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Local Authority Housing Transfers

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) whether the requirement that local authorities consultation material issued as part of large scale voluntary transfer is checked by the Department extends to information issued by (a) individual (i) councillors, (ii) tenants, (iii) tenant groups and (b) the selected stock transfer organisation; [136040]

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(2) what the reasons are for requiring local authorities to have all materials checked as part of the consultation process for large scale voluntary transfer. [136041]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not formally check material issued by parties other than the local authority. An authority is required to give Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Housing Corporation an opportunity to comment on its consultation material before it is issued. This is to enable identification of anything which is likely to be unacceptable to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister when he comes to consider the authority's consent application or to draw attention to the adequacy or comprehensiveness of the material.

In carrying out consultation with tenants about a proposed transfer, local authorities must meet the statutory requirements set out in section 106 of and Schedule 3A to the Housing Act 1985 (as inserted by section six of and Schedule one to the Housing and Planning Act 1986). They are also obliged to adhere to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity. This permits authorities to explain and justify their proposals and ensure that local authority publicity concentrates on facts and explanation.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the material his Department has checked from (a) Stroud district council and (b) other parties involved in the large scale voluntary transfer process. [136042]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has formally cleared material issued by the local authority and has, on request, commented on material issued by other stakeholders.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the advice his Department has given to Stroud district council on their communication with tenants regarding the procedures for large scale voluntary transfer. [136142]

Keith Hill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 564. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects all local authorities involved in housing transfer to follow the guidance on involving tenants and other stakeholders in the Housing Transfer Manual. All comments provided to Stroud district council have been in accordance with this guidance.

Mobile Masts

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received on third generation mobile telephone masts from the Churt Mast Action Group. [136233]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no record of having received representations on third generation mobile telephone masts from the Churt Mast Action Group.

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the United Kingdom has contributed to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in each year; how much is planned to be spent in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [134971]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK has a long-term commitment to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria and recognises that in order to be effective it needs predictable and sustainable financing. The UK recently extended its pledge by a further two years to 2008 bringing our total contribution to US$280million.

The pattern of our disbursements has been agreed with the Global Fund Secretariat—for the financial year 2002–03, the UK provided £50 million in two separate payments of £25 million, in 2003–04 the UK provided £25 million, and for the financial year 2004–05 we will provide £30 million.

UK funding will be subject to the GFATM reflecting a clear poverty focus, achieving a better financing system, integrating the Fund's activities more effectively with national programmes and meeting agreed benchmarks to monitor its effectiveness. I am pleased to report that good progress was made at the recent 6th Board meeting in Thailand on many of these issues.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funds the Government is committed to allocating towards the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria; and what funds have been allocated to date. [135274]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK has a long-term financial commitment to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria which will provide the Fund with a total contribution of $280 million by 2008. The pattern of our disbursements has been agreed with the Global Fund Secretariat and to date these amount to £75 million.

International Debt

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of debt repayments which are made by developing countries and are received by the UK are (a) channelled to non-governmental organisations, (b) channelled to departmental aid programmes and (c) absorbed by the Exchequer. [135064]

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.

Over 90 per cent. of sovereign debt payments to the Government relates to recoveries and interest payable to the Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD) under Bilateral Debt Rescheduling agreements in respect of defaulted export contracts.

With the exception of an amount, averaging less than 1.6 per cent. per annum, which is passed on to ECGD's policyholders as their part of the recovery, all the receipts are paid into the Consolidated Fund.

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The Department for International Development (DfID) also receives some repayments on aid. The principal repayments are channelled to the DfID bilateral aid programme. Repayments of interest are paid into the Consolidated Fund.

The UK Government are committed to providing debt relief for the most heavily indebted countries in the world through the rapid and full implementation of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, ensuring that it delivers a robust exit from unsustainable debt for the world's poorest countries. The UK has already made a commitment to provide 100 per cent. relief on debts for all eligible HIPC countries when they reach Completion point. Furthermore, the Chancellor has announced that any payments from countries yet to reach Decision Point will be held in trust for the day they can be returned to fund poverty reduction. The HIPC Initiative has an important role to play in maximising the resources available for poverty reduction in developing countries. However, all HIPC countries would still need additional aid to meet the Millennium Development Goals, even if all of their debt from the World bank and IMF were forgiven. That is why the UK's proposal for an International Finance Facility is so important. It can provide the much-needed substantial increase in resources that debt relief alone would not achieve and that could be disbursed by way of grants and additional debt relief.

Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. [135200]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Uzbekistan closed its border with the Kyrgyz Republic in January 2003. It was done, according to the Uzbeks, to protect Uzbekistan from cheap Kyrgyz goods. It has had a severe impact on the livelihoods of people living near the border. Cross-border trade has declined, although smuggling, by bribing border officials, has increased dramatically. Families living on either side of the border are separated from their relatives. Some 20 Uzbek citizens, mainly women, have drowned while attempting to cross the border river at Kara Suu. Uzbek border guards along the 1100km border have shot several Uzbek and Kyrgyz citizens. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry continues to issue protest notes to Uzbekistan.

Several Kyrgyz and Uzbek NGOs have recently started a project on reducing tension in border areas. International organizations and donors working on cross-border issues include OSCE, USAID, UNDP, Mercy Corps, ICG, ICRC, IOM.

Mongolia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department (a) has initiated, (b) fully directed funds, (c) partially directed funds, (d) funds through EU initiatives and (e) funds through United Nations initiatives in Mongolia; and if he will make a statement on the (i) aims, (ii) structure, (iii) methods and (iv) progress of each. [134456]

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Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has no long-term or current bilateral programme in Mongolia. The British embassy does provide some direct assistance in the form of a Small Grants Scheme (SGS) allocation (currently £200,000 per annum) to support small-scale poverty and human development focused activities. The focus of the SGS in Mongolia is on children, especially with respect to education, social care and protection from exploitation and violence. Key projects will direct funds towards assisting the integration of vulnerable children into pre and primary school education, while also helping to tackle problems that face Mongolia's street children by defining clear standards of care for shelters and increasing the number of children united with their families. The SGS is largely managed by the Save the Children on behalf of the FCO. The Save the Children Fund reports annually on the SGS to the FCO.

DFID has made small contributions for humanitarian aid and relief in previous years, but none in this financial year.

In addition the UK contributes to the development programmes of various multi-lateral agencies. The imputed share of the UK's spend on Mongolia (in 2001, the latest year for which figures are available) through the EU and the UN was £400,000 and £600,000 respectively.

The EU's current Country Strategy for Mongolia runs from 2002–04 and focuses on Rural Development (including providing support for rural enterprises; addressing the social consequences of transition and protection of the environment). Performance against the Country Strategy is due to be reviewed in 2004–05.

A range of specialised UN agencies—such as UNICEF—operate in Mongolia. In addition, the United Nations Development Programme facilitates delivery of programmes under three headings in Mongolia: Democratic Governance, Economic Transition and Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Natural Resource Management.

DFID does not individually monitor the progress of all projects that are funded on a multilateral basis, as this would involve duplication and unnecessarily divert resources. DFID therefore works to ensure that sufficiently robust reporting arrangements are in place within relevant multilateral agencies.

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