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Zimbabwe

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what action the Government have taken to respond to the humanitarian aid crisis in Zimbabwe. [123600]

Hilary Benn: The British Government has contributed £51 million to help Zimbabwe since the humanitarian crisis began in mid 2001. We have given assistance for feeding programmes, emergency medicines, essential health supplies, and seeds and fertilizer to help promote agricultural recovery.

The 2003 maize harvest, forecast to be 803,000 tonnes, is up 61 per cent. on last year, but it remains only 41 per cent. of 2001, and will provide less than half of the domestic requirement for 2003–04. The World Food Programme has just launched a new US $308 million regional appeal for southern Africa, of which some 60 per cent. is to meet Zimbabwe's needs.

DFID is considering WFP's appeal and proposals from non-governmental organisations. DFID will continue to be a significantcontributor to humanitarian relief in Zimbabwe in 2003–04, with ongoing and anticipated new contributions amounting to £35 million in this financial year.

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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development whether UK food aid to Zimbabwe is distributed by Zimbabwean Government organisations. [123642]

Hilary Benn: No DFID funded food aid is distributed through Zimbabwean Government organisations. UK official food aid, whether bilateral or through the WFP, is distributed by international or Zimbabwean non-governmental organisations. The NGOs operate according to clear humanitarian principles, backed up by rigorous monitoring and complaints procedures.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Media Training

Mr. Flight: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost was to her Department of media and voice training for Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123128]

The Solicitor-General: I and the Attorney-General have received no voice or media training since 1997. In respect of officials in the Departments for which the Attorney-General holds ministerial responsibility, the information requested is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Private Office Costs

Mr. Flight: To ask the Solicitor-General what the running costs have been of Ministers' private offices in her Department in each year since 1997. [123101]

The Solicitor-General: The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, which serves both the Attorney-General and me, is a small Department and no separate accounts are kept of the cost of the private office.

Race Relations

Angela Eagle: To ask the Solicitor-General what progress has been made in her Department and non-departmental public bodies on implementing the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000; and if she will publish the results of the monitoring required by the Act. [117618]

The Solicitor-General [holding answer 20 June 2003]: The Crown Prosecution Service has made considerable progress on the implementation of their Race Equality Scheme to comply with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

The Crown Prosecution Service Race Equality Scheme was published and launched on May 2002. It is a three-year plan, which applies to all existing and future functions and policies developed by the Crown Prosecution Service. To comply with the Act, and action plans must be reviewed within three years. However, the Crown Prosecution Service has decided to review and publish updates on its Race Equality Scheme progress annually. The first update (Year One—Crown Prosecution Service Update 2002–03) is to be published shortly and will be available on the Crown Prosecution internet and internal intranet.

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An impact assessment form has been produced in consultation with the Commission for Racial Equality. The impact assessment form will be used to evaluate all policies and functions.

The Equality and Diversity Unit has overseen the day-to-day delivery of the scheme, which has been reviewed on a regular basis by the Senior Managers Advisory Group on Diversity. The Crown Prosecution Service Board has also assessed progress annually.

Training on the Race Equality Scheme for policy makers and key staff is due to be rolled out in July 2003. This will ensure that staff are aware of the Racial Equality Scheme and their duty under it. Training will also be given in how to complete the impact assessment forms to ensure that all local policies that do not fall under the banner of national policies comply with the Act and the Crown Prosecution Service Racial Equality Scheme.

In relation to monitoring as stated by the Act, the Crown Prosecution Service is continuing to monitor employment statistics. These are available publicly in the Year One review.

With regards to the monitoring of prosecutions, the Crown Prosecution Service has made a good start with a view to extending monitoring via the forthcoming new IT system. All national policies and functions have been reviewed and new policies have been written. A Public Policy Statement on Racially and Religiously Aggravated Crime has been written which has set up monitoring systems. It is due to be launched on 14 July 2003 by the Attorney-General.

The Serious Fraud Office has made significant efforts to meet the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, especially in encouraging a positive approach to diversity issues and other employment practices. Its full Race Equality Scheme has yet to be published and it is working with the Commission for Racial Equality to complete this task as fully and as quickly as possible.

HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate attaches considerable importance to the principles of equality and diversity, both in relation to the inspection process and the management of HM Crown Prosecution Service itself.

Under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Inspectorate has a general duty to promote race equality and the specific duty to set out and publish a Race Equality Scheme.

In May 2002, the Inspectorate published its Race Equality Scheme drawn up in accordance with the provisions of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The Scheme sets out the steps to be taken to ensure that its functions, policies and employment systems eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and promote good relations between persons of different racial groups.

The Scheme also includes the specific duty in relation to employment issues which require HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate to monitor the staff in post and applications for employment, promoting and training by their racial group. In fact, the Inspectorate has gone further by including gender, disability and age.

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The statistics are currently being compiled for the period ending 31 March 2003 and will be available shortly.

HM Crown Prosecution Service has worked closely with the Commission for Racial Equality and other inspectorates in developing an inspection framework to underpin consistent and effective scrutiny of how inspected bodies are discharging their statutory functions under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. It has been incorporated with appropriate adaptations into the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate methodology.

The Treasury Solicitor's Department, including the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, published its Scheme to Promote Racial Equality in May 2002, in accordance with the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The Scheme is overseen by the Department's Diversity Group, which ensures equal opportunities good practice is upheld and monitored in the Agency, and which is currently in the process of carrying out a review of the Scheme one year after its launch, including employment targets.

As a result of the Scheme so far, training in telephone technique has been undertaken by Bona Vacantia Division, to ensure race equality in dealing with public callers, some of whom do not speak English as a first language or understand English law or customs. The Diversity Group has also overseen an audit of external administrative recruitment since 2001 and made recommendations on monitoring. Details of employment monitoring will be published shortly, and thereafter each April and October.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. [123630]

Mr. Ingram: We shall continue to retain United Kingdom troops in Afghanistan at appropriate levels while the situation warrants it.

Armed Forces (Maintenance Payments)

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the army is not required to comply with (a) deductions from earnings requests and (b) maintenance payment requests from the Child Support Agency; and for what reasons the Child Support Agency cannot make deductions from earnings orders against army personnel. [123929]

Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence complies with Deduction from Earnings Requests in full, in all but exceptional cases. Such exceptions might include an appeal by the individual on the grounds of a change in circumstances, or where the deduction would breach the regulations on minimum rates of pay. Minimum rates of pay were introduced around 50 years ago as a result of experience in the second world war to ensure that Service families could meet essential financial commitments. The Army regulations allow for up to 50 per cent. deductions

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from pay, where there are no other children or dependants. However, in circumstances where the soldier is legally married and living with his or her spouse, or where the soldier is widowed, divorced or separated and has care of the children, or the soldier does not have care of the children but is providing voluntary financial support, there is a limit of 25 per cent. deduction on pay. The amounts deducted are paid to the Child Support Agency for maintenance payments to be made.

Service personnel were excluded from the law relating to deduction of earnings orders when the Child Support (Collection and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 were drawn up as there was already provision for deductions from Service pay under Armed Forces' legislation.

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many deductions from earnings requests to the army for child maintenance payments were not agreed to in each year since 2001. [123930]

Mr. Caplin: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the requirements on armed forces personnel in respect of (a) child maintenance payments and (b) Child Support Agency orders; and if he will make a statement. [123932]

Mr. Caplin: The armed forces has a good record in meeting its obligations in recovering child support maintenance payments. I therefore have no plans to propose any changes.

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