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24 Jun 2003 : Column 690W—continued
Sudan
Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development pursuant to his answer of 11 June 2003, Official Report, column 773W, on UN Mine Action Service, if he will
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provide a breakdown of (a) objectives, (b) locations and (c) costs of mine action centres in Sudan funded by the Department; if he will list organisations which are receiving resources from the Department to carry out humanitarian demining in Sudan; if he will list the Department's humanitarian priorities for mine action in Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [121506]
Hilary Benn: DFID has provided £1.4 million for mine action in Sudan since April 2002. To date this support has been channelled through the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), as the UN agency responsible for the co-ordination of mine action in Sudan. UNMAS' current objectives are to support the establishment of a working and appropriate national mine action management structure, as well as to support the systematic reduction of the threat of landmines and unexploded ordinance by a process of identification, isolation and clearance. Specific UNMAS activities, including those supported by DFID, have consisted of mine clearance of major roads in the Nuba Mountains region; cross-line training and capacity building for Sudanese de-miners; technical survey work; support for co-ordination activities; and planning for future mine action activities in the event of peace. Mine action throughout Sudan, particularly southern Sudan, will be a priority following a peace agreement to enable both increased access for humanitarian aid organisations and increased delivery of humanitarian assistance, as well as to allow displaced populations to return.
Support Recipients
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development to which countries the Department has supplied budget support; how much each country has received; and what percentage of the total received by these countries from the Department took the form of budget support in each year since 2000. [120494]
Hilary Benn: Expenditure on budget support was not collected separately in our central systems until fairly recently. However a special exercise was conducted earlier this year to identify such expenditure and the results are given in the following table. These should be treated as estimates as coverage may be incomplete.
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Sustainable Development
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what remit relating to sustainable development is required by the Department's (a) executive agencies, (b) advisory non-departmental bodies, (c) executive non-departmental bodies, (d) tribunals, (e) public corporations and (f) other bodies. [116677]
Hilary Benn: DFID is not responsible for any Executive Agencies, advisory or executive non-departmental bodies or tribunals. It is however responsible for CDC Group plc, a self-financing public corporation which it wholly owns.
In 1999, DFID established an Investment Policy to which CDC Group plc must work. This involves using its capital so as to maximize the creation and long-term growth of viable businesses in poorer developing countries through responsible investment and by mobilising private finance.
It requires the company to seek best practice in the areas of personal and corporate integrity, social issues (including the prohibition of child or forced labour and of discriminatory practices), environmental standards, Health and Safety, transparency and compliance with laws and fiscal requirements. It also forbids any investment in businesses dealing with military and nuclear products, illegal drugs, gambling, pornography or tobacco.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what funding programmes are operated by the Department to support voluntary organisations working with young people; and what the level of support has been in each of the last three years. [120529]
Hilary Benn: There is no DFID funding solely targeted at voluntary organisations working with young people. However, we do provide substantial funding to a wide variety of voluntary organisations; in 2001–02 (the latest year for which figures are available) DFID provided £190.5 million in support of development programmes managed by 125 different such organisations. Many of the activities supported do directly benefit young people.
World Food Programme
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the main aims are of the Department's representative on the World Food Programme Executive Board; and if he will make a statement. [120488]
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Hilary Benn: The main aims of the United Kingdom's Representative on the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP) are to promote (a) the effective and appropriate delivery of food aid to developing countries, particularly in emergency situations; (b) the effective accountability and governance of WFP; and (c) a coordinated and complementary role for WFP within the international humanitarian and development assistance systems.
The United Kingdom Representative to WFP, Mr. Anthony Beattie, is the President of the WFP Executive Board in 2003.
Zimbabwe
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development (1) if he will list the dates of the suspension of long-term development aid projects the Department supported in Zimbabwe; [120507]
- (2) what financial resources the Department has allocated to Zimbabwe Police Organisational Development since 1997; how they were spent; and if he will make a statement; [120508]
(3) what the sterling value was of Land Rover Defenders was exported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police by the Department; and if he will make a statement; [120509]
(4) how many Land Rover Defenders were exported for use by the Zimbabwe Republic Police as part of a development project supported by the Department between 1997 and 2002; [120510]
(5) what assurances the Government received from the Government of Zimbabwe about the use of the Land Rover Defenders exported for use by the Zimbabwe Republic Police; and if he will make a statement. [120511]
Hilary Benn: Two DFID projects, both in support the Republic of Zimbabwe Police, were suspended in April 2000 given concern about political activities and lack of respect for the law by the police. Both projects have since been closed.
The £6.438 million Zimbabwe Police Organisational Development project was agreed in 1996, but only £1.817 million was spent by its closure. The Police Land Rovers project was approved in 1997, and was one of the last commitments under the old Aid and Trade Provision, which has also since been wound up. The commitment to purchase 1,500 Land Rovers involved a DFID grant of £8.4 million. 1,030 land rovers were provided, and £6 million spent.
The Zimbabwe Government made a commitment in the grant agreement to uphold their service charter—in particular with due respect for human rights and the minimum use of force—and not to use the vehicles for the control of demonstrations and riots. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Birmingham, Ladywood (Clare Short), as Secretary of State for International Development, made the decision in April 2000 to suspend the project given concern, expressed to the Zimbabwean Commissioner of Police and the Home Minister, at the use of the vehicles in heavy-handed police response to civil demonstrations and failure of the police to uphold the law in relation to farm occupations from 2000. We remain deeply concerned at the partisan
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action by the police force, selective application of the law, and lack of respect for civil and human rights in Zimbabwe.
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