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NORTHERN IRELAND

New Targeting Social Need

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Murphy): I wish to advise the House that on 14 April 2004 I launched a public consultation exercise in respect of a proposed way forward for new targeting social need (New TSN), the Government's high level policy for tackling poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland.

By undertaking this consultation we are fulfilling a commitment given by the previous Northern Ireland Executive, in its programme for Government, to review the New TSN policy.
 
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Copies of the consultation paper "New TSN—the Way Forward Towards an Anti-Poverty Strategy" have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Water Resource Strategy

The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. John Spellar): Today I am publishing the Water Service's Water Resource Strategy 2002–30.

The Strategy provides a framework for meeting increasing water demand in Northern Ireland, through the efficient use of water including leakage reduction and by upgrading and rationalising the existing supply system.

An Executive Summary of the Strategy has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and is available on the Water Service website at www.waterni.gov.uk.

DEFENCE

Joint Medal Office

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): As part of a wider modernisation of service personnel administration policies and the procedures and the introduction of the IT to support their delivery known as the joint personnel administration (JPA) programme, and following an investment appraisal and consultation with trade unions, the decision has been taken to concentrate the delivery of JPA from three sites: Innsworth, Gosport and Glasgow.

This will incorporate the creation, from March 2005, of a joint medal office at Innsworth the current location of the RAF medal office and will involve the phased closure of the army medal office at Droitwich and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines medal offices located at Gosport. In order to provide continuity of service and to build up the necessary expertise at Innsworth the transfer of responsibilities will be phased.

Consultation with MOD Trade Unions about the choice of the three sites from which JPA will be delivered has been undertaken and detailed local consultation about the implications for staff will start shortly. It is expected that some of the current staff will transfer to Innsworth with the work. It is anticipated that staff at Gosport and Innsworth who are unable to transfer to the JMO will be found other positions in the locality, but I cannot rule out a programme of early retirement and redundancy that may be required in particular at Droitwich.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Neighbourhood Wardens Scheme

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Yvette Cooper): The Government is today publishing a research report and research summary entitled "Neighbourhood Wardens Scheme Evaluation". This evaluation of the neighbourhood wardens scheme, undertaken by Social Development Direct, concludes that, in successful schemes, wardens are laving a significant impact. Neighbourhood wardens schemes represent value for
 
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money in relation to crime reduction. There are also important, but uncosted, additional benefits—improved quality of life, reduced fear of crime, improvements in environmental problems and anti-social behaviour.

Copies of the research report and summary are available at www.neighbourhood.gov.uk and in the Library of the House.

Regional Planning Guidance (North-West)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Yvette Cooper): The North West Regional Assembly (NWRA) published, on 19 April, a consultative draft of the Partial Review of Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) that was published by my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister in March 2003.

RPG13 sets out the spatial development strategy that encompasses proposals for the development of the Region's economy, housing and transport infrastructure, and other land uses. It also sets out proposals for the conservation, management and enhancement of the Region's natural and cultural environment.

Regional Planning Guidance also provides the regional framework for the plans and strategies of a range of public, private and voluntary organisations, including the preparation of local authority Development Plans and Local Transport Plans.

The consultation will also allow consideration of the implications of the Northern Way growth work being led by the Regional Development Agencies.

The selective, partial, review covers a number of key matters of importance to the future of the region, including:

Transport—The Regional Transport Strategy is updated in the light of a number of major studies in the region and consultations on national aviation policy. The review also includes transport investment priorities, the management of the regional highway network, a regional freight strategy and criteria to ensure that new developments are accessible by public transport;

Sustainable energy—targets are put in place that should help to increase the amount of energy supplied from renewable resources;

Waste management—a new approach to handling waste is set out that will encourage recycling and composting, and reduce landfill;

Climate change—a new policy on climate change is introduced that will aim to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets and allow planning for the implications of climate change;

Strategic Regional Parks— three broad areas of search for Strategic Regional Parks are identified based on the North West Coast, the Mersey Belt and East Lancashire; and

Strategic Views along the River Mersey—a policy to protect and enhance selected views for different parts of the Mersey valley is put forward.

The draft Partial Review is published for consultation with all regional stakeholders over a period of 12 weeks. An independent Panel will take into account all responses to the consultation before it hole s a Public Examination in November, where it will consider the issues arising from the consultation. The Panel will
 
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produce a report for the First Secretary of State, who will then publish the final version of the RPG following further consultation, in 2005.

Copies of the relevant documents are available in the Libraries of both Houses and have been provided for all of the Region's MPs, MEPs and local authorities.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

The Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn): The Foreign Secretary, the Minister for Trade and Investment and I attended the donor conference on Afghanistan held in Berlin on 31 March and 1 April, at which donors were invited to respond to the recent needs assessment compiled by the World Bank.

The conference was an opportunity for donors to: assess the political progress that has taken place in Afghanistan since the Bonn and Tokyo conferences of 2001 and 2002; discuss the challenges that now face the Afghan Government; and demonstrate continued commitment to Afghanistan's long-term future development.

The announcement by President Karzai of the plan to hold elections in September was warmly welcomed. At a side meeting donors pledged an additional $65 million to the election process, helping to keep it on track. The UK pledged an additional $5 million, taking our overall election funding to $24 million. Preparations for elections are on course although security for a free and fair election remains a major concern.

Donors demonstrated their commitment to Afghanistan, by pledging US$8.2 billion of assistance over the next three years. This represents two thirds of Afghanistan's requirements over this period, and it is hoped folly to meet Afghanistan's needs with increased money becoming available from donors that were only able to make one-year pledges in Berlin. Of this new pledge over half, US$4.5 billion, is for this financial year. This meets Afghanistan's request for the year and is more than double the amount disbursed in Afghanistan last year. This increase comes at an important time, as a number of Government programmes become effective and the Government's capacity to absorb funds and implement programmes increases.

As I outlined in my statement to Parliament prior to    the conference, 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 74WS, I announced an increase of the UK's commitment to Afghanistan from £200 million over five years to at least £500 million over the same period. This funding is to support a range of reconstruction work, support for conflict prevention, and the counter narcotics effort. A booklet outlining DFID's programme in Afghanistan has been placed in the Library of the House.

Many donors acknowledged the particular challenges that both drugs and the security situation present to Afghanistan's successful development. I emphasised to the conference the UK's commitment as lead donor to   tackling the opium industry in Afghanistan, and many other donors also acknowledged the importance of dealing with this. The UK's specific provision of
 
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£70 million over three years to tackle this problem is an important lead and we are working closely with other donors to increase their funding in this area and to ensure that all development assistance is delivered in a way which supports counter-narcotics objectives. In the light of the importance that the conference attached to this problem, it was also a real achievement for the Afghan Government that they signed the Berlin Declaration on Counter Narcotics with the six signatories to the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration, agreeing a common stance on tackling drugs in the region.

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