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23 Oct 2003 : Column 696W—continued
Monrovia
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures are being taken (a) to repatriate refugees from Monrovia to their homes in the rest of the country and (b) to reduce their dependence on aid handouts. [133550]
Hilary Benn: Such measures cannot be taken until security is restored outside the region of Monrovia. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are reluctant to return to their homes while skirmishes continue. Aid agencies are unable to support such moves until security can be guaranteed for their own activities outside Monrovia. The situation is expected to improve as UNMIL gains in strength.
IDPs have returned to camps in Montserrado, Bong and Margibi counties. The UN and aid agencies are supporting relocation of IDPs to these camps from which they previously fled. The World Food Programme has stopped general food distributions to IDPs in Monrovia. NGOs are also scaling down feeding programmes in the light of evidence of access by IDPs to their own supplies of food.
Refugees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response his Department has made to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees appeal for Sudanese refugees in Chad; and if he will make a statement. [133656]
Hilary Benn: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has requested $16.6 million (approximately £11 million) for 65,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad, including $6.2 million for emergency operations. The refugees have fled the fighting in Darfur, in western Sudan.
We have been following this situation closely and have been in contact with the UNHCR assessment mission, which led to the appeal. We have also been in touch with non-governmental organisations active in this area. We have agreed to provide £1 million towards the appeal and remain concerned about the plight of Sudanese refugees in Chad.
Reproductive Health
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 75–76W, what end of programme assessment his Department has made of the Bolivia Health and Sexual Education programme,
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with particular reference to (a) the aims successfully achieved and (b) issues still outstanding; what replacement programme his Department has (i) planned and (ii) initiated in Bolivia, including aims and delivery methods, with specific reference to sexual education programmes; and if he will make a statement. [133191]
Hilary Benn: The Bolivia Health and Sexual Education Project ended in July 2003. An end of project review was undertaken by GTZ on behalf of DFID. It concluded that the project successfully demonstrated the interest and demand for improved health and sex education in Bolivia. The project supported over 1,000 young people (between the ages of 12 and 25) in five departments of Bolivia to take leadership roles in the promotion of health and reproductive rights issues, and promoted better health service delivery to these populations.
The project was less successful in strengthening the supply side of health and sex education services. The Ministry of Education was not prepared to integrate these activities into its curriculum and hence DFID was unable to promote the successful local experiences at national level and is no longer supporting sexual education programmes in Bolivia. DFID is currently investigating whether health and sex education should be incorporated into its new programme promoting more inclusive citizenship and the realisation of human rights.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 4 October 2003, Official Report, columns 75–76W on reproductive health, what the (a) structure, (b) aims and (c) methods of the Andean Reproductive Health Initiative are; how much of the effort is aimed at (i) Peru and (ii) Bolivia; what support structure is provided to the programme by (A) the Government of Peru, (B) the Government of Bolivia, (C) local and ethnic leaders in Peru, (D) local and ethnic leaders in Bolivia, (E) local non-governmental organisations, (F) national non-governmental organisations; (G) regional non-governmental organisations and (H) international non-governmental organisations; and if he will make a statement. [133198]
Hilary Benn: The Andean Reproductive Health Initiative (RHI), which ended in July 2002, was a joint collaboration between DFID, the European Commission (EC), and Population Concern, who managed the project. Population Concern together with local, national and regional NGOs, public sector providers and Ministries of Health and Education in Bolivia and Peru, developed ways of improving demand for and access to reproductive health services for marginalised groups. These formed the basis for identifying innovative ways of delivering services to be piloted, and for establishing management systems to support lesson learning focusing on adolescents and marginalised groups. Other civil society groups, such as the Catholic Church were involved in and supported some project initiatives.
The project focused on the improvement of human development opportunities for women and men by reducing the risks they face from dangerous pregnancies, and the improvement of adolescents' access to reproductive and sexual health and information services.
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The lessons learnt from the initiative were disseminated through a communications strategy to the Governments of Bolivia and Peru, donors and NGOs with a view to improving reproductive health policy and programmes. The programme's overall budget of approximately £1,856 million was split equally between Bolivia and Peru, with DFID contributing £630,000 and the EC Euros 1.7 million.
Sierra Leone
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what measures are being taken to re-educate and re-integrate former child soldiers in Sierra Leone; [133547]
- (2) what provisions are being made for the demobilisation and reintegration of child soldiers involved in the recent conflict. [133549]
Hilary Benn: A total of 3,039 ex-combatant children are currently in education through a UNICEF community education investment programme. Other child protection agencies, such as CARITAS, have helped provide educational opportunities through the National Commission for Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (NCDDR) supported Training and Employment Programme.
According to figures provided by UNICEF, 6,845 child soldiers were demobilised over a year ago. 4,894 have been reunited with their families. A further 2,151 non-combatant children have been reunited with their families, with the support of UNICEF.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Sierra Leone and its impact on the humanitarian situation. [133548]
Hilary Benn: All areas of Sierra Leone are accessible. UNAMSIL is progressively withdrawing, and currently consists of 12,300 personnel. It is currently scheduled to withdraw completely by December next year. The Sierra Leone Government is undertaking a wide-ranging review of the security sector, which we are supporting. The review is intended to assist the Government to prepare for UNAMSIL's departure. The UK is providing extensive support to reform and strengthening of the security sector, as part of this preparation.
There is no security restriction on humanitarian activity. There is a general shift in emphasis, by the Government of Sierra Leone and by international agencies, from relief to development activities.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Iraq
Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will reconsider the decision not to publish the legal advice provided by the Attorney-General on the legal basis for military action in Iraq. [133313]
The Solicitor-General: No. As the hon. Member is aware from my answers to him on the 26 March and 21 May 2003, there is a long-standing convention, observed by successive governments, that advice which
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the Law Officers have given to the Government is not publicly disclosed. This is consistent with paragraphs 2 and 4(d) of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General on how many occasions, and in what forms, the Attorney-General has been asked to publish the advice she provided to the Government in respect of the legality of military action in Iraq; if she will list the individuals and organisations which have made requests; and what criteria were used in determining a response. [133314]
The Solicitor-General: The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers does not maintain any records of the occasions on which the Attorney-General has been asked to publish the advice he provided to the Government in respect of the legality of military action in Iraq. It is not therefore possible to provide a comprehensive answer to the hon. Member's question. The following information is available. Since the Attorney-General made his statement on 17 March 2003 setting out his view of the legal basis for the use of force against Iraq:
- (a) four parliamentary questions have been tabled asking if I will publish the Attorney-General's advice. Three of these questions were posed by the hon. Member himself (on 26 March, 21 May and 22 October 2003). The fourth question was put by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) on 24 March 2003;
(b) the Attorney-General has received four letters from members of the general public asking him to publish his advice. The hon. Member for North-West Hampshire (Sir George Young) also wrote to the Attorney-General enclosing a letter from one of his constituents asking for disclosure of the advice; and
(c) the Lord Alexander of Weedon has written to the Attorney-General requesting disclosure of his advice.
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