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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Namibia

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance is being given to Namibia by the European Union in 2004–05. [175617]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The indicative allocation under the 9th replenishment of the European Development Fund amounts to €91 million to be committed over five years from 2002. Firm figures for planned disbursements in 2004–05 are not available.

The focus of European Union assistance in Namibia is on poverty reduction, including rural development, education and HIV/AIDS. The Country Strategy Paper is published on the European Commission website www.europa.eu.int/comm/development

Administration Cost Savings

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what administration cost savings were achieved by his Department in each year since 1997, expressed (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the departmental budget; and if he will make a statement. [175748]

 
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Mr. Gareth Thomas: Separate figures are not available for past efficiency improvements. DFID has however sought to promote efficiency, for example through internal Service Level Agreements. From financial years 1996–97 to 2002–03, the proportion of the development budget used for administration remained constant at 2.8 per cent. of the total programme, despite a significant widening of DFID's responsibilities in areas that do not entail significant programme spending.

A new definition of administration costs was introduced during 2003–04 in order to manage operating costs more efficiently and increase transparency. This incorporated substantial charges previously paid from the programme budget. Under Resource Accounting, from 2003–04 the administration budget also incorporates capital charges previously accounted for separately. Between 2002–03 and 2005–06, costs under the new definitions will have fallen from 5.8 per cent. (£197 million) to 5.1 per cent. (£236 million) as a proportion of the programme.

Chad

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to (a) the Government of Chad and (b) non-governmental organisations operating in Chad in relation to the humanitarian response to atrocities in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. [175874]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not provide any assistance to the Government of Chad. DFID is gravely concerned about the situation in Darfur. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 120,000 refugees have fled to Chad from Darfur, and the UN estimates that over 1 million people are displaced within Darfur. The UK has committed £2 million to UNHCR for emergency assistance to refugees in Chad. DFID also contributes 19 per cent. of the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO)'s commitments to NGOs operating in Chad. (ECHO has committed over £4.5 million).

Comprehensive Spending Review

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what correspondence he has had in the last three months with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) setting a firm timetable for spending 0.7 per cent. of GNI on development and (b) making provision for that level of spending in the 2004 Comprehensive Spending Review; what the outcome of those discussions was; and if he will place the correspondence in the Library. [175872]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: I am regularly in discussion with the Chancellor about a range of matters. In line with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (part 2, exemption 2) details of such confidential discussions are not normally disclosed.

Secondments

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many secondees there
 
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are from his Department in (a) Iraq, (b) Afghanistan, (c) India and (d) Tanzania; and what their (i) host agency and (ii) activity is in each case. [175746]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In Iraq four DFID staff have been seconded to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Southern Iraq, working in the areas of press and public information, essential infrastructure and the environment. In addition, DFID funds 59 secondee posts in CPA offices across Iraq. These posts are being filled on consultancy terms and cover a wide range of reconstruction related issues.

In Afghanistan DFID has seconded one staff member to the World Bank as a governance and institutional development specialist, and in Tanzania one member of staff is working as Environmental Adviser to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

DFID has no staff secondments in India. In line with most of DFID's programmes, we fund a wide range of consultancies at the request of the Government of India and State Governments. Currently there are 10 consultancies working for the Government of India.

St. Helena

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what policies he intends to pursue to (a) halt and (b) reverse the decline in population on St. Helena. [174756]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The decline in the island's population, and the problems associated with it, featured prominently in the recent discussions in St. Helena between the island government and a joint DFID/FCO mission. DFID is working with the St. Helenian authorities to address the causes and impacts. For example, a fiscal review is planned with the aim of stimulating growth in the island's private sector and encouraging inward investment. Measures have been introduced to offer some public service appointments on enhanced terms to encourage St. Helenians to stay in St. Helena or return there. DFID is also reviewing options for future physical access to and from the island.

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will assess the cost of maintaining St. Helena over the next 10 years. [174760]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID cannot make this assessment, as it would depend on a range of factors including major investment decisions, which we expect to address later this year, on future physical access arrangements. The background to this was reported in my written statement on 19 April 2004 Official Report, column 1WS. In addition, our assistance to St. Helena is set normally in three-year cycles which are negotiated with the island government in the light of anticipated needs and resources available. Discussions have taken place recently with the St. Helena authorities about our assistance for the island over the period 2004–05—2006–07 inclusive. I expect to report on those discussions shortly.
 
