| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
8 May 2003 : Column 784W—continued
Partners for Water and Sanitation
Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the work being carried out with the support of her Department on Partners for Water and Sanitation. [111857]
Mr. Morley: Since its inception in 2001, Partners for Water and Sanitation (PAWS) has brought together a forum of partners from Government, civil society and the private sector. The aim has been to contribute to the Millennium Development Goal for Water and the equivalent target for sanitation agreed at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002.
PAWS currently focuses on three countries—South Africa, Uganda and Nigeria. The current position in each of the partner countries is as follows.
8 May 2003 : Column 785W
South Africa
Preparatory meetings in February and May 2002 set the scene for the development of the partnership in South Africa. A further meeting took place the following August to set out the ways in which the partnership could contribute to meeting the needs of municipalities in South Africa. This meeting examined these needs, and agreement was reached on guiding criteria to decide which municipalities will enter into partnership with the UK. The meeting also considered an outline programme of work to include study visits to municipalities by partnership working groups. Partners attended an inception workshop with four nominated municipalities in November at which presentations were made by the partnership to explain the basis for the initiative and by municipalities to explain their assessment of needs and priorities. Scoping study visits were made to Hungulu, Matjhabeng, Nkomazi and Zululand between January and April 2003, from which a number of conclusions and specific recommendations for action were generated. A bi-national meeting is planned to take place in South Africa in early June 2003 to consider the outcome of the scoping studies and to develop a plan of action for each municipality.
Following a series of preparatory meetings in April 2002, PAWS agreed to partnership engagement with the State of Enugu. A further visit was made by a small partnership working party in late September 2002 to participate in meetings at State Government level and to consider a detailed assessment of needs and how these might be met from partnership resources. The group reported to the Partnership Steering Group late in 2002 setting out areas which had been identified for possible partnership involvement. The group are currently finalising a plan for action over the next year, which includes the appointment of an in-country co-ordinator.
The concept of Partners for Water and Sanitation was introduced to Uganda in May 2002. An exploratory visit took place the following June, which identified potential stakeholders and furthered the development of the initiative in Uganda. The partnership was represented at the annual sector review at the end of September 2002. Discussions are continuing on the scope for partnership involvement in and the Secretariat are examining the options for exchange programmes to allow Ugandan Government technical staff the opportunity to visit the UK.
Water Industry
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her policy that the Water Service regulator, in determining the charges that water companies can make to their customers, should take account of the need for these companies to rectify flooding problems which do not necessarily involve direct ingress of water or sewage into people's homes. [112099]
Mr. Morley: In setting price limits for sewerage undertakers, the Director General of Water Services takes account of companies' sewer flooding programmes. In the initial Guidance issued to the Director General in January 2003, the Secretary of
8 May 2003 : Column 786W
State, made clear that there would need to be an increase in the rate at which companies rectify sewer flooding problems if companies are to get on top of the situation.
The Secretary of State also welcomed the findings of the consultation carried out by Ofwat in the paper, "Flooding from Sewers", particularly the proposal that the worst cases of external sewer flooding should be included in sewerage undertakers' programmes. This should help to ensure that many more customers than at present benefit from sewer flooding prevention schemes.
TREASURY
Global Health Fund
12. Mr. Lyons: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to finance the Global Health Fund. [111893]
John Healey: The Department for International Development has committed $200 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over five years.
In addition, the Treasury is seeking international support to establish the International Finance Facility, which will raise $50 billion annually to fund the Millennium Development Goals. This money would be disbursed in the form of concessional loans and grants, including debt relief.
Industrial and Provident Societies
16. Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further measures he is taking to reform industrial and provident society law. [111897]
Mr. Boateng: The Government recognise the important contribution industrial and provident societies can make to the economy and are currently progressing a range of initiatives to support the sector.
Overseas Development Assistance
17. Mr. Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress the UK is making towards the target of contributing 0.7 per cent. of national income to aid for the developing world. [111899]
John Healey: The Government remain fully committed to reaching the UN target for official development assistance (oda) of 0.7 per cent. of Gross National Income. In the 2002 Spending Review the Government set out their spending plans for the next three years up to 2005–06 and have made substantial increases to the aid budget. The UK's level of official development assistance reached 0.32 per cent. in 2001 and will reach 0.40 per cent. by 2005–06, up from 0.26 per cent. in 1997.
