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Statutory Instruments

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the statutory instruments issued by his Department in the last 12 months, indicating (a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals. [106323]

Peter Hain: The Statutory Instruments issued by the Wales Office alone are as follows:

National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) (Amendment) Order 2002 No.834

Purpose: to make provision regarding National Assembly elections including allowing for postal voting as of right and making provision for assisting disabled voters.

Local Government Act 2000 (Commencement No.3) (Wales) Order 2002 No. 1359

Purpose: to commence section 93 of the Act which enables grants for welfare services to be made to local authorities by the National Assembly for Wales.

National Assembly for Wales (Disqualification) Order 2003 No.437

Purpose: to prescribe those offices which disqualified the holders from membership of the National Assembly.

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Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales (Accounts, Audit and Reports) Order 2003 No.749

Purpose: to provide for the preparation and audit of the accounts of the Commission and for the preparation and publication of an annual report of the Commission.

National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2003 No. 284

Purpose: to make provision for the conduct of elections and return of members to the National Assembly for Wales and other related matters. It replaces and revokes the National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 1999 No. 450 and the National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) (Amendment) Order 2002 No. 834.

Working Hours

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what policy on (a) core hours and (b) flexible working hours is operated by his Department. [107647]

Peter Hain: My Department applies the National Assembly for Wales' rules on flexi-working. This requires staff to work within the period from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; to be in attendance for the core hours of 10.00–11.45 a.m. and 2.00–3.00 p.m.; and to complete a minimum of 4 hours in each full day.

Young Offenders Institution (Glynneath)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the possibility of establishing a Young Offenders' Institution at Glynneath; and if he will make a statement. [107274]

Peter Hain: I have received representations from a number of sources. It is important that young offenders are placed as closely as possible to their home communities. I therefore believe that the case for establishing a new Secure Training Centre for Wales is a strong one. I have written to the Chairman of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales expressing my support for the initiative.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Zimbabwe

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her most recent assessment is of (a) the loss of life in Zimbabwe over the last 12 months and (b) the level of humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe; and if she will make a statement. [110329]

Clare Short: By far the greatest cause of mortality in Zimbabwe is HIV/AIDS, which the WHO estimates may have resulted in 130,000 deaths in the last year.

At present there are no official estimates of mortality in Zimbabwe during the past 12 months. The results of a national nutrition and health survey, supported by donors including DFID, are due to be released by the Ministry of Health during May. Preliminary indications are that there is little evidence of widespread severe malnutrition among children or deaths from starvation. NGOs report however that there have been cases of illness and death as a result of consuming poisonous wild foods.

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In the last four months prior to the new maize crop entering the market from May, nearly seven million people have been receiving food through the international relief effort. As the nutrition and health survey is expected to confirm, overall, the aid effort has been successful. DFID has been a significant contributor, providing £51 million to help Zimbabwe since the humanitarian crisis began in mid 2001 The prospects for Zimbabwe in 2003 remain dismal. Food security continues to be affected by chaos in the agricultural sector, economic disincentives to production, unemployment at 70 per cent., and 228 per cent. inflation eroding purchasing power. DFID's priorities for the next year will continue to be the prevention of HIV and mitigation of the impact of AIDS, and directassistance for the poor and vulnerable during the continuing economic andsocial crisis in Zimbabwe.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

UKvisas

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost was to UKvisas of handling applications for work permits in each of the last five years. [109609]

Mr. Rammell: Applications for work permits are handled by Work Permits (UK), a part of the Home Office, rather than by UKvisas. UKvisas are responsible for assessing entry clearance applications from work permit holders, but the administrative cost of this is met by the fee charged for all entry clearance applications.

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the public consultation phase of the Afghan constitution-making process will begin; and how many women's groups, and from where, are to be consulted. [109408]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: A process of public education and consultation will begin once the Afghan Constitutional Commission has been established and published the draft text of the constitution. We hope that all sections of Afghan community, including women, will be involved in the process. The UK has given £500,000 to the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan to support the consultation process.

