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Written Ministerial Statements
Monday 10 May 2004
HOME DEPARTMENT
Race Equality Monitoring
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Fiona Mactaggart): I have today placed in the Library copies of the 2003 annual report on the Home Secretary's race equality employment targets and the 2002–03 employment monitoring report under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Humanitarian Mine Action
The Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn): Following an internal review by the Department for International Development, I am announcing today a revision to the Department's management of its support to Humanitarian Mine Action. The review team consulted a wide range of stakeholders including the United Nations, Civil Society, mine action organisations and other Government Departments.
In 2000 DFID decided to channel the majority of its funds for mine action through the United Nations. The objectives of the review were to assess whether DFID's policy objectives of channelling most of its funds in this way were being met, and to consider DFID's resourcing of mine action and to look at future options.
The review concluded that the overall policy approach should remain unchanged. The four existing main pillars of support remain valid. These are to: support humanitarian mine action focused on the poorest countries; improve the effectiveness of the international mine action system to mine pollution; develop new technologies to improve mine clearance; and promote the globalisation of the mine can convention. Additionally DFID's commitment to spend at least £10 million per annum on humanitarian mine action will continue.
The policy in 2000 established Partnership arrangements with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). This support has contributed to improved coordination in the international system. These partnerships will continue but with revised overall funding levels. UNMAS and UNDP will continue to receive similar levels of funding to assist in strengthening their capacity but will receive
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less towards country programme activity. Support to UNMAS will primarily be for its co-ordination role rather than its mine clearance operations, except in cases requiring short-term emergency response. In the case of UNICEF, DFID's ongoing three-year partnership for support to mine risk education will continue.
As a result of these changes, DFID will now consider other funding options including bilateral funding via non-Government organisations (NGOs) and commercial companies. NGOs have an important role to play in advocating and implementing mine action. The revised policy reflects this by ensuring that more bilateral resources will be available to fund mine clearance by NGOs. Within DFID, the conflict and humanitarian affairs Department (CHAD) will continue to be the central point for humanitarian mine action policy. However in view of the increasing mainstreaming of mine action into development programmes, DFID regional desks/offices also have an important role where mine action features in DFID country assistance plans. This creates an additional potential source of funding from within DFID.
DFID will continue to fund research and technology and the generation of knowledge. The Department expects to commit approximately 10 per cent. of its mine action funding in this area.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Planning Out Crime
The Minister for Housing and Planning (Keith Hill): This statement is to bring to the attention of the House the launch of good practice guidance on Wednesday 28 April, prepared jointly by The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Office, on how the planning system may play its part in tackling crime. This guide will support the updated policy advice on planning out crime, which is set out in the draft planning policy statement 1 "General policy and principles".
Through the sustainable communities plan the Government reaffirmed its commitment to delivering good quality villages towns and cities. Safety and security are essential to achieving his. Such places are well-designed, attractive environments where freedom from crime, and the fear of crime, improves the quality of life. Yet once a development has been completed the main opportunity to incorporate crime prevention measures will have been lost. The Government recognises that there are far too many examples of poor quality development because of insufficient attention to crime issues at the outset of the planning process.
The Government considers that this guide will help to provide practical advice as to effective methods of implementing crime prevention measures and securing community safety through the planning system. It challenges all those who influence the design and layout of developments, to think holistically about each development. In doing so the Government recognises
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that there is no one solution that applies to every situation. That is why this guide stresses the importance of understanding the context and unique nature of the locality, and the importance of close co-operation between the many professional disciplines, if planning is to lay an effective role in preventing crime and the fear of crime.
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The Government intends that those who read this guide will be inspired to use its suggestions and help to deliver the high quality and safe development that we all wish to see and from which all can benefit.
Copies of the document will be made available in the Libraries of the House.