 million children dying of diarrhoea every year. Carrying water also exhausts women and keeps girls out of school.
The UN has designated 2003 as the International Year of Freshwater, acknowledging that global water issues need to be placed high on the international agenda. Global water issues were discussed at the Kyoto World Water Forum in March and will also be discussed at the G8 Summit in Evian in June. The UK made no new commitments at Kyoto. The third World Water Forum and the Kyoto Ministerial Declaration added little to the achievements of WSSD in Johannesburg last year but has reinforced efforts towards ensuring that the international community delivers on its promises made at WSSD.
I also refer the hon. Member to see my written Statement to Parliament on Water on 28 January 2003 ahead of the World Water Forum in Kyoto in March setting out our view of the key issues in the sector and our approach to addressing them.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the number of people affected by famine in Zimbabwe; what steps her Department is taking to alleviate the problems; and if she will make a statement. [109166]
Clare Short: Zimbabwe continues to suffer from a major humanitarian crisis. Assessments indicate that 6.7 million people (50 per cent. of the population) required food assistance from December 2002 until the next harvest due in May. However, there has been little access to displaced farm workers or to urban areas where there are serious concerns about vulnerability. Early indications are that this year's maize harvest while double last years will still be 40 per cent. less than required.
DFID, have contributed £51 million to help Zimbabwe since the humanitarian crisis began in mid 2001. We are supporting the World Food Programme, which is now feeding 4.6 million people, while government and NGOs are also supplying food. We have directly funded NGOs that are providing supplementary food to 1.5 million, mostly children, pregnant and nursing women and the elderly. We have supported home care programmes for families affected by HIV/AIDS and have provided seeds and fertilisers to 180,000 households to assist food production.
The international response has averted a crisis and malnutrition rates have increased only marginally. Adequate supplies of food have been secured until June when the harvest will temporarily improve the situation.
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However, the disastrous economic policies in Zimbabwe mean that food aid will still be needed particularly for the large numbers of poor who are unable to buy food.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals have been made by (a) NATO and (b) Russia concerning the Adapted CFE Treaty; what the outstanding issues are; and if he will make a statement. [107746]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The NATO position on the Adapted CFE Treaty was set out most recently in the Prague Summit Declaration in November 2002. This emphasised Allies' commitment to the early entry into force of the Adapted Treaty, welcomed the significant results of Russia's efforts to reduce forces in the Treaty's Article V areas to agreed levels, and urged swift fulfilment of the outstanding Istanbul commitments on Georgia and Moldova "which will create the conditions for Allies and other states parties to move forward on ratification".
In the statement following the NATO-Russia Council at Prague, NATO and Russia agreed to continue to work co-operatively toward ratification by all States Parties and the entry into force of the Adapted Treaty.
The aim of the UK is for the Adapted Treaty to come into force as soon as possible and, with NATO allies, we continue to urge Russia to resolve the outstanding issues on Georgia and Moldova, in line with the bilateral agreements made at the Istanbul OSCE summit.
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Afghanistan High-Level Strategic Forum held in Brussels on 17 March. [108790]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Afghanistan High-Level Strategic Forum followed on from the Afghanistan Development Forum meeting in Kabul on 1314 March. Both meetings provided an opportunity to discuss the progress and future vision for state building in Afghanistan, as well as the long-term funding requirements for reconstruction.
Further information, including a copy of the Chairman's summary from the Brussels meeting, can be obtained from the Afghanistan Transitional Administration's website www.afghanistangov.org/mof.
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the 200304 budget proposed by the Transitional Authority in Afghanistan is; how much has been promised; how much has been delivered; and whether there is a funding gap. [108791]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: At March's Development Forum meeting in Kabul the Afghanistan Transitional Administration presented an overall National Budget
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totalling US$2.3 billion for 200304. We estimate that donor contributions and domestic revenue make up about 90 per cent. of the total requirement.
Further information can be obtained from the Afghanistan Transitional Administration's website www. afghanistangov.org/mof.
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