A Constitutional Drafting Commission, including two women members, was established in October 2002 to prepare a set of recommendations to the Constitutional Commission on constitutional arrangements. The Drafting Commission has met with the Ministry for Women's Affairs, women's NGOs, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and other civil society groups to discuss how to incorporate gender and women's rights into the preliminary draft of the constitution.

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the commissioners of the Constitutional Commission in Afghanistan, broken down by gender. [109409]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Constitutional Commission has yet to be established. A Constitutional Drafting Commission of constitutional experts was appointed

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by President Karzai in October 2002. Two of the nine members of the Drafting Commission are women. Their task is to prepare a set of recommendations to the Constitutional Commission on constitutional arrangements.

The members of the Constitutional Drafting Commission are:

Vice-President Shahrani (Chair)

Mr. Azimi

Mr. Fazili

Mr. Sherzoy

Ms Mukarama

Mr. Asheri

Mr. Marufi

Ms Kakar

Mr. Danish

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UN Special Representative in Kabul has appointed a permanent gender advisor; and if he will make a statement. [109410]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) have confirmed that the position of Gender Advisor to the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan has now been filled. UNAMA have told the British Embassy in Kabul that the successful applicant will take up their post in the near future.

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what special security arrangements will be made to ensure the safe and full participation of women in the public consultation phase of the Afghan constitution-making process. [109411]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The International Security Assistance Force will continue to help ensure security in Kabul and the surrounding area during the popular consultation process, while progress with security sector reform should help increase the safety of all Afghans. There are no plans at present for special security arrangements for women.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had regarding the disarmament and demilitarisation efforts in Northern Afghanistan. [110016]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: None. However, FCO officials are in regular contact with Afghan and international partners on all aspects of Afghanistan's disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the need for further (a) political, (b) economic and (c) military support for the Afghan transitional administration. [110017]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: There is a continuing need to provide political, economic and military support to the Afghan transitional administration (ATA). Ministers are in regular contact with the ATA to discuss the best way in which the UK can support it in line with the Bonn Process.

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On 17–18 March the ATA presented its National Development Budget of U$2.3 billion for 2003–04 to a high level meeting with donors in Brussels. Twelve participatory consultative groups, chaired by the ATA, will coordinate the economic and developmental process in Afghanistan. The UK is participating in four of these groups—private sector, economic and financial management, public sector reform and security sector reform. The Department for International Development is additionally carrying out a bilateral programme of support to the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank through the Adam Smith Institute. The UK has spent £170 million in Afghanistan since September 2001.

We continue to contribute towards military assistance to the ATA. In 2002/03 we contributed £18 million towards Security Sector Reform programmes. The UK also contributes approx 300 troops to ISAF.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had concerning securing the adherence of Afghanistan's neighbouring states to a policy of non-interference. [110018]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My ministerial colleagues and I are in regular contact with the Government of Afghanistan, and the Governments of Afghanistan's neighbours, on a wide range of issues, including the reconstruction of Afghanistan and regional security. I welcome the signature by Afghanistan and her neighbours of the good neighbourly relations declaration, in Kabul on 22 December 2002. The declaration marked an important step in building a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between Afghanistan and its neighbours, and should contribute towards greater security and stability in the region.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence. [110019]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We welcomed Pakistan's decision to break its links with the Taliban in 2001, following the attacks in the US on September 11. Pakistan is a key ally in the campaign against terrorism.

We regularly discuss with Pakistan the importance of their continuing support for coalition action against Al Q'aida and its associates (including Taliban remnants), and their support for the Afghan Transitional Administration and the Bonn Process. We welcome Pakistan's signing of the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration together with the Afghan Transitional Administration and Afghanistan's other neighbours on 22 December 2002 as a demonstration of a shared interest in promoting stability in the region.

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