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Regulatory Impact Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Department's Regulatory Impact Assessment procedure; and how many RIAs have been reviewed in respect of the Department over the last year. [120844]

Mr. Straw: A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) must be completed for all policy proposals that have a potential impact on businesses, charities or the voluntary sector. It includes details of the arrangements for monitoring and evaluating policy proposals and their impact.

No RIAs produced by the FCO have been reviewed over the last year.

From this year the National Audit Office (NAO) has a new role in independently evaluating a selection of RIAs. In their Annual Report, published in February 2003, the Better Regulation Task Force put forward suggestions of RIAs for the NAO to review.

The NAO review will focus on the quality of analysis in the RIAs and the thoroughness with which the RIAs have been undertaken. The findings and recommendations of best practice will be fed back to departments. It will play a valuable part in driving up standards of RIAs.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Colombia

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what measures are in place to ensure that (a) UK and (b) EU (i) policies and (ii) aid to Colombia comply with the human rights recommendations of the United Nations. [121838]

Hilary Benn: DFID has one remaining government-to-government bilateral project in Colombia which is ending this year. This provides advice on improving the exchange of information between non-governmental organisations working in agriculture. The project is consistent with the UN human rights recommendations.

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The EU has made clear its support for adoption of the UN's human rights recommendation. The EC's Euro105 million Country Programme for Colombia (2001–06) contains four elements. Two directly support efforts to improve human rights, ie support to administrative and judicial reform and promotion of human rights; the other two elements (social/economic development and alternative development) seek to address the underlying causes of conflict. In designing projects under these the Commission take account of the need to avoid their funds being used in any way which would not be compliant with UN human rights recommendations.

Departmental Ministers

Mr. Horam: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many Ministers there were in the Department for International Development in each year since 1996. [120995]

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander) on 24 June 2003, Official Report, column 661W.

Liberia

Lady Hermon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assistance Her Majesty's Government has provided to civilians affected by the civil war in Liberia; and if he will make a statement. [121911]

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 24 June 2003, Official Report, column 38WS.

Poverty and Social Impact Analyses

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what poverty and social impact analyses have been (a) commissioned and (b) completed, and for which countries, since 2000; and if he will place the results in the Library. [120491]

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development commissioned a series of pilot Poverty and Social Impact Analyses (PSIAs) in seven countries in 2002. These were selected following demand from national governments and were carried out by both international and local consultants; they were funded by DFID headquarters and have been finalised. These pilots were in Honduras (electricity reform), Mozambique (fuel tax), Uganda (export promotion), Rwanda (macro policy), Armenia (water policy), Indonesia (rice tariff) and Orissa State India (public finances). The aim of these studies was to provide lessons to national governments in developing countries, as well as partners in the donor community, on what could be done, and how.

DFID's policy is to support nationally-led processes, and support governments in undertaking PSIAs, together with partners and other national stakeholders. For example, DFID is supporting government-led initiatives in PSIA in a number of countries as and when demand arises; this currently includes co-ordinating stakeholder workshops in Ghana and Uganda to determine PSIA priorities. DFID is supporting PSIA in a number of other countries, which is led by national governments, and often financially supported by other donors.

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The results of the DFID pilot studies will be placed in the Library.

USAID

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development on what projects since 2001, and in which countries, the Department has worked in bilateral donor collaboration with USAID; and whether the aid given in such projects has a tied condition for the benefit of (a) the joint venture and (b) the partners of USAID. [120486]

Hilary Benn: A comprehensive list of co-financing projects is not held centrally. However, some examples of collaboration with USAID are available, particularly in health and population. Countries where we have co-financed or contributed to health and population projects include India, Cambodia, Bolivia, Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya.

The US has untied its aid to least-developed countries in line with the DAC Recommendation. We cannot establish without disproportionate cost how many instances there are of the US untying its funding to collaborative projects.

World Trade Organisation

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the Department's contributions to the negotiations surrounding the World Trade Organisation. [121358]

Hilary Benn: DFID is working closely, at both ministerial and official level, with other Government Departments to ensure coherence between the UK's trade and development policies in the Doha round of trade negotiations. Internationally, Ministers and officials are talking with developing country governments, the European Commission and the WTO Secretariat. The Government are committed to making sure that the Doha round brings real benefits to the poor.

More immediately, DFID is funding a variety of initiatives to help developing countries to set their own trade policies to reduce poverty. This includes improving developing countries' ability to negotiate favourable deals in trade negotiations, helping them interpret trade agreements, and supporting them in taking advantage of new international trading opportunities. To this end, the Government have committed £45 million to trade related capacity building since 1998.

SCOTLAND

Scotland Office

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on which Cabinet sub-committees Scotland will be represented by (a) the Secretary of State and (b) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. [121154]

Mr. Darling: As in the case of all Cabinet committees this is a matter for the Prime Minister.

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Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the projected staff complement of the Scotland Office within the Department for Constitutional Affairs. [121152]

Mr. Darling: The future staffing required to deal with Scottish business will be considered in due course.

Scottish Parliament

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive about the Scottish Parliament building; [119894]

(2) how the estimate for the Scottish Parliament building which was used in the Scottish Parliament White Paper was reached; [119895]

(3) when the estimate of £50 million for the Scottish Parliament building was announced by his predecessor; and what the process was by which this estimate was reached; [119896]

(4) if he will list contracts that (a) had been completed and (b) had been signed relating to the (i) planning, (ii) construction and (iii) equipping of the Scottish Parliament building prior to the transfer of responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body; [119897]

(5) which (a) departments and (b) consultancies were used to evaluate costs of potential sites for the Scottish Parliament building when this matter was considered prior to the transfer of responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body; [119898]

(6) what sites were proposed by the then Secretary of the Scotland Office as possibilities for the Scottish Parliament site; and what the estimates were for each site when this matter was considered prior to the transfer of responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body; [119899]

(7) if he will publish minutes of Scotland Office meetings relating to the new Scottish Parliament building prior to the transfer of responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body. [119900]

Mr. Darling: The First Minister has announced that an investigation will be carried out by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie and the Auditor General for Scotland into all aspects of the Holyrood project.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Secretary of State next intends to visit the Scottish Parliament. [121150]

Mr. Darling: I expect to do so as and when appropriate.

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