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17 Mar 2004 : Column 373W—continued
Civil Society Organisations
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the UK-based civil society organisations that received contributions from his Department in 2002. [161404]
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Mr. Gareth Thomas: This information is not readily available in respect of calendar years and could be obtained only by incurring a disproportionate cost. However, the list of UK based civil society organisations that DFID has provided funding to in the financial year 2002–03 will be placed in the Libraries of the House of Commons under the title "List of UK Civil Society Organisations Receiving Contributions from DFID (PQ reference 161404)".
In addition, a number of CSOs receive funding direct from our country offices.
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding was received by each UK-based civil society organisation from his Department in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003. [161405]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: This information is not readily available in respect of calendar years and can be obtained only by incurring a disproportionate cost. However, the funding DFID has provided to UK based civil society organisations in the financial years 2001–02 and 2002–03 is available and will be placed in the Libraries of the House of Commons under the title "UK Civil Society Organisations Funded by DFID (Hansard PQ ref 161405)".
This information relates to the UK CSOs which receive funding directly from DFID headquarters. In addition, a number of CSOs receive funding direct from our country offices.
Commission for Africa
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his statement of 26 February 2004, Official Report, column 55WS, on the Commission for Africa, what further commissioners have been appointed; and how many commissioners are planned in total. [161385]
Hilary Benn: The 10 confirmed Commissioners on the Commission for Africa are the Prime Minister, Chancellor Gordon Brown, myself, Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, K.Y. Amoako (Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa), Trevor Manuel (South African Finance Minister), Michel Camdessus (French Africa Personal Representative), Mrs. Nancy Kassebaum Baker (Former US Senator), Ralph Goodale (Canadian Finance Minister) and Bob Geldof. Five more invitations are outstanding. There will be no more than 15 Commissioners in total.
Millennium Development Goals
Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will include in the Departmental Report for 2004 a statement on (a) the progress made on and (b) the resources invested in the Millennium Development Goal targets for increases in access to drinking water and basic sanitation. [161372]
Hilary Benn: DFID's departmental report 2004 will set out our broad strategy on water and sanitation. It will stress the importance of working with partner governments through their Poverty Reduction Strategies and of providing support to a range of
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multilateral initiatives. DFID's Water Action Plan published by the Department in March 2004, contains the following central elements:
- Evidence of the links between water and the other Millennium Development Goals
- A focus on a number of international partnerships and networks that create coherence and consistency in the water sector
- The incorporation of water issues into DFID's discussions on water policy with partner countries
- DFID's programme for action at country, regional and international level
The Water Action Plan also includes a breakdown of the bilateral financial resources invested in the development of water and sanitation services and an explanation of other DFID funding through non-governmental organisations and multilateral partners.
Copies are available at www.dfid.gov.uk
Further information detailing financial expenditure on specific sectors is included in Statistics on International Development 1998–99–2002–03, published in October 2003. This also outlines progress made towards the MDG targets for increasing access to water and basic sanitation.
Queries relating to Statistics on International Development should be addressed to: statsmis@dfid.gov.uk
Tanzania
Mr. Trend: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the implications for UK aid to Tanzania of Tanzania's decision to purchase an aircraft for its President. [161512]
Hilary Benn: The purchase and cost of the Government aircraft has been included both in the 2002–03 and 2003–04 budgets. It has been debated in Parliament as part of the budget speech discussions and further sessions. Our budget support is to enable the Government of Tanzania to implement its Poverty Reduction Strategy. Resource allocation decisions are for the Government of Tanzania to make. Allocations to priority sectors for poverty reduction have increased in absolute terms year on year since 2000.
Zimbabwe
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account he takes of the domestic budget priorities of the Zimbabwe Government when assessing humanitarian aid to the country. [161488]
Hilary Benn: There is an internationally agreed process through which the Government of Zimbabwe and the Office of the United Nations Humanitarian Co-ordinator agree annually a "Consolidated Appeal" in consultation with all other humanitarian stakeholders. The humanitarian appeal takes account of what the Government of Zimbabwe plans and is reasonably expected to do within its own resources. But we have not held back our assistance because of clearly poor policies of the Government of Zimbabwe, including on budget
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allocation. To do so would be to punish poor and vulnerable citizens of Zimbabwe for the actions of a Government whose legitimacy is questioned.
DFID has supported those elements of the Consolidated Appeal that provide humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable members of Zimbabwean society. The efficiency of the response is often hindered by the lack of transparency surrounding Government plans and programmes—particularly in the case of the State monopoly Grain Marketing Board. DFID, through the UN and with our development partners, continues to advocate for greater transparency on state spending from the Government of Zimbabwe.
CABINET OFFICE
Emergency Planning College
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what arrangements he will make for hon. Members to visit the Emergency Planning College to see the training taking place. [158983]
Mr. Alexander: I am always content to consider requests from hon. Members to visit the Emergency Planning College. From October 2004 the commissioning of its new buildings will be complete and the new programme of courses under way.
Better Regulation Task Force
Tony Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his written Statement on 9 February 2004, Official Report, column 61WS, on the Regulation Task Force Report, Independent Regulators, who is leading this review; what its remit is; what resources are at its disposal; when it is likely to report; whether the report will be made public; and if he will make a statement. [159481]
Mr. Alexander: The review of public bodies referred to in my written statement of 9 February 2004 on the Better Regulation Task Force Report 'Independent Regulators' was prompted by the Public Administration Select Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2002–2003 'Government by Appointment:
Opening Up the Patronage State' (HC 165). In response to the first recommendation of that report the Government stated that:
- "The Government agrees with the Committee that the variety and complexity of public bodies sponsored by central Government Departments supports the need for a review of their definition and scope. The Cabinet Office will therefore undertake a review of the types of body currently in existence and the outcome of this will feed into the work proposed in response to recommendations 4 and 5."
The Review is being carried out by the Cabinet Office within existing resources and work is expected to be complete by the end of December 2004. The final report will review the types of body currently in existence and will be made publicly available on the Cabinet Office website.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the action taken by the Government in response to recommendations made by the Better Regulation Task Force. [161957]
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Mr. Alexander: Since it was established in 1997, the Better Regulation Task Force has made around 400 recommendations to Government. All but 10 have been accepted.
Recent actions in response to Task Force recommendations include the announcement of common commencement dates for domestic employment regulations and the strengthening of guidance on Government consultation.
The Task Force monitors the Government's implementation of its recommendations.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 9 March 2004, Official Report, column 1397W, on the Better Regulation Task Force, if he will break down the cost of the task force by inquiry. [162020]
Mr. Alexander: Published inquiries are only one aspect of the Better Regulation Task Force's work. The cost of individual inquiries cannot be disaggregated from the Task Force's overall running costs.
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