---

12 May 2004 : Column 367W—continued

Malawi

14. Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Malawi. [172248]

Hilary Benn: The harvest that has just been completed will be the principal determinant of the need for humanitarian action in Malawi over the next year. Preliminary reports suggest a lower harvest than last year's bumper crop, but with major shortfalls restricted to a few areas. In order to assess more accurately the 2004 harvest and its impact on food security and household vulnerability, the Malawi Government, donors and NGOs are undertaking a series of surveys. The results of these studies will be available by the end of May.

Development (School Involvement)

15. Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development what support his Department is giving to projects designed to strengthen school involvement in raising awareness of development issues. [172249]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is committed to ensuring that every child is educated about development issues, so that they can understand the key global considerations that shape their lives. DFID works closely with the four education ministries across the UK to ensure that the content of what is taught in schools is enriched by the inclusion of global perspectives.

DFID's Enabling Effective Support initiative supports the development of locally owned strategies to achieve comprehensive high quality support to teachers for the delivery of the global dimension in the curriculum and wider school life. Each year some 70 per cent. of DFID's Development Awareness Fund supports projects under this initiative. In 2003–04 the Fund allocated over £3.8 million to 43 projects including the production and promotion of resources for schools; Teacher Education projects; and the Global School Partnerships programme that supports links with schools in developing countries. In 2004–05 the Fund will support 33 projects at a projected cost of £4 million.

Africa

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the new Commission for Africa regarding the debt burden on Africa. [172240]

Hilary Benn: The first meeting of the Commission for Africa agreed that the debt burden in Africa will be an important issue for the Commission's work. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Trevor Manuel—the South African Finance Minister—and Ralph Goodale—the Canadian Finance Minister—will lead this work.
 
12 May 2004 : Column 368W
 

Angola

Mr Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to assist the Government of Angola in preparing for forthcoming elections. [172083]

Hilary Benn: The Government of Angola has not yet set a date for the next elections, indicating that 14 steps, including conclusion of the new constitution and re-establishment of the Electoral Commission, are necessary before an election can take place.

DFID is supporting the electoral process. One of the key aims of our Country Engagement Plan for Angola is "a political system which allows all people to influence state policy and practice". Hence DFID is working closely with the international community and Angolan civil society in developing a strategy to support the forthcoming elections. Specifically, DFID is funding a large-scale programme to help civil society, the media and political parties to prepare for the elections. Through this project DFID envisage providing assistance on technical processes such as election monitoring, although details have yet to be agreed.

Once the date for the elections is set, DFID would anticipate working with other members of the international community to do more. DFID is also willing to consider supporting nationwide consultations on the new constitution. As of yet, there have been no clear indications on how the Government intends to carry out this process and how donors can best support it.

Mr Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts have been made by his Department in the last two years to work with civil society in Angola on transparency issues; and what results have been achieved. [172082]

Hilary Benn: DFID completed its first Country Engagement Plan for Angola in September 2003. One of the three outcomes highlighted in the Plan is "government systems for raising and using resources which are transparent and give priority to poverty reduction". Since then DFID has made significant progress on developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy on transparency in Angola. This includes encouraging Angola to participate in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), contributing to the World Bank's Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability Review (PEMFAR), and assisting in development of a G8 Anti- corruption and Transparency (ACT) programme. We have also followed negotiations between the Government of Angola and the IMF on a new staff monitored programme for which greater fiscal transparency is a key pre-condition.

With respect to civil society in Angola, DFID is one of several donors contributing to the Transparency Coalition set up by the international NGO World Learning in September 2003. The coalition consists of six different national NGOs who are working together to raise awareness and disseminate information on
 
12 May 2004 : Column 369W
 
transparency issues throughout the country. The coalition recently put forward a proposal, which DFID has agreed to fund, to analyse and make accessible in layman's terms the complex and very technical Angolan National Budget (OGE). This should allow Angolan civil society to more actively participate in debates on the annual budget process. DFID has also participated in a new forum established by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Luanda to look at transparency issues. Through this forum, donors help keep civil society informed on developments in transparency at the political level.

Much of this transparency work is still in its early stages and it will take some time before we see the full effects. It is worth noting however, that one positive result is already evident. Within the Angolan media there is a more open and animated discussion on transparency issues and civil society has been actively participating in this.

Births

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the latest proportion is of births assisted by skilled birth attendants in each of the countries covered by his Public Service Agreement target. [172453]

Hilary Benn: The latest figures available on the proportion ¹ of births attended by skilled birth attendants for the countries covered by our Public Service Agreement are set out in the following table.

¹ .The percentage of deliveries attended by personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care and advice to women during pregnancy, labour and the post natal period, to conduct deliveries on their own, and to care for new borns.

	Number
Asia
Afghanistan	no data available
Bangladesh	13
Cambodia	34
China	70
India	42
Indonesia	56
Nepal	12
Pakistan	20
Vietnam	70
Sub-Saharan Africa
Congo, Dem. Rep.	no data available
Ethiopia	10
Ghana	44
Kenya	44
Lesotho	60
Malawi	55
Mozambique	44
Nigeria	42
Rwanda	31
Sierra Leone	42
South Africa	84
Sudan	86
Tanzania	36
Uganda	38
Zambia	47
Zimbabwe	73

 
12 May 2004 : Column 370W
 

Children

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received about the role of child-to-child clubs in Kenya in highlighting the phenomenon of female genital mutilation in Kenya. [171699]

Hilary Benn: DFID has received no such representations. However, our support for reproductive healthcare and safe motherhood includes work aimed at reducing the incidence—and eventual elimination—of female genital mutilation in Kenya.

Occupied Palestinian Territories

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development pursuant to the statement of 29 April 2004, Official Report, column 372WH, on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, when he expects his Department to publish the country assistance plan for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. [172088]

Hilary Benn: Following extensive consultations with a wide range of partners in the UK, Palestine and Israel the Secretary of State has now approved the Country Assistance Plan. We expect formal publication to be in June and a printed copy will be placed in the Library of the House. An electronic version will be available on the DFID website shortly.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the statement of 29 April, Official Report, column 372WH, on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, what funding and support the negotiations support unit in the Occupied Palestinian Territories receives from his Department. [172089]

Hilary Benn: DFID has committed a total of £9.2 million to support the Palestinian Negotiation Support Unit (NSU). This funding covers the period 1999 to 2006. To date £5.25 million has been disbursed. This provides highly professional legal, policy and communications advice to help Palestinians develop detailed policy positions on complex issues in preparation for and during, permanent status negotiations. NSU's professionalism is widely praised, including by Israeli and US negotiators. We believe that the NSU's work represents an effective use of taxpayer's money.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the statement of 29 April, Official Report, column 372WH, on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, what funding and support the Palestinian civil police (a) has received and (b) is planned to receive from his Department; and how many people have been recruited to the civil police force as a result. [172090]

Hilary Benn: In 2003 DFID provided £700,000 for police vehicles to help increase the efficiency and visible presence of the Palestinian Civil Police. A DFID funded Police Adviser is currently working with the Palestinian Police and Ministry of Interior to assess the type of assistance that would most effectively help to build capacity within the Civil Police. This assistance is likely
 
12 May 2004 : Column 371W
 
to be in the form of technical assistance, training and equipment. It is too early to say what impact this will have on police recruitment.

---