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EU Directives

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will list the EU Directives implemented by the Department since 8 June 2001. [126592]

Hilary Benn: Since 8 June 2001, the Department for International Development has not been required to implement any development Directives. It would incur disproportionate cost to identify other EU Directives implemented within the Department since 8 June 2001.

Foreign Direct Investment

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what steps the Government plans to take to encourage the flow of

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foreign direct investment to the poorest nations of the developing world; and what international mechanism the Government supports to facilitate this. [126239]

Hilary Benn: The Government believe that, alongside domestic private investment, more quality, productive foreign direct investment is essential for growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. DFID supports a wide range of international efforts directed at improving the overall investment climate for such investment. These include support for: Comprehensive Investment Climate Assessments by the World Bank Group and the Commonwealth Business Council, which help to identify investment obstacles in particular countries; research by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and NGOs on the benefits and costs of foreign direct investment; and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) programme of technical assistance, which helps developing countries build their capacity to better understand, attract and regulate foreign investment. The Government also believe that an international investment agreement negotiated in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) could complement these and other initiatives aimed at facilitating foreign investment flows to developing countries.

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development whether the Government support the use of Government revenues rather than exports to assess the sustainability of heavily indebted poor country debts. [126260]

Hilary Benn: In 1999, the UK Government led the way in securing the revision of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) framework to ensure that it provides these countries with a permanent solution to their debt problem and frees up resources to tackle poverty. The merit of the new framework is that countries qualify for debt relief if their debts exceed either 150 per cent. of their annual export earnings or 250 per cent. of Government revenues, whichever gives the greater amount of debt relief. Relief is provided to bring each country's ratios down to these levels. The reduced debt sustainability ratios under this new framework have allowed more countries to benefit from the enhanced HIPC initiative, with deeper levels of debt relief.

Iraq

Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on (a) the content of basic humanitarian supplies destined for Iraq and (b) the progress of those supplies towards intended destinations in Iraq. [126492]

Hilary Benn: Basic items such as food and medicines are being supplied to Iraq through organisations such as the World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation. These agencies report that such items are being imported in sufficient quantities to meet Iraq's needs.

Iraq's Public Distribution System for food aid was restarted on 1 June 2003. The World Food Programme reports that by the end of the month, rations had been

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provided to about 26 million people. Distribution of food and medical supplies within Iraq have been hampered in some areas by the security situation there. For example, while medical supplies are being delivered to main provincial warehouses, rapid and effective distribution to clinics has not always been possible.

John Barrett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what steps are being taken to improve the security of food storage facilities in Iraq. [126852]

Hilary Benn: Coalition forces are providing security for many key food storage facilities. Resources are also being provided to Iraqi Ministry of Trade (MOT) governorate offices to carry out emergency improvements to storage sites to make them more secure. This work will include the installation or repair of gates and perimeter fencing, and new or improved lighting. Coalition forces have also been training MOT guards, who will be armed. In Baghdad, plans are being made to provide the guards with mobile phones so that they have a direct link to local police stations.

John Barrett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many people have been immunised as part of the national immunisation campaign in Iraq. [126853]

Hilary Benn: The aim of the national immunisation campaign is to vaccinate 4.2 million children under the age of five against preventable diseases. Before the conflict, 98 per cent. of children under the age of five in Iraq were vaccinated for polio, and 92 per cent. for measles. Routine immunisation of children was suspended from the start of military action on 20 March 2003. An estimated 210,000 children were born in Iraq between then and mid-June. To rectify the break in the immunisation programme a number of national immunisation days have been announced by the Ministry of Health. The first took place on 22 June. Further national immunisation days are due to be held over the coming weeks. UNICEF reports that sufficient vaccines are now available in Iraq for six to eight months of routine immunisation activities.

The World Health Organisation is also contributing to the reactivation of Iraq's Expanded Programme of Immunisation by re-establishing the country's vital disease surveillance system.

IT Contracts

Mr. Flight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many outsourced IT contracts have been signed by his Department in each year since 1997; how much each of these contracts is worth; with whom they are signed; how many have been renegotiated; how many are still in place; and if he will make a statement. [126206]

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development has let only one such contract since 1997—to Metropolitan Telephone Service (MTS), part of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), in respect of managed telephone services.

The cost of the contract is as follows.

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	£
2000–01	864,653
2001–02	649,236
2002–03	674,948
2003–04	140,269
Total	2,329,106

The contract is still in place.

Jamaica

Joyce Quin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what discussions the Department has had with the Government of Jamaica about the programme to eradicate screwworm in that country; and whether the Department has made a financial contribution to the programme. [126079]

Hilary Benn: There has been no discussion between the Department and the Government of Jamaica on the prospect of British support for the eradication of screwworm in Jamaica. The National Screwworm Eradication Programme in Jamaica is funded primarily by the US Department of Agriculture—who are attempting to establish a permanent sterile fly barrier zone in Central America and the Caribbean—and by the Jamaican Chamber of Commerce. DFID's support for Jamaica is focused on two key areas: (a) restoring security and social and economic inclusion and (b) improving services and opportunities for the poor.

Kenya

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how much was spent by the Department on health projects and programmes in Kenya in each year since 1997. [126493]

Hilary Benn: Spending on health projects and programmes in Kenya since 1997 is shown in the following table. In addition, DFID also provides funding for health through multilateral channels but information on this is not available centrally.

Financial year	Stg £
1996–97	4,493,943.00
1997–98	4,080,843.00
1998–99	9,642,880.00
1999–2000	7,192,730.00
2000–01	7,841,043.00
2001–02	9,052,965.00
2002–03	15,065,020.00
Total	57,369,424.00

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many officials from (a) his Department and (b) other Government Departments are working in Kenya in connection with overseas aid programmes and projects. [126494]

Hilary Benn: There are currently 60 DFID officials working in Kenya; 21 UK appointed staff and 39 appointed in country. Of these 60 officials, four have a regional East Africa role, three are working in a project support office, three are resident in Kenya but working

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on the Sudan and Somalia conflict prevention programmes and six are Associate Professional Officers working on projects.

Under the jointly funded Africa Conflict Pool (FCO/MOD/DFID) there are also four British Army officers from the Ministry of Defence resident in Kenya and providing training on peace-keeping to the Kenya Army.

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