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Malnutrition (Africa)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent

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estimate is of levels of malnutrition in (a) Ethiopia, (b) Malawi and (c) the Democratic Republic of Congo. [149979]

Hilary Benn: There are a number of ways to measure malnutrition. Height for age (stunting) is the most common way of measuring chronic poverty and malnutrition by showing the percentage of children that have not reached an expected height at a given age. According to UNICEF and correct up to 2001, the stunting rates for Ethiopia, Malawi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are 52 per cent., 49 per cent., and 38 per cent. respectively.

Wasting is an indicator that better measures short-term changes in malnutrition during an emergency by showing the percentage of children that are underweight in relation to their height. It is more difficult to determine for a country because it varies according to the degree of emergency and tends to be area focused rather than reflect a national trend. For example, in Ethiopia, 2002–03 figures for wasting rose as high as 32 per cent. in some areas. The same areas—a few months later—showed rates of 8 per cent. following the emergency operation.

Management Consultants

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. [148027]

Hilary Benn: Expenditure on consultancy services for the development programme in each of the last five years is recorded in "Statistics on International Development", Table 12. A copy of this publication is available in the Library of the House. We do not keep a central record of the cost of management consultants in particular and this information cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

Pakistan

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of maternal mortality rates in refugee camps in Pakistan. [149996]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: A report by the Commonwealth Development Corporation covering the period from 1999 to 2000 found that 41 per cent. of deaths of Afghan refugee women of reproductive age in Pakistan were due to maternal causes. This exceeded the proportion of deaths related to any other cause for this group.

In response to the high levels of maternal mortality, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees runs basic health units in its camps for Afghan refugees. The health units include female health workers and doctors, who provide health care to pregnant refugees and advise women on all health issues. The improved access to health care has helped to reduce maternal deaths among refugee women.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many new investments have been made by CDC in sub-Saharan Africa in the past 12 months. [151165]

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Mr. Gareth Thomas: CDC Capital Partners has made six new investments totalling nearly £104 million in sub-Saharan Africa over the last 12 months. These include a £53 million investment in Songas, a Tanzanian power company and a £10 million investment in Flamingo Holdings, an integrated agribusiness in Kenya. CDC also made additional investments of £19.9 million into 26 of its existing holdings in the region during 2003.

Sudan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian impact which the closure of Intifada camps Number one and Number two by Sudanese authorities will have; and if he will make a statement. [150110]

Hilary Benn: We continue to be concerned about the protection and assistance afforded to all internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Darfur region of Sudan, where there are reports of further significant population movements due to the ongoing conflict. This includes those IDPs relocated from the Intifada camp in Nyala, South Darfur. We continue to urge the parties to engage in peaceful negotiations, and to allow humanitarian agencies full and unimpeded access to IDPs and to those affected by the conflict.

Swaziland

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to the government of Swaziland over the decision to build new palaces for King Mswati's wives. [150981]

Hilary Benn: We understand that the Government of Swaziland has not yet reached a decision on this matter. Our High Commissioner in Mbabane has discussed the issue with senior Ministers in Swaziland, and has expressed concern that non-essential government expenditure could undermine the government's ability to deal with pressing poverty issues, including food security and HIV/AIDS.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what impact the decision by the Government of Swaziland to spend $14 million on new palaces for King Mswati's wives will have on (a) UK bilateral aid programmes and (b) multilateral aid to that country. [150982]

Hilary Benn: Swaziland faces serious challenges in the next few years—including HIV/AIDS, constitutional reform and economic growth. At present DFID is only directly financing two programmes in Swaziland—support to the Coalition of Non-Government Organisations, and a programme on rural water supply. Neither channel funds directly to the Government and both are due to end during 2004.

The European Union, who expect to provide Euro43 million to Swaziland under the ninth replenishment of the European Development Fund is pursuing a process of political dialogue with the Government of Swaziland under the Cotonou Agreement.

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Swaziland is also expected to receive support from international humanitarian agencies to assist with food security issues in the country, and from organisations such as the Global Fund against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria to help address HIV/AIDS.

Trade-related Assistance

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the countries which have benefited from the Government's funding for trade-related capacity building and technical assistance since 1998; and how the money has been used. [149071]

Hilary Benn: £160 million has been committed to trade related capacity building from 1998—more than treble the pledge in the 2000 White Paper "Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor."

Trade related capacity building assistance and technical assistance has been delivered through bilateral, regional and multilateral channels for the benefit of individual countries and groups of countries.

Therefore all developing countries and territories and some of the countries and territories in transition listed in the Departmental Report 2003 have benefited from the Government's trade-related capacity building and technical assistance since 1998.

Funding has been provided for the development of trade sectors such as services, tourism, fisheries, forestry, public/private sector networking, banking and finance, business support services and institutions, industry and agriculture.

Assistance has also been provided for the formulation of trade policy through to benefit poor people with an emphasis on including trade issues in national poverty reduction and country assistance plans. Support has also been provided for training in trade negotiation techniques, agriculture, intellectual property rights, dispute settlement, regional trade agreements, assisting with accession to the WTO and trade facilitation.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the countries that will benefit from the £50 million support announced by his predecessor in September 2003 for trade-related capacity building and technical assistance. [149072]

Hilary Benn: Nigeria will benefit from a programme designed to improve poor people's access to commodity and services markets.

Ukraine will benefit from a programme designed to support progress towards accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and greater integration into the global economy.

The Government are also supporting a regional trade facilitation programme with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariats. The precise allocation of resources within and between these regional groups will be for the Secretariats to decide.

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In addition, direct support to central government budgets will be provided to a number of developing countries, especially in Africa.

Uzbekistan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the levels of household fuel poverty in Uzbekistan. [150980]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has not made an assessment of the levels of household fuel poverty in Uzbekistan. The World Bank is currently undertaking a survey of the Energy Policy Sector that will link poverty and access to fuel by households in Uzbekistan. The results of the study will be available later this year and can be accessed through the World Bank website (www.worldbank.org).

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