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31 Mar 2004 : Column 1432W—continued
Palestinian Authority
12. Mr. Khabra: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures he is taking to encourage transparency and accountability in international funding to the Palestinian Authority. [164512]
Hilary Benn: Substantial progress has been made since 2002 in improving the Palestinian Authority's financial management, oversight of public spending and accountability. This has largely been driven by the Palestinian Finance Minister with donor encouragement but without much direct donor assistance. DFID has helped the World Bank carry out a thorough Country Financial Accountability Assessment, which has set out an agenda for further improvements in these areas. The continuing need for donors to support the Palestinian Authority budget directly will ensure that these areas remain under close scrutiny.
Great Lakes
13. Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of progress with reconstruction in the Great Lakes region. [164513]
Hilary Benn: The Great Lakes region is emerging from 10 years of conflict, from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda to five years of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in which appalling human rights violations were committed and which involved, amongst others, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. There has been real progress but expectations of progress in reconstruction must be seen in this context.
The UN Secretary General is assisting preparations for an International Conference to address all the issues arising from reconstruction within the Great Lakes region. The UK fully supports this and will assist as appropriate.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a transitional national government was inaugurated in July last year. It brings together the main warring factions in a power-sharing arrangement. This is a major step towards providing an environment in which reconstruction can take place. Its task is to take the country to the first democratic elections in 30 years in 2005–06. It has also started to reconstruct the country but the challenge and needs are huge given the high levels of poverty, dilapidated infrastructure and continuing ethnic tension.
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In Rwanda, in the context of the events in 1994 and the reconciliation challenges posed since, progress towards national reconstruction has been remarkable. In order to deal with the large numbers of accused "génocidaires" in prisons throughout Rwanda, the Rwandan Government introduced a traditional system of community justice to handle the lower categories of crime. The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (RDRP), which co-ordinates the demobilisation, reinsertion and reintegration of ex-combatants, has led to the demobilisation of 46,000 soldiers since 1997. 2003 saw the culmination of the transition period marked by a referendum on a new Constitution and the election of a new government—the first pluralistic elections in Rwanda's history. Despite mixed reviews from some election observers, the election process represented a significant milestone in Rwanda's democratic evolution.
Uganda has benefited from a period of relative internal stability since 1986. Significant progress has been made in relation to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The HIV/AIDS MDG was achieved in 1996 and Uganda is on track to meet the income poverty MDG, which requires that only 28 per cent. of the population be living in income poverty by 2015. High economic growth has been achieved over a sustained period through sound economic policies, favourable terms of trade, and the positive effects of rural livelihood diversification. The latest data suggests 38 per cent. of the population currently live below the national poverty line compared to 56 per cent. in 1992. Much of this success has been achieved through the implementation of the Government's Poverty Eradication Action Plan. This is now being revised, and will be the basis for future poverty reduction activities. The current conflict in northern Uganda could negatively affect the progress that has been made. We are monitoring this situation closely.
Burundi's three-year transition from civil war to peace and a democratically elected government is due to be complete in November this year. However, conflict still continues between the government and the FNL, the remaining rebel force. The international community, within which the UK is playing an active part, is helping Burundi achieve the goal of a fully comprehensive ceasefire, prepare for elections, and begin the process of demobilising the combatants and reintegrating the bulk of them into civilian life.
DFID fully supports all the countries of the Great Lakes region in their efforts towards reconstruction, with programmes in 2003–04 of £20 million for the DRC, £37 million for Rwanda, £64.5 million for Uganda and £11.6 million for Burundi.
We are also encouraging the normalisation of regional relations. We have facilitated regular dialogue between Rwanda and Uganda. We have urged the governments of Rwanda, Uganda and DRC to work up good neighbourly relations as the basis for national and regional stability. In this respect, we welcome the signing in New York on 25 September 2003 of a Good Neighbourly Pact, which included commitments by the governments that all support for armed groups should end and that there should be no involvement in any illegal exploitation of natural resources of the DRC.
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Water and Sanitation
14. Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development, what representations he has received regarding water and sanitation in the developing world. [164514]
Hilary Benn: As Secretary of State for International Development, I receive regular representations regarding water and sanitation in the developing world. I also correspond with other donors, international organisations and individuals involved in water on a regular basis.
The bulk of the letters were the result of campaigns launched by non-governmental organisations, namely:
- WaterAid's "Flush out Poverty" campaign;
- Tear Fund's "Whose Earth" campaign;
- World Development Movement's "Pull the plug on it" campaign.
The first two campaigns were aimed at ensuring that the UK government lives up to commitments made at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Correspondents called on the UK government to give greater priority to water and sanitation, and to increase the amount of aid spent on sustainable improvements to water and sanitation for the world's poorest people.
The third campaign asked for the water sector not to be included in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations. Other correspondents have also expressed concern at the role of the private sector.
In addition to corresponding with interested parties, I and my officials meet with groups, including Trade Unions such as UNISON, that have a particular interest in water.
Nigeria
15. Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development, if he will make a statement on his Department's work to encourage Nigeria's trade. [164515]
Hilary Benn: DFID is committed to supporting Nigeria in strengthening trade policy dialogue in the context of Nigeria's home grown development strategy, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). Recently, the Federal Government of Nigeria has asked DFID to provide a high level briefing on trade and we are responding to this request. In addition, a programme for the promotion of opportunities for the poor in Commodities and Service Markets would also tackle trade concerns by addressing institutional and structural constraints.
