---

24 May 2004 : Column 1307W—continued

Occupied Palestinian Territories

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how much expenditure is planned by his Department in the next three years for projects to work with young people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; [174555]

(2) if he will make a statement on the projects his Department is supporting in the Occupied Palestinian Territories specifically aimed at giving young people an alternative to violence and extremism; and at what cost in 2003–04. [174554]

 
24 May 2004 : Column 1308W
 

Hilary Benn: The best way of giving young people an alternative to violence and extremism is to ensure they have a full and effective education with good prospects of future employment. DFID's support to the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) for which planned expenditure over the next three years is about £15 million per calendar year, provides substantial support to education and emergency employment creation. Over two thirds of UNRWA's annual budget is allocated for the education needs of Palestinian children in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. DFID provides project funding for UNRWA to help improve the school management by involving the local community. Planned funding is about £500,000 per year for the next two years.

DFID recently agreed a £7 million contribution to the World Bank's Public Financial Management Reform Trust Fund to support the Palestinian Authority. This will have an indirect impact on supporting young people, as the money will help maintain public services including education and keep PA employees at work by paying salaries.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the level of disruption to the schooling and vocational education of young people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories over the last five years. [174556]

Hilary Benn: DFID has not commissioned any such research but monitors the level of disruption to education through regular contact with our Palestinian and international partners including the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education, United Nations Relief Works Agency and Non Governmental Organisations. Many pupils and teachers now face difficulty in getting to school, which in effect reduces the number of full school days. There is also a reduction in the financial resources
 
24 May 2004 : Column 1309W
 
available for education as a result of the severe downturn of the Palestinian economy. The high priority given to education by Palestinian communities means that there has been no increase in the very low dropout rate, and only a small reduction in the high rate of enrolment of pupils in schools. The disruptions and violence nevertheless have a high psychological impact on students and on student achievement.

South Africa

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for   International Development what assessment his Department has made of the statement released by South Africa's Deputy President Jacob Zuma's office on 11 May 2004; what his Department's assessment is of the scale of the problem highlighted by Mr. Zuma; and if he will make a statement. [174640]

Hilary Benn: The statement by South Africa's Deputy President Zuma's office, highlighted the extent of food insecurity and vulnerability in the Southern African region. At the 15 May Southern African Development Community Summit on Agriculture and Food Security in Dar es Salaam the South African government announced a contribution of R 100 million (approximately £8 million) to help meet these needs. DFID welcomes this and believe that South Africa has an important role to play in improving food security in the region, including as a major food producer and grain market.

Food security is a continuing challenge in Southern Africa. At the peak of the recent humanitarian crisis, the United Nations assessed that 15.2 million people (26 per cent. of the population) were in need of food aid. DFID spent over £88 million in 2002–03 in response to the Southern African food crisis (in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho). Acute needs appear to be lessening now as a result of improved harvests in many but not all countries, However, chronic poverty appears to have increased and more communities are now likely to become destitute as a result of variable rainfall or other shocks such as illness or loss of work.

The impact of HIV/AIDS has placed a major burden on households and increased their vulnerability. Increasing food production is necessary but not sufficient, since many people do not grow their own food, and lack resources to buy food even if it is available. Increasing employment, land reform, better infrastructure and access to markets, and more private sector investment are also required.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Department had observers at the 2004 Southern African Development Community Heads of State and Government Summit on Agriculture and Food Security held on 15 May 2004 in Dar es Salaam; what reports of the (a) proceedings and (b) conditions of this summit he has received; and if he will make a statement. [174639]

Hilary Benn: The British High Commissioner in Tanzania attended the opening ceremony of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
 
24 May 2004 : Column 1310W
 
Summit on 15 May. The Summit launched an action plan to address the food security problems in the region. It emphasised the extent and depth of vulnerability in the region and the need for concerted international action on a wide range of issues. Member states re-endorsed their commitment to increase their financing to agriculture to 10 per cent. of national budgets within five years.

The official communiqué sets out the agreed action and priority areas for short and longer-term support. DFID, in collaboration with partners, is supporting a number of programmes to address the issues discussed at the Summit. DFID's collaboration emphasises access to food, as well as increasing production; monitoring vulnerability and targeting vulnerable groups; and the important role of the private sector and regional trade. DFID welcomes SADC's renewed commitment to food security as a development priority.

Sudan

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assistance his Department is providing with demobilisation disarmament and the reintegration of combatants in Sudan; [174774]

(2) what is the nature of the support being provided by his Department to assist reintegration in the Sudan. [174773]

Hilary Benn: Full demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) of combatants will only take place in Sudan after a peace agreement has been signed between the Government of Sudan and Sudan People's Liberation Movement. However, as part of the international effort to promote successful DDR, DFID is currently supporting both the preparation and planning for full-scale demobilisation and the demobilisation of Child Soldiers.

DFID has provided about £505,000 of assistance to   UNICEF for child soldier disarmament and demobilisation, as well as the return, reunification and reintegration of vulnerable children. We have also provided about £312,000 of assistance to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for three DDR field advisers under their preparatory support for reintegration for former combatants and community based weapons reduction. In addition we are also providing a DDR adviser to act as a resource person to the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the IGAD-led peace talks, and to the international community through the UN Resident Coordinator for Sudan.

Both DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are also pressing the UN at the highest levels to ensure that DDR is given the utmost priority, and is fully supported during coming peacekeeping missions.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action his Department is taking to support the development of effective governance in Sudan. [174775]

 
24 May 2004 : Column 1311W
 

Hilary Benn: DFID hopes that a framework peace agreement will emerge from the Sudan peace talks soon. DFID sees a sustainable and just peace as key to effective governance in Sudan so the United Kingdom has committed itself to supporting Sudan in implementing the peace agreement.

One of DFID's objectives for the programme in   Sudan is the development of effective public administration, security and judicial systems. To this end we are supporting policy development, for example, by helping the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to develop good governance principles for the new Government of South Sudan. DFID is also working on plans to support capacity building on safety, security and accessible justice; on local government; and on public financial management. In addition we have financed a consultancy report on the development of policing in Sudan, and are considering support for security sector reform.

---