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10 May 2004 : Column 57W—continued
Africa
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what evaluation has been carried out of the value to developing countries in Africa of the (a) United States American Growth and Opportunity Act and (b) EU Everything But Arms Initiative. [169723]
Hilary Benn: A publication of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) entitled: "Trade Preferences for LDCs: an early assessment of benefits and possible improvements" reference UNCTAD/ITCD/TSB/2003/8, published in 2003, includes an early assessment of the United States American Growth and Opportunity Act.
The Everything But Arms Initiative (EBA) is delivered through the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences arrangement (GSP). The GSP is subject to an annual reporting mechanism. The most recent annual report covering the period of 1 July 1999 to 31 December 2001 was produced by the European Commission on 6 June 2003. Given that the EBA initiative was introduced in March 2001, the analysis on EBA is limited in this report.
There is also some analysis, albeit limited because of similar problems in collecting the most recent data, contained in the UNCTAD publication referred to above.
Aid Projects (Asia)
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid projects his Department expects to develop in Asia during the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [171246]
Hilary Benn: DFID's bilateral programmes in Asia are focused on helping countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Projected spend on bilateral programmes in Asia, excluding countries of the former Soviet Union and Iraq, are:
| South and East Asia and Pacific | 2003–04 Estimated Outturns | 2004–05 Plans | 2005–06 Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 72,000 | 75,000 | 75,000 |
| Bangladesh | 65,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| China | 26,000 | 45,200 | 35,200 |
| India | 197,000 | 250,000 | 280,000 |
| Nepal | 26,000 | 35,000 | 47,000 |
| Pakistan | 64,000 | 70,000 | 74,000 |
| Asia Other(25) | 56,000 | 93,700 | 106,900 |
| Asia Directorate2,3 | 4,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| Asia Performance Fund Reserve | 4,000 | 13,100 | 51,900 |
| Total | 514,000 | 697,000 | 785,000 |
| 2003/04 Estimated |
(25) Includes country programmes for Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma
(26) Includes 2003–04 movement in working capital for the division
(27) Covers regional funds and programmes including the Pacific region
Source:
DFID Departmental Report 2004 (http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/dr2004 default.htm)
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DFID's published Country Assistance Plans (CAPs) give details of proposed activities in the larger bilateral country programmes. Copies are placed in the House of Commons library. Finalised CAPs for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Vietnam and draft CAPs for Burma and Nepal are available at: http://www. dfid.gov.uk/News/Consultations/files/caps.htm. CAPs for other recipients of significant bilateral aid in Asia are currently under preparation.
Children's Welfare
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the children's parliament in Malawi in influencing public policy there. [171693]
Hilary Benn: DFID has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of the children's parliament in Malawi in influencing public policy.
In Malawi, DFID prioritises support for the National Assembly, particularly to enable parliamentary committees to fulfil their oversight function and to strengthen citizen's interaction with Parliament. Through membership of the Government of Malawi Task Force on Support for Parliament, DFID notes that UNICEF prioritises support for the children's parliament in Malawi.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the contribution made by children to the improvement of sanitary practice in Bangladesh. [171698]
Hilary Benn: An estimated 110,000 children under five die each year from diarrhoeal disease in Bangladesh. In 1990 the figure was much higher at 260,000.
There are a number of reasons for this improvement; access to improved water supplies increased from 94 per cent. to 97 per cent. and access to improved sanitation rose from 41 per cent. to 48 per cent. Improved hygiene behaviour also makes as important contribution but one which is more difficult to assess. One indicator is the use of soap or ash for hand washing after defecation—surveys suggest a current figure of 26 per cent. for Bangladesh.
The individual contribution made by children in achieving the above improvements cannot be separated out. However, the DFID Bangladesh Water and Sanitation programme explicitly recognises their important role in promoting improvements in sanitary practice. For instance:
(i) DFID's programme with UNICEF and the Bangladesh Department of Public Health Engineering includes a School Sanitation and Hygiene Education component, through which children are encouraged to monitor sanitary practices in their immediate neighbourhoods, and
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(ii) DFID has been supporting an NGO (PHULKI) through our programme with WaterAid, which works explicitly with the children of garment workers, using child-to-child approaches for hygiene promotion.
Commonwealth Development Corporation
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the re-organisation of the Commonwealth Development Corporation has been completed. [171687]
Hilary Benn: The legal documents to establish the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC)'s new investment management company, Actis were signed on 2 April 2004. These will formalise the new arrangements that I advised Parliament about in my statement of 8 January 2004. However, there are a number of 'conditions precedent' that must be met before the documents can take legal effect. These are largely administrative measures and CDC and DFID staff are now working through with these. It is expected to complete them by the end of June. I shall make a further statement to Parliament at that time and I shall also be placing the relevant documents into the Library.
Departmental Expenditure (Entertainment)
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest estimate is of the amount spent by his Department on official entertainment in each year from 1996–97 to 2004–05. [168997]
Hilary Benn: The following table shows recorded expenditure by DFID on entertainment for the years in question, to the nearest £000.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 10,000 |
| 1997–98 | 24,000 |
| 1998–99 | 43,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 62,000 |
| 2000–01 | 48,000 |
| 2001–02 | 55,000 |
| 2002–03 | 82,000 |
In 2003–04 DFID introduced a new method of assessing administration costs, which had previously been recorded on programme budgets. This included entertainment expenditure previously incurred by overseas offices. The provisional figure for 2003–04 was £246,000 and the projected figure for 2004–05 is £261,000. These changes have increased transparency and will enable DFID to manage administrative costs more effectively, but they mean that the 2003–04 figures and 2004–05 projections are not comparable with earlier years.
The upward trend in entertainment expenditure reflects DFID's increased focus on wider development issues, and the expansion in its representation overseas; with increased devolution to a growing number of country offices.
All expenditure on official entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.
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Ghana
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work his Department is supporting to improve literacy in Ghana. [171247]
Hilary Benn: DFID is preparing a new programme of £50 million over five years in support of the Government of Ghana's Education Strategic Plan (ESP). Increasing literacy is a key basic education target of the ESP. This programme follows DFID's five year £50 million Education Sector Support Programme, which similarly aimed to improve literacy levels.
DFID also provided £200,000 between 2000 and 2003 towards the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation Literacy Programme, which worked on adult literacy among 34 minority language groups.
A recent survey has shown an improvement in literacy from 48 per cent. of Ghanaians aged 15 or above in 1997–8 to 53 per cent. in 2003.
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