DFID has to date, provided trade policy support under the Africa Trade and Poverty Programme in 2003 to strengthen the capacity of the Nigerian government to engage in the WTO and EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations.
Furthermore, the Agency for International Trade Information and Co-operation, which DFID is funding with six other donor countries, provides support to less developed countries and non-resident members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and to small and under-resourced missions of developing countries, including Nigeria. The Trade and Investment Access
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Facility and the Advisory Centre on WTO Law are other support mechanisms co-funded by the UK Government through DFID that are available to less developed countries including Nigeria.
CARDS Project
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS project entitled (i) Directorate of Roads in Kosovo and (ii) Pristina to Skopje Road Rehabilitation in Kosovo; [163874]
- (2) what his Department's contribution was to the 2002 CARDS projects for (a) strategic management support to public utility service providers and (b) river gauging and rehabilitation of ash dumps in Mitrovica in Kosovo; and what assessment he has made of the projects; [163868]
(3) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS regional co-operation and integration projects on (i) institution building and (ii) integrated border management; [163919]
(4) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the CARDS Institution Building projects (i) on the Implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement in State Institutions in Croatia, (ii) to improve accountability and efficiency in public procurement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, (iii) entitled Introduction of modern practices in the tax and customs administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and (iv) entitled Support for procurement competition and statistics in Albania that were financed by EU development assistance in 2002; [163937]
(5) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS project on the Nikola Tesla A3 thermal power plant in Serbia; [163997]
(6) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS projects (i) for local community development in Albania, (ii) for transport sector investment capacity-building measures in Serbia and (iii) for the reconstruction of the Sloboda Bridge in Serbia; [163869]
(7) what his Department's contribution was to the 2002 CARDS projects (a) for the return of refugees and displaced persons to (i) Bosnia and Herzegovina and (ii) Croatia, (b) to provide support to civil society and to strengthen non-governmental organisations in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (c) to provide support to environmental NGOs in Croatia, (d) to develop civil society and NGO capacity in Albania, (e) to assist in institutional capacity-building to strengthen environmental protection in Serbia and (f) for sewerage and waste water feasibility and treatment in Montenegro; and what assessment he has made of each project; [163910]
(8) what assessment he has made of the 2002 CARDS projects on (a) technical assistance to the electricity sector and emergency rehabilitation of electricity
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- distribution systems in Montenegro, (b) for an energy efficiency agency and an energy regulatory agency in Serbia and (c) for generation, transmission and consultancy in respect of energy in Serbia; [163911]
(9) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS projects (i) on vocational education and training in Serbia, (ii) on vocational training and educational mobility in Croatia, (iii) to support vocational education and training reform in Albania and (iv) for agricultural and agro-processing credit, the strengthening of public veterinary services and agricultural statistics and the Policy Advisory Unit in Kosovo; [163870]
(10) what his Department's contribution was to the 2002 CARDS projects for (a) the development of a comprehensive environmental regulatory framework, (b) water resources management and (c) solid waste management in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and what assessment he has made of the projects; [163999]
(11) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS Tempus projects in (i) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (ii) Albania, (iii) Croatia, (iv) Montenegro, (v) Serbia and (vi) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; [163871]
(12) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the CARDS institution building projects on (i) public administration reform in Montenegro, (ii) general and health reforms in (A) Kosovo and (B) Serbia, (iii) the development of financial controls, debt management and customs systems in Croatia and (iv) the strategy and capacity building for regional development in Croatia that were financed by EU development assistance in 2002; [163917]
(13) what his Department's contribution was to the 2002 CARDS projects (a) for the design of a secure landfill site for hazardous waste in Albania, (b) on pollution abatement and control at Ballski Refinery in Albania and (c) on environment legislation and awareness training in Albania; and what assessment he has made of the project; [163918]
(14) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in, (b) the effectiveness of and (c) the countries benefiting from the 2002 CARDS Regional Cooperation and Integration Project on (i) regional infrastructure and (ii) democratic stabilisation; [163872]
(15) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS projects on (i) road and railway rehabilitation in Montenegro and (ii) access roads to ethnic minority enclaves in Kosovo; [163873]
(16) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS project to provide assistance to energy production transmission and distribution networks in Kosovo; [163876]
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(17) what his Department's contribution to the 2002 CARDS projects for (a) a strategy for environmental law and (b) a waste management and water information system in Croatia was; and what assessment he has made of the projects. [164000]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Department is involved in projects implemented under the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) programme by contributing the UK's share of the European Commission budget allocated to CARDS and by participating in the Management Committee established to define country strategies and oversee the programme. In addition proposals for spending in Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) are approved by the Governing Board of the European Agency for Reconstruction, on which the Department is also represented. Implementation of specific projects (including procurement, which is governed by EC procurement rules) is the responsibility of the Commission.
When considering Commission funding proposals, the Department took a wide range of factors into consideration, including likely impact, cost-effectiveness and value for money. Many of the 2002 projects are in the early stages of implementation. An assessment of the projects will only be possible once they have been completed. The EC, through its results-orientated management system and strengthened evaluation systems, is best placed to carry out such an assessment.
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