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15 May 2003 : Column 398W—continued
Sudan
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she is having with the Sudanese Government regarding sector wide approaches to (a) health and (b) education in that country. [112176]
Hilary Benn: DFID's programme in Sudan since 1991 has been focussed on responding to humanitarian needs. DFID has not engaged in substantive discussion with the Government of Sudan on longer-term development issues and would not do so in the absence of a peace agreement.
When there is peace, the key next step in planning for reconstruction of the education and health sectors will be the preparation of a comprehensive development plan. UNICEF and other agencies have already carried out considerable work on data collection and analysis, particularly in the south. The priority will be to build local capacity.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made in providing education to the children of Southern Sudan. [112177]
Hilary Benn: We have contributed US$2 million to UNICEF for schools rehabilitation throughout Sudan. Basic materials (1,500 school kits, 1,000 textbooks and 500 headteacher kits) will be distributed to every primary school in southern Sudan over the next three months in time for the start of the next school year. The textbooks will be prepared at low cost locally using the recently developed curriculum.
We are also working closely with the World bank on the preparation of the Country Status Report over the next few months to ensure that the particular needs of the south are fully reflected in the future development plans for the sector.
Turkey
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of Turkey regarding the recent earthquake in Southern Turkey. [112710]
Hilary Benn: DFID's Emergency Response Team was activated within 2 hours of the earthquake and was on standby to assist the Turkish Government should it have been deemed necessary. The Turkish authorities were notified of our willingness to help. In the event the Turkish authorities did not request international assistance.
While the earthquake caused considerable damage to infrastructure in Bingol, sufficient assistance has been provided locally to meet the immediate needs of those affected.
Waste Treatment
Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to encourage the treatment of domestic and village waste in the most impoverished countries. [111855]
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Hilary Benn: DFID is advocating an integrated approach to environmental health to improve health and combat poverty. The challenge today is to build upon models of best practice to expand service delivery in solid waste management, sanitation coverage, access to clean water and hygiene education.
DFID adopted the target of reducing by half the proportion of people without access to hygienic sanitation facilities by 2015 in the Target Strategy Paper 'Addressing the Water Crisis', produced in March 2001. We worked hard to win international agreement to this target at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and will continue to emphasise sustainable and pro-poor sanitation and hygiene programmes.
Through our commitment to multi-lateral initiatives and bi-lateral agreements we are prioritising support to national governments and civil society organisations to accelerate work in environmental health in the countries of greatest need. In particular, we currently support comprehensive solid waste management programmes in a number of countries including Egypt, West Bank/Gaza, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Caribbean.
DFID also funds Resource Centres dedicated to enhancing communication, knowledge transfer and co-operation between DFID, its developing country partners and other organisations in the fields of environmental health, water supply and sanitation. We continue to push
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for the inclusion of sanitation, water supply and hygiene into individual country Poverty Reduction Strategies Papers (PRSPs). Through the Knowledge and Research (KaR) programme, DFID is funding research projects that investigate the cost effective approaches of providing basic services for all, and ensuring the poorest are served, be that through a transparent and efficient public sector, or innovative private sector partnerships.
CABINET OFFICE
Market Research
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what expenditure has been incurred by his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental bodies in 2002 on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; and if he will list the surveys commissioned and the purpose of each. [106263]
Mr. Alexander: The following tables show expenditure incurred by the Cabinet Office and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in the 2002–03 financial year on (1) opinion polling (2) focus groups (3) other forms of market research; with list of the survey commissioned and purpose of each.
| Opinion poll | Purpose | Estimated cost (£)(16) |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Satisfaction Survey | A customer satisfaction survey conducted by NOP to meet one of their published Key Performance Targets | 18,000 |
| Total | 18,000 |
| Focus group | Purpose | Estimated cost (£)(16) |
|---|---|---|
| Phillis review into government communications | Focus group with members of the public to provide up to date knowledge of the public's views on sources of information and how they prefer to receive such information. | 57,000 |
| Total | 57,000 |
| Market research | Purpose | Estimated cost (£)(16) |
|---|---|---|
| Police Service Users Satisfaction Survey | To ensure that our work with the Home Office and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on developing standards of customer service for the police are informed by a full understanding of the public's attitudes and expectations. | 37,000 |
| Attitudes to Public Services Inspections | To inform our review of external inspection by investigation how effective inspectorates are at assuring the public and informing Service users. | 13,000 |
| Total | 50,000 |
| Market research | Purpose | Estimated cost (£)(16) |
|---|---|---|
| Office for National Statistics (ONS) Omnibus Survey | The objectives are to ask additional questions relevant to e-Envoy programme, above and beyond the core questions that ONS ask on internet take-up and use, i.e. specific use of e-government etc. | 11,000 |
| Total | 11,000 |
(16) Excluding VAT
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Alice Coy/Nick Durie
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation of Alice Coy and Nick Durie who are being held by the Israeli authorities near Eretz. [113668]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Alice Coy and Nick Durie, both activists of the International Solidarity Movement, were detained at the crossing of the Gaza Strip on 8 May. They were released and subsequently deported by the Israeli authorities. We understand that they left Israel on 13 May.
Our travel advice advises against travel to Gaza. We have updated our travel advice in the light of Alice Coy's and Nick Durie's experience.
15 May 2003 : Column 401W
Antarctica
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects agreement to be reached with the Antarctic Treaty nations on the future of the secretariat; and if he will make a statement. [113204]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The establishment of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat will next be discussed by Treaty Parties, including the UK, at the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in Madrid, 9–20 June. Progress was made on a suite of texts relating to the Secretariat at a recent informal meeting in Buenos Aires amongst Treaty Parties. It is hoped that these texts, to be presented in Madrid, may form the basis of agreement on the Secretariat.
Arms Exports
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which countries Ministers in his Department conducted arms promotion activities in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 to date; and if he will make a statement. [112293]
Mr. Straw: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers regularly conduct overseas visits in the course of which they promote British exports, including those of defence equipment.
For 2002, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers carried out such promotion activities in Chile, Czech Republic, India, Singapore, Slovakia and Tanzania; and in 2003 to date, in India and Singapore.
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