Aid effectiveness is also important as well as aid volumes. The Government are committed to redirecting their development assistance budget to the poorest countries, particularly those with effective governments pursuing high growth and pro-poor economic and social policies. By 2005–06, 90 per cent. of DfID's bilateral budget will be spent in low-income countries, where
8 May 2003 : Column 787W
research tells us it is most effective. In addition, the Government have untied all their aid as from 1 April 2001.
Tax Credit Claims
18. Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of applications for (a) working tax credit and (b) working families tax credit were submitted either incomplete or with errors preventing correct assessment. [111900]
Dawn Primarolo: Claims for Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit are made together, on one form, leading to a single calculation if claimants qualify for both. By 28 April, over 4 million claims to the new tax credits had been received and around 3.2 million awards were already being paid or had been set up for payment. The Inland Revenue was working through the remaining claims as quickly as possible. Where necessary, the Revenue contacts claimants to ask for any outstanding information or to follow up any queries about the claim.
The number of claims for Working Families Tax Credit that were initially incomplete is not available. The priority is to identify and correct errors where possible and get claims into payment.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons are for the recent unavailability of the working tax credit helpline; and if he will make a statement. [105263]
Dawn Primarolo: In recent weeks the number of callers has exceeded the capacity of the helpline and some have not been able to get through on their first call. One of the facts that the helpline has consistently had to confirm is that the earliest date for the (monthly) payment is 28 April. To meet the demand, we have, over the last six weeks, increased the resource allocated to handling telephone calls to maximise the number of calls the helpline can answer.
Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action he is taking to ensure that take-up of tax credits is not adversely affected by the initial administrative problems; [110856]
- (2) what action he is taking to relieve the impact of the problems encountered when administering tax credits in the Redcar constituency. [110855]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made in the House on 28 April 2003, Official Report, column 53W.
Over 4 million claims have already been made for the Child and Working Tax Credit. The publicity campaign to encourage claims from families who may be entitled to tax credits will continue.
Mr. Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much has been spent on publicising the emergency payments system for tax credits; and if he will list the media being used to publicise the emergency payments system; [111384]
- (2) how many households have received money under the emergency payment system for tax credits; and what the total value of such payments is. [111385]
8 May 2003 : Column 788W
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many interim payments of child tax credit have been paid by each Inland Revenue office. [111835]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue already had standing procedures to enable interim payments of tax credits to be paid, in cases where such payments are necessary. As I said to the House on 28 April 2003, by the end of last week 3.2 million families had their tax credits in payment in the normal way and remaining cases were being processed as quickly as possible. In the vast majority of cases, therefore, special arrangements for payment are not necessary.
Mr. Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Inland Revenue will publish a code of practice on overpayment of tax credits. [111386]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue will publish a code of practice on recovery of overpaid tax credits later this year.
Mr. Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit are waiting to be processed. [111390]
Dawn Primarolo: Claims for Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit are made together, on one form, leading to a single calculation if claimants qualify for both. By 28 April, over 4 million claims to the new tax credits had been received and around 3.2 million awards were already being paid or had been set up for payment. The Inland Revenue was working through the remaining claims as quickly as possible, where necessary contacting claimants for outstanding information.
Mr. Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many households who submitted application forms before 31 January are yet to receive payments of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit; how many payments of (i) child tax credit and (ii) working tax credit are overdue; and what the total value is of overdue payments of (A) child tax credit and (B) working tax credit; [111393]
- (2) how many households who have applied for (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit and who opted to receive four-weekly payments applied (i) before and (ii) after 31 January. [111389]
Dawn Primarolo: About 2.7 million claims for child tax credit and working tax credit were received by the end of January 2003.
Awards are already being paid except in the small proportion of cases where further information is needed to make a decision on the claim. In these cases the Inland Revenue should already have been in touch with claimants to ask for that further information.
About a third of all claims processed so far have opted for weekly payment.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |