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28 Apr 2003 : Column 140W—continued

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Advertising Campaigns

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [106435]

Alun Michael: The Department does not maintain records of its expenditure on advertising separately. Our expenditure for publicity, which includes advertising, publications, events, shows and direct information literature mailings in financial year 2002–03 is estimated to be £6.0 million. This includes communication on a very wide range of matters, much of it necessary or beneficial to the public and to the wide range of industries in which Defra has an interest, together with local government, voluntary organisations and other bodies.

Agricultural Subsidies

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the occasions since 1997 when the Department (a) has attempted to reclaim and (b) successfully reclaimed overpayments relating to (i) the environmentally sensitive areas scheme and (ii) other agricultural-related schemes, giving in each case the name of the person or company involved and the amount reclaimed, expressed as a proportion of the original payment made by the Department or its agencies. [108946]

Mr. Meacher: Details of individual recovery cases are not kept in the format requested. To gather the information would require a significant diversion of resources. There are currently some 28,000 agreement holders in these schemes, each with a 10 year agreement starting some time between 1993 and 2002.

Horse Passports

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the evidential basis was for the statement in her

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Department's news release of 27 March, that any option other than passports for all horses would have resulted in under implementation of the EU legislation. [109317]

Alun Michael: The requirement is set out in Articles 3 and 4 of Commission Decision 2000/68/EC, which must be read in conjunction with Commission Decision 93/623/EC.

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans other EU countries have to implement European Commission Decision 2000/68/EC; and if she will make a statement. [109318]

Alun Michael: We are seeking up-to-date information from other member states on how they are implementing Commission Decision 2000/68/EC. I will write to the hon. Member when the full picture is available.

Pigs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about the Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) (Interim Measures) (England) (No. 2) Amendment Order. [109435]

Mr. Morley: We are currently reviewing the representations we have received about the Government's proposals to review the pig identification and tracing requirements. Officials also met with pig industry representatives on 7 April to discuss the proposals further.

Regions White Paper

Joyce Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made by the Department towards the aim in the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, of encouraging applicants to public bodies from all parts of England; and what change there has been in the geographical diversity of appointees to NDPBs and other public bodies sponsored by the Department since the publication of the White Paper. [108564]

Alun Michael: Defra seeks to reach as wide a range of applicants for its public bodies as possible. This includes advertising its public appointments vacancies in the national press and in trade or technical publications, if appropriate. Advertisements for regional bodies are also placed in the regional press. In addition the Department puts all public appointment vacancies on the Defra website at www.defra.qov.uk/corporate/appointments and on the Cabinet Office's new vacancies website at www.publicappts-vacs.gov.uk

In 2002, Defra staff took part in the 8 regional seminars organised by the Cabinet Office's Women and Equality Unit (now part of DTI). These events were aimed at encouraging more women from the regions, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled women, to participate in public appointments. Defra's stand exhibited the range of its public bodies and the variety and number of its public appointment vacancies which would arise in the next year.

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All appointments to Defra's public bodies are made on merit. 138 appointments were made between 14 May 2002 and 31 March 2003. Those appointed live in the following Government Office regions:

Government office regionNumber of appointmentsPercentage
North West5(23)3.6
North East21.4
Yorkshire and the Humber96.5
East Midlands75.1
East of England2518.1
West Midlands75.1
South East4834.8
South West118
London85.8
Scotland118
Wales32.2
Others(24)21.4

(23) Percentage of all appointees

(24) Outside UK

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what analysis she has made of the lessons that can be learned from the reconstruction of Afghanistan for Iraq. [110020]

Clare Short: DFID has built on lessons learned in each of the complex emergencies with which we have grappled since 1997. The need for communication and information sharing is one of the most important lessons.

DFID has contributed £150,000 to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) based in Cyprus. The Government's response has been coordinated through a Cabinet Office committee. DFID is providing regular updates on humanitarian and reconstruction issues.

Departmental and international co-operation has been enhanced by secondments of staff and advisors; DFID have seconded four advisors to UN agencies, two advisors to UK forces and an advisor to ORHA. Further secondments will take place over the coming weeks.

We have focused our initial humanitarian efforts on the restoration of essential basic services such as power and water supplies and have made the creation of a permissive security environment a priority. This will allow humanitarian agencies to enter Iraq and facilitate further reconstruction activities.

As in Afghanistan, we are committed to handing over power to the people of Iraq as soon as possible through a broad-based and representative Iraqi Interim Authority (IIA) selected by a process overseen by the UN.

