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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 16 June 2003

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will list the average life expectancy in each year since 1999 for (a) women and (b) men in Afghanistan. [119617]

Hilary Benn: The almost continuous conflict in Afghanistan over the last 25 years means that reliable health and population data are hard to come by and where available need to be treated with much caution.

The World Bank estimates that life expectancy in Afghanistan was 40 in 1980, 42 in 1990 and 43 in 2000. It is generally thought that life expectancy is very similar for men and women.

Agricultural Subsidies

Mr. Caton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment the Department has made of the relationship between agricultural subsidies, export guarantees and the development of impoverished African nations. [119191]

Hilary Benn : The benefits to developing countries from the Doha 'Development' Round will depend on the final outcome at the end of the negotiations in 2005. A beneficial outcome for developing countries, including African countries, in the agriculture negotiations would need to address both domestic support and export guarantees. Reductions in currently high levels of trade-distorting support are necessary to address overproduction in the developed world and the swamping of world commodity markets, both of which are of interest to developing countries. Under export guarantees, more explicit rules on the terms of use of export credits and food aid, as well as reductions in export subsidies are needed to address the issue of dumping which is currently harming developing countries' local production and trade.

The UK is committed to ensuring real reductions in OECD agricultural subsidies, as well as to making progress in other areas of concern not only to African developing countries. These include improving market access for agricultural products and establishing fair rules for special and differential treatment to safeguard food security and rural development in Africa.

Appointments

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the people appointed to ad hoc posts within her Department bearing the titles of advocate, tsar, adviser, champion and comparable titles since May 1997; what their job title is or was; what their role is or was; whether they

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were or are being paid; what the total cost of each such person was in each financial year, including expenses and benefits; what the expected cost of each such person is in 2003–04; to whom they are accountable; and if she will make a statement. [112467]

Hilary Benn: The former Secretary of State for International Development, Clare Short appointed the following Special Advisers after May 1997, all were paid appointments: Jessica Crowe, Daniel Harris, David Mepham, Dee Sullivan, Susannah Cox and Ruth Driscoll. No more than two advisers were in post at any one time. All of the appointees listed were accountable to Ministers for their decisions and actions. Under Exemption 12 of the code of Practice on Access to Government Information details of individual salaries are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned. The new Secretary of State for International Development, Baroness Amos has not yet appointed any special advisers.

Commodities Markets

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what steps the Government are taking to alleviate the effect of the downturn in international commodities markets on (a) developing country producers and (b) the environment, with particular regard to (i) coffee, (ii) cocoa and (iii) cotton. [119008]

Hilary Benn: Price fluctuations are a feature of many primary agricultural commodity markets, including those for coffee, cocoa and cotton. This instability can have negative implications in producer countries at both national level (e.g. in terms of foreign exchange earnings, government revenues and the ability to service debt etc.), and at household level, even in countries where a degree of diversification has been achieved. Any negative effects on the natural and physical environment, such as inappropriate farming practices, cannot be disassociated from the livelihood challenges which a downturn in commodity markets creates for those dependent on the production, marketing and trade in these products.

Many of the world's poorest countries, particularly those in Africa, remain dependent on these three commodities. We are committed to helping these countries reduce their dependence on these commodities and increase their resilience in the face of unstable world prices. The UK Government, through its development programme and other efforts at international level, are seeking to expand trade opportunities, although existing trade barriers (including tariff escalation) and developed country agricultural policies are major impediments to this. The UK is working to secure reform of international trade rules in general and to reduce the impact of protectionist regimes on developing countries such as the Common Agricultural Policy. In addition, there is scope for creating a more favourable domestic environment within commodity dependent countries themselves. This is necessary to generate broader more diverse economic growth that will provide the means to reduce vulnerability to shocks, such as falling prices. The UK provides support to a variety of activities in this area.

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General Agreement on Trade in Services

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State Department for International Development if he will make a statement regarding the GATS negotiations; and what assessment he has made of the benefits of full trade liberalisation as a means to achieving development goals. [118912]

Hilary Benn: The GATS negotiations are still in their request-offer stage. The EU has agreed an initial market-access offer and has received market access requests from a number of developing countries.

DFID is co-operating with the World Bank and UNCTAD to carry out a comprehensive programme of work aimed at understanding the impact of service liberalisation across countries and sectors. We hope this will help developing countries to understand the potential impact of liberalising their own service sectors during the GATS negotiations.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State Department for International Development what assessment the Department has made of the impact of service liberalisation. [118913]

Hilary Benn: DFID is co-operating with the World Bank and UNCTAD to carry out a comprehensive programme of work aimed at understanding the impact of service liberalisation across countries and sectors. We hope this will help developing countries to understand the potential impact of liberalising their own service sectors during the GATS negotiations.

Iraq

Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister of State Department for International Development what estimates he has received from (a) UNMAS and (b) other sources on the number of (i) airborne and (ii) ground launched cluster munitions used, and on the number of unexploded bomblets located at sites where cluster munitions were used in Iraq. [118616]

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave him on 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 771W.

Official Spelling

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make it his policy that official (a) correspondence, (b) reports and (c) documentation from his office uses the English spelling of words where this differs from the US version. [118871]

Hilary Benn: It is DFID policy to use English spelling in all official communications and to use plain English, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance on the Handling of Ministerial and Other Correspondence.

Race Relations

Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what progress has been made in his Department and non-departmental public bodies on implementing the

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requirements of the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000; and if he will publish the results of the monitoring required by the Act. [117619]

Hilary Benn: In accordance with the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000, DFID published a Race Equality Scheme in May 2002. This reiterates DFID's commitment to promoting race equality and sets out how the department plans to meet its obligations under the new Act, both as a service provider and as an employer.

Due to the international focus of its work, DFID has only a few functions which provide services to the UK public. The Department has set up systems to assess, review and monitor its policies and practices including as an employer so as to ensure compliance with the Act.

The results of this monitoring will be published annually, with the first report expected in the last quarter of 2003. It will be placed on the DFID website and be made available in hard copy on request.

DFID has three non-departmental public bodies. Systems are in place to monitor their recruitment policies and practices. The principles of equal opportunity and diversity apply within the appointments process at all stages, and care is taken not to discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, age, disability, religion, marital status, sexual orientation or community background. All appointments to these non-departmental public bodies are made on merit.

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