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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa (Deforestation)

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what percentage of Africa he estimates was covered in forest in (a) 1975, (b) 1985, (c) 1995 and (d) 2002. [122665]

Hilary Benn: Pursuant to my reply to the hon. Member for Lewes on 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 23W, which stated that the loss of forest cover in Africa each year was 5.2 million hectares, I cited this as equivalent to the area of France. This was incorrect. This area of forest loss is about 1/10th of the size of France.

Aid Project Funding

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what projects will receive less funding as a result of the cut in departmental funding for (a) Iraq, from 2002–03 to 2003–04, (b) Palestine, from 2003–04 to 2004–05 and (c) Ethiopia, from 2002–03 to 2003–04; and if she will make a statement. [122735]

Hilary Benn: We have no plans to reduce funding on any projects from our existing programmes in Iraq, Palestine or Ethiopia.

(a) Iraq: because of the conflict, our original expenditure plans for 2003–04 have been increased by an additional £75 million of DFID's own resources and £120 million from the Treasury central reserve in response to humanitarian needs during and following the conflict. An additional £9 million was also spent in 2002–03.

(b) Palestine: programme expenditure plans for 2004–05 in fact show an increase over those originally planned for earlier years. Transfers from other budgets across budget lines and calls on the contingency reserve, have enabled us to provide additional funding to meet the urgent needs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

(c) Ethiopia: due to the recent humanitarian situation, DFID expenditure in 2002–03 increased. This included substantial humanitarian assistance and a payment of £10 million for direct budget support. We have committed £19 million to Ethiopia in 2003–04. This includes both humanitarian and development assistance and could increase depending on the humanitarian situation. We envisage increasing our development support to Ethiopia over the coming years, as indicated in the 2003 DFID Departmental Report.

EU Regulations

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many regulations originating from the EU have been implemented by the Department over each of the last five years. [120836]

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Macshane) on 30 June 2003, Official Report, columns 64–65W.

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PRIME MINISTER

Colombia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has held with United Kingdom companies concerning their investment strategies in Colombia; and what their participation will be in the forthcoming London conference on Colombia. [123445]

The Prime Minister: The intergovernmental meeting in London on 10 July is being held to address the issue of international assistance to Colombia. In that context, other mechanisms are more appropriate for discussing UK investment strategies. I hope that a high-level delegation of business leaders will visit Colombia early next year to look at the issues of trade and investment.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what advice he has (a) sought and (b) received from human rights groups concerning Colombia in respect of the London meeting on aid and support to Colombia on 9 July; and if he will make a statement. [123446]

The Prime Minister: The Government has regular meetings with UK and Colombian NGOs to discuss the situation in Colombia, in particular with respect to human rights. The meeting on 9 July in London between the Colombian government and representatives of a range of organisations including for example NGOs and human rights groups, will allow concerns to be raised directly with the Colombian authorities and then to present them to the intergovernmental meeting on 10 July.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Allotments

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proposals the Government has (a) to protect and (b) to enhance the (i) provision and (ii) standards of allotment sites. [123306]

Keith Hill: Allotments are protected under Section 8 of the Allotments Act 1925 which requires consent from my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister before a local authority can dispose of statutory allotments. Consent decisions for the disposal of statutory allotments are made against criteria aimed at ensuring that allotments that are needed are not disposed of. These criteria have been strengthened and clarified following public consultation in 2001.

The provision of allotments is determined locally by allotment authorities. The Small Holdings and Allotments Act (1908) places a duty on local authorities to provide sufficient allotments, according to local demand. In addition Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Open Space, Sport and Recreation, indicates that local authorities should assess the existing and future needs of their communities for all open spaces of public value, including allotments. Local authorities should then plan to meet those identified needs.

The Government have also published "Growing in the community: a good practice guide for the management of allotments", which was published in June 2001, and which provides comprehensive advice

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for local authorities on all aspects of allotment management. We have also published "Allotments: a plot holders' guide", which provides advice to current and potential allotment plot holders.

Brownfield/Greenfield Sites

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the implications of the reclassification of brownfield sites to greenfield sites are for the area's eligibility for European funding under Objective One regulations. [123167]

Keith Hill: South Yorkshire's eligibility for European Objective 1 funding is based on the economic prosperity of the area and that in 1999 South Yorkshire's GDP was below 75 per cent. of the European average. There are no qualifying factors based on land classification or a proportion of land being either greenfield or brownfield. In policy terms the Objective 1 Programme supports sustainable development and grant offers may be made to projects that meet the relevant criteria, including evidence that all the appropriate planning permissions are in place.

Emissions

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government are taking to meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations in relation to greenhouse gas emissions from domestic dwellings. [120715]

Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.

Domestic buildings accounted for approximately 28 per cent. of total UK CO2 emissions in 2000. The Government therefore view the household sector as a key area for achieving emissions reductions.

In the Energy White Paper "Our Energy Future—Creating a Low-Carbon Economy" published in February this year, the Government accepted the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's recommendation that the UK should put itself on the path to cut CO2 emissions by some 60 per cent. by about 2050. In the White Paper the Government said that they expected energy efficiency to deliver around half of the total carbon savings needed by 2010. The household sector was identified as having the potential to deliver 3.5 million tonnes of carbon (MtC) beyond the measures already identified in the UK Climate Change Programme. Looking beyond the first Kyoto Protocol Commitment Period, the Government believe that energy efficiency can deliver a similar proportion of the emission reductions needed during the following decade. Around half of these energy efficiency savings could be made in the household sector.

The White Paper has identified a number of key measures through which carbon emission reductions might be achieved in the household sector by 2010:

Carbon emission reductions

Measure	MtC
Raising boiler standards	0.6
Insulating cavity walls	1.2
Low energy light bulbs	0.5
Improved efficiency of household appliances	0.4
Insulation measures and community CHP	1

Note:

The figures given for each measure are indicative rather than targets.

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The key policies to deliver these are set out in the Energy White Paper and include:

The Energy Efficiency Commitment;


Building Regulations and the implementation of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive;


Improved energy performance standards for household appliances and other products;


The Community Energy Programme;


Programmes targeted on the fuel poor and social housing;


Tax measures; and


Advice and information, in particular through the work of the Energy Saving Trust.

The Government have committed to publish within a year an implementation plan that sets out in further detail how it will deliver the energy efficiency strategy set out in the White Paper.

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