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the war in Iraq upon the economies of (a) Eritrea, (b) Sudan and (c) Ethiopia. [109672]

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Clare Short: The economic effects of the war in Iraq on world markets are unclear, but the economic impacts in the Horn of Africa look unlikely to be significant. If oil prices fall this can be expected to have some negative effect on Sudan, and some positive effects in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources have been made available to the International Committee for the Red Cross for its role in Iraq. [109700]

Clare Short: My Department has allocated £32 million to the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement for their work in Iraq, £16.5 million of which is for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to establish offices in Iraq; what financial resources they will be allocated; and in what cities they will be situated. [109701]

Clare Short: DFID's humanitarian assistance to Iraq is managed from London. This is supported by DFID staff deployed in the region, two humanitarian advisers seconded to the UK military in Southern Iraq, staff visits from the UK, and close links with the UN system. Subject to the security situation, we expect staff visits to increase. However it is too soon to say when a longer-term presence will be established in Iraq.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the health ministries in surrounding states regarding the possibility of transferring acutely ill civilian casualties from Iraq to their hospitals. [109702]

Clare Short: DFID has not had any discussions on this issue with health ministries in surrounding states.

It is preferable for medical assistance to the people of Iraq to be delivered in Iraq where there are large numbers of doctors with suitable facilities. Our priority is to support the work of the ICRC and others to get Iraqi health systems up and running.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees her Department has in Iraq. [109703]

Clare Short: At present my Department has two staff embedded with UK forces, and one staff member with the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA). We are reviewing our presence in the region on an on-going basis.

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian situation in (a) Najaf, (b) Karbala and (c) Nasariyah; and if she will make a statement. [109705]

Clare Short: The International Committee for the Red Cross, UN agencies and NGOs, are now undertaking regular humanitarian assessments in Iraq. The results of these are summarised in our Iraq updates available from DFID's website at www.dfid.gov.uk.

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Humanitarian assessments by almost all agencies operating in Iraq are being logged by the UN Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) and are available from www.agoodplacetostart.org

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what discussions her Department has had with the Ministry of Defence regarding the humanitarian corridors providing aid into Iraq; [109708]

Clare Short: Aid agencies wish to operate in Iraq within a 'humanitarian space' made secure by the controlling forces rather than being escorted by military forces through 'humanitarian corridors'.

DFID has had extensive discussions on the need for security with the Ministry of Defence. The military are already aware of the urgency of this issue. The situation is improving steadily. There are now an average of 20 humanitarian missions per day into Iraq, 40 per cent. by UN agencies. Most are into the south. In the north international UN staff are expected to return very shortly.

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has contributed to the appeal of $5 million for the next six months to support UNFPA in their work with pregnant women in Iraq. [109949]

Clare Short: DFID has not contributed to the UNFPA appeal. Our contribution of £65 million to the UN Flash appeal is focused on funding immediate humanitarian needs.

DFID is a strong supporter of UNFPA. In the last financial year (2002–03) we increased our annual core support to £18 million.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on whether humanitarian aid should be delivered by (a) the UN and (b) coalition military forces in Iraq. [110040]

Clare Short: The coalition military are responsible for the provision of humanitarian assistance in the areas they occupy as set down in the Geneva Convention and Hague regulations governing armed conflict. The Treasury has allocated £30 million to the Ministry of Defence for this purpose. DFID is advising the Ministry of Defence on its humanitarian work.

DFID is supporting the provision of humanitarian assistance in Iraq on the basis of greatest need. DFID has committed £115 million for this: £65 million to the UN Flash Appeal; £32 million to the International Red Cross/Red Crescent movements; £8 million to the World Food Programme (WFP); £5 million to NGOs; £2 million to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF); £1.75 million to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); £1 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO); £150,000 to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); £100,000 to the Office of the UN Security Coordinator (UNSECOORD). DFID has set aside £95 million to support emerging humanitarian needs.

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The UK is committed to humanitarian assistance being provided by civilian agencies wherever possible. The UK armed forces fully appreciate the need to hand over to humanitarian agencies as soon as the situation allows.

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about measures she is taking to support (a) hospitals in Iraq and (b) the provision of medical supplies. [110199]

Clare Short: Since the start of the current crisis DFID has supported the following agencies to provide assistance to the Iraqi health sector.


Coalition forces are working to protect hospitals and restore order in the areas they control as part of their responsibilities under the Geneva Convention and Hague Regulations obligations.

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