| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
16 Mar 2004 : Column 195W—continued
Sugar Regime
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to ensure that the needs of smaller developing sugar producing countries are taken into account when his right hon. Friend negotiates reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. [160766]
Hilary Benn: The European Union (EU) Common Market Organisation for sugar is highly distorted and discriminatory and is unsustainable in its current form. Using a system of quotas and prohibitively high tariffs access has been denied to the EU market for all but a handful of developing country suppliers for more than 30 years. In addition, those developing countries without preferential access to the EU sugar market
16 Mar 2004 : Column 196W
struggle to compete in third markets with the highly subsidised EU sugar exports. The price of sugar on the EU market is kept artificially high with the consumer ultimately paying through the high end price for sugar and products containing sugar. Estimates vary but put the cost to taxpayers at approximately $2 billion each year. Reform is much needed and long overdue.
The European Commission has not yet tabled any proposals but has set out three options for reform. The Government are still considering which of these specific options represents the best way ahead. Any change to such a highly distorted regime will bring some losers as well as winners. Some of the less efficient traditional preferential suppliers will be affected and may need some sort of transitional assistance to help them adapt. The precise nature and scale of this assistance will depend on the nature and scale of the reform itself. DFID is working closely with other Government Departments to look at the implications of these options for developing countries and identify what assistance might be necessary.
Zambia
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of (a) the quality of HIV treatment available in Zambia and (b) the extent to which treatment has improved in recent years; and how many people have died from HIV/AIDS in Zambia in each of the last five years. [161795]
Hilary Benn: Treatment of HIV is understood to mean treatment of AIDS retroviral infection, through Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART), as well as treatment of the opportunistic infections it causes.
The number of people who have died of AIDS in Zambia in the last five years is not known; because of stigma and limited diagnostic capacity, AIDS is often not stated or acknowledged as a cause of death. However, from official Government of Zambia figures it is estimated that an average of 100,000 people have died from AIDS in the last five years.
ART was provided by provincial hospitals in Zambia for the first time in 2003. Over 1,000 clients are accessing this treatment at present. The quality of ART has yet to be assessed. However, while the health sector is under funded (with a resource gap of £94 million per year, or 50 per cent. of the health funding needed), and numbers of health workers are falling (at an estimated 10 per cent. per year) due to emigration and health problems, the quality of AIDS treatment is likely to remain poor.
Part of DFID's £20 million HIV/AIDS programme in Zambia provides monitoring and evaluation consultancy services in support of monitoring treatment quality. A further £20 million programme is supporting the strengthening of Zambia's health systems and financing the delivery of public health services, including to people living with HIV/AIDS and those affected by associated opportunistic infections.
Recent efforts to direct limited resources to where they are most needed have resulted in modest improvements. For the first time in many years, and with DFID's support, Zambia had sufficient drugs in 2003 to treat the range of common diseases which afflict poor people,
16 Mar 2004 : Column 197W
including opportunistic infections due to AIDS. Disease control measures have also improved. For example, the cure rate for TB, a common AIDS opportunistic infection, improved from 50 per cent. to 55 per cent. between 2000 and 2003.
DEFENCE
Afghanistan
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had regarding the establishment of European Union provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan. [160244]
Mr. Ingram: NATO is developing plans to extend ISAF's influence beyond Kabul. The United Kingdom has offered to lead a second Provincial Reconstruction Team.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will answer the Question, Ref:146515, tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 5 January, on the death in British custody of Baha Mousa. [160912]
Mr. Ingram: I replied to the hon. Member on 12 March 2004, Official Report, column 1773W.
Royal Air Force
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many responses the RAF Continuous Attitudes Survey received for the consultation round launched in September 2003; and if he will make a statement. [160116]
Mr. Caplin: The RAF Continuous General Attitude Survey is issued in February, May, August and November each year. On 1 August 2003 (the last date for which information is available), 2,000 surveys were issued and 1,057 replies were received, giving a response rate of 52.9 per cent.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) land and (b) buildings in central London owned by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) the UK armed forces, giving the value in each case. [156709]
Mr. Caplin: The National Asset Register, (NAR), published by HM Treasury, provides a comprehensive list and valuation of all of the assets owned by every Government department and their sponsored bodies. A copy of the 2001 NAR has been placed in the Library of the House and can be accessed on the HM Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. It should be noted that these are asset valuations and do not represent the disposal value of these assets.
In central London the MoD, (including Agencies and Service personnel), holds a number of major properties. Those which have a realisable value to the Department have been valued and included in the NAR.
16 Mar 2004 : Column 198W
Such properties are listed in the table with the NAR values shown comprising the sum of the land value and the value of the various buildings. Service Families Accommodation and properties used solely by Visiting Forces and Reserve Forces have been excluded.
| Property | Location | Use | NAR Value (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea Barracks | Chelsea | Barracks | 58,530,000 |
| DCSA St Vincent | Whitehall | Communications | 14,918,000 |
| Great Scotland Yard | Whitehall | Offices | 2,557,000 |
| Horse Guards | Whitehall | Barracks | 6,130,000 |
| Hyde Park Barracks | Knightsbridge | Barracks | 72,170,000 |
| Main Building | Whitehall | Offices | 65,909,000 |
| Northumberland House | Whitehall | Offices | 11,736,000 |
| Old War Office | Whitehall | Offices | 63,370,000 |
| RCDS Seaford House | Westminster | College | 1,667,000 |
| Regents Park Barracks | Regents Park | Barracks | 29,190,000 |
| Wellington Barracks | Petty France | Barracks | 106,210,000 |
Following the Chief Secretary's letter of 10 September, there is an automatic presumption against locating new and reconstituted activity in London and the South-East and a moratorium against all Government Departments renewing, creating new leases or purchasing freehold property for office-based activities over 2000 sq. m. The Lyons Review reported to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 15 March.
Disposal Services Agency
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many (a) vehicles, (b) display systems, radios and televisions, (c) small generators, (d) plant and machinery items, (e) tyres and (f) uniforms disposed of by the Disposal Services Agency since 1997 were acquired as Urgent Operational Requirements; and what the value of each of these categories was when (i) purchased and (ii) when sold; [161153]
- (2) how many (a) vehicles, (b) display systems, radios and televisions, (c) small generators, (d) plant and machinery items, (e) tyres and (f) uniforms disposed of by the Disposal Services Agency since 1997 were un-used at the time of sale; and what the value was of each of these categories (i) when purchased and (ii) when sold; [161152]
(3) how much (a) IT equipment, (b) office furniture, (c) telecommunications equipment, (d) electrical equipment, (e) scientific equipment, (f) unwanted warehouse stocks and (g) clothing and fabrics disposed of by the Disposal Services Agency since 1997 was unused at the time of sale; and what the value was of each category of equipment (i) when purchased and (ii) when sold; [161150]
(4) how much (a) IT equipment, (b) telecommunications equipment, (c) electrical equipment, (d) scientific equipment, (e) unwanted warehouse stocks and (f) clothing and fabrics disposed of by the Disposal Services Agency since 1997 were acquired as Urgent Operational Requirements; and what the value was of each category of equipment (i) when purchased and (ii) when sold. [161151]
Mr. Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
16 Mar 2004 : Column 199W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |