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Public Libraries

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been spent on public library (a) buildings and (b) books in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) West Derbyshire in each year since 1997. [163742]

Estelle Morris: Other than the information contained within the Annual Public Library Statistics published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), and available in the Library of the House, data of this kind is not held centrally.

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CIPFA included regional breakdowns in the library statistics for the first time in 2001–02 and this is the only year for which these figures are available currently. The premises and books and pamphlets expenditure figures for the East Midlands Region for 2001–02 are shown as follows.

The CIPFA statistics are broken down to library authority level. The relevant figures for Derbyshire are shown as follows. Derbyshire County Council will be able to supply information for the West Derbyshire area specifically.

£

	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Expenditure on library premises
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	6,141,184
Derbyshire	855,560	1,035,674	1,053,910	1,027,767	1,204,009
Expenditure on books
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	6,399,848
Derbyshire	908,850	963,742	919,776	911,430	918,985

National Lottery

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Lottery expenditure has been allocated to sporting projects in (a) the East Midlands and (b) West Derbyshire in each of the past five years, broken down by Lottery distributor. [163743]

Estelle Morris: The information shown in the table is broken down by calendar year. It is derived from information supplied to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by the Lottery Distribution bodies. It refers to the constituency of West Derbyshire, and the whole of the East Midlands region.

£

	West Derbyshire		East Midlands
	Sport England	UK sport	Sport England	UK sport
1995	108,199	0	6,263,431	0
1996	2,500	0	3,681,775	0
1997	615,500	0	11,146,998	0
1998	914,215	0	33,631,371	0
1999	462,728	417,557	4,139,890	3,216,703
2000	1,457,173	0	28,322,216	5,179,090
2001	1,992,653	0	30,407,031	8,397,200
2002	553,762	0	12,708,685	0
2003	0	0	10,033,598	527,700

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

EU Development Assistance

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the commitment of EU development assistance to the EU/European Bank for Reconstruction and Development investment preparation facility in 2002. [163862]

Hilary Benn: The EU/EBRD Investment Preparation Facility (IPF), which ran until the end of 2003, was part of the EC regular Tacis budget. The facility essentially consisted of EC technical cooperation funds for EBRD projects in the countries of the former Soviet Union. In 2002 the EU/EBRD IPF amounted to a total Euro 10 million, of which Euro 2 million have been committed. The facility has, to this date, supported projects in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Iraq

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will undertake an assessment of (a) the benefits of establishing credit unions in Iraq and (b) changing existing banking legislation to that end. [163353]

Hilary Benn: DFID has no plans to undertake an assessment of the benefits of establishing credit unions in Iraq, nor of changes to the existing banking legislation.

We recognise the need to increase the availability of finance to small businesses in Iraq. For this reason DFID is providing a grant of US$15 million to the International Finance Corporation in support of its US$200 million Small Business Finance Facility. This facility will provide funds for loans to small businesses, and technical assistance to develop the skills of Iraqi banks in making such loans.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what income status Iraq has for aid purposes. [163617]

Hilary Benn: Despite its current low income levels, Iraq is classified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) as a Lower Middle-Income Country. Aid to Iraq is counted by the DAC as Official Development Assistance.

The World Bank estimates Iraq's per capita GDP in 2003 to have been between US$480 to $630; i.e. low enough to put it in the low income category. GDP is

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however expected to grow rapidly over the coming years. GDP per head was as high as US$3,600 in the early 1980s.

Palestine

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will respond to the recommendations of the International Development Committee Report on Development Assistance and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. [163916]

Hilary Benn: DFID responded to the recommendations of the International Development Select Committee report into the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza on the 16 March. The IDC will be publishing DFID's response on Tuesday 30 March and copies will be available from the Vote Office.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to the Israeli Government regarding pollution of water sources in the (a) West Bank and (b) Gaza Strip by Israeli settlements. [163555]

Hilary Benn: DFID is working with the Palestinian Water Authority to help improve the understanding, and protection of the West Bank and Gaza's water resources. This is important in helping to improve access to safe drinking water. Data have shown that pollution of water sources from Palestinian villages and towns is the highest by volume, but pollution from Israeli settlements is higher per capita. The Government have not made any specific representations to the Israeli Government on this matter.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the cost of projects funded by the UK directly or through the EU in the Occupied Territories which have been damaged by Israeli military operations; and if he will make a statement. [163646]

Hilary Benn: The total value of damaged projects funded by the EU (either bilaterally by member States or by the European Commission) is £26.5 million. Approximately one-sixth of this is projects solely funded by the EC. UK bilateral funding is largely technical cooperation. Physical damage caused by Israeli military operations has been minimal, and comprises damage to a few project vehicles.

British Overseas Territories

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) families and (b) children in each British Overseas Territory are living in poverty; and if he will make a statement. [164340]

Hilary Benn: This detailed information requested is not available, as it is not collected on a regular basis by the Overseas Territories and to do so would be highly resource intensive for their Governments. However, research published recently by the Caribbean Development Bank suggests that, while there is some poverty in the UK Caribbean Overseas Territories as elsewhere, there is little that is extreme by global standards.

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DFID believes the same applies to St. Helena, where precise data are also very limited. More generally, people in the Overseas Territories are largely able to satisfy their basic nutritional requirements; all Overseas Territories are classified internationally as being of 'middle income' status or above; and all Overseas Territories have met, or have largely met, the Millennium Development Goals. DFID's development assistance to those Overseas Territories that still require it, which in the Financial Year just ending is expected to total some £39 million, includes particular focus on the needs of the poorer and more vulnerable members of the island communities.

TRANSPORT

Bicycle Helmets

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to bring forward legislation to make the wearing of bicycle helmets compulsory on (a) A roads, (b) B roads and (c) on public footpaths. [163377]

Mr. Jamieson: Our position on compulsion has been that at current wearing rates it would cause enforcement difficulties and could have an effect on cycling levels. But the Government will keep its policies in this as in all areas under review in the light of discussion in Parliament and elsewhere.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek information about the advantages and disadvantages of compulsory cycle helmet use in (a) the USA, (b) Australia, (c) Canada and (d) New Zealand. [163408]

Mr. Jamieson: We have commissioned research which, while not the main focus, has considered the effect of compulsion overseas. The Transport Research Laboratory report on cycle helmet wearing relating to 1999 included a literature review of the effects of compulsion, in association with promotional initiatives, overseas. Case studies showed that helmet wearing increased substantially in the USA and Australia. In Australia there was a reported 70 per cent. decrease in cyclist head injuries. The review did not contain any information on the implications for cycling levels.

An independent review commissioned by the Department on the effectiveness of cycle helmets, and published at the end of November 2002, conducted a further literature review on the effect of compulsion overseas. It found that there was a significant rise in the wearing rate following compulsion in provinces and states in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. There was also a known marked decrease in casualties, confirmed for Australia (70 per cent.), and also New Zealand (30 per cent.). However only Australia monitored the cycling level pre and post legislation and they saw a drop in the amount of cycling following compulsion. The conclusion was that compulsion significantly raises the wearing rate of helmets and does reduce casualties. However this is at the expense of lowering the amount of cycling.

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