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Sudan

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance is being given to Sudan by the European Union in 2004–05. [175157]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The estimated disbursements from the European Development Fund for Sudan in 2004 is €14.3 million. Subject to a comprehensive peace agreement being signed in 2004 an indicative allocation of a further €150

million may be available over the period to 2007.

In addition further humanitarian assistance will be made available for Sudan through European Humanitarian Office (ECHO).

DFID also understands that the European Community has committed €1.5 million to support the Peace Talks and the Verification Monitoring Team, which is responsible for investigating and reporting on breaches of the Memorandum of Understanding on the cessation of hostilities in southern Sudan. A further €475,000 has been made available in support of the Darfur peace talks.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures his Department (a) has taken in the past month and (b) plans to take in June in relation to the situation in Darfur, Sudan, broken down by type of action; and what funding has been allocated to each action. [175767]

Hilary Benn: In April 2004, I set aside an additional £10 million to be committed to agencies engaged in humanitarian relief in Darfur ¹ . In the last month, DFID has committed funding to the following agencies.

Agency	Type of activity	Total commitment (£)
OXFAM	Public Health Humanitarian Response Darfur (Water/Sanitation Programme)	2,193,161
WFP	Emergency purchase and distribution of Food Aid for internally displaced Sudanese in Darfur.	2,000,000
WHO	Emergency primary health care and response to communicable diseases in Darfur; support to measles vaccination programme	1,500,000
UNICEF	Additional support to humanitarian assistance for crisis in Darfur; emergency nutrition; emergency health care and the protection of children	1,500,000
UN Joint Logistics Centre	Support to enable UNJLC to co-ordinate the logistics of an effective humanitarian response in Darfur	250,000

In addition to financial commitments in May, the UK has seconded three humanitarian experts to the UN Joint Logistics Centre in Darfur. DFID has also provided in-kind donations of non-food items (22,500 blankets and 15,000 plastic sheets) for distribution by humanitarian agencies.
 
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In June, DFID plans to continue committing the remainder of the £10 million to humanitarian agencies who are operational in Darfur and will continue to monitor the situation and keep the level of our response under review.

In addition to DFID's provision of humanitarian assistance, I have also taken measures to secure access for humanitarian relief. The Foreign Secretary, the Minister for Africa and I all raised this subject with the Sudanese Foreign Minister during his recent visit to the United Kingdom, and the UK Special Representative and our Ambassador in Khartoum had further discussions with the Government on this issue last week. Later, on 20 May, the Sudanese Foreign Minister announced new measures governing the issue of visas and travel permits to humanitarian workers wishing to travel to Darfur.

Since the ceasefire agreement at N'Djamena on 8 April, the UK has been in close contact with the parties and other members of the international community, including the African Union, to try and help set up the Ceasefire Commission Monitoring Mechanism set out in the 8 April agreement. I spoke to Said Djinnit, the
 
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Peace and Security Commissioner of the African Union, on 10 May, about the urgent need to get the team in place. DFID will provide swift and significant funding to enable a rapid deployment and are encouraging other donors to do the same.

¹ DFID commitment since October 2003 now total over £17.5 million

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department is giving to alleviate the situation in (a) Sudan and (b) Chad. [175770]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has committed over £16.9 million to humanitarian agencies providing assistance to people affected by the situation in Darfur, Sudan, of which £3 million has been committed to agencies providing relief to the refugees who have fled into Eastern Chad. DFID has also contributed 19 per cent. of the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO)'s commitments to NGOs operating in Darfur and Eastern Chad. (ECHO has committed over £4.5 million).

A breakdown of DFID commitments is given as follows.

Period	Agency	Description	Total cost (£)
October to December 2003	UNHCR	Supplementary Appeal for Emergency Assistance to Sudanese Refugees in Eastern Chad—2003	1,000,000
October 2003 to September 2004	SC-UK	Emergency Response to Conflict Related Internal Displacement in North Darfur	500,000
November to December 2003	ICRC	Contribution to the ICRC 2003 Emergency Appeal for Sudan	1,000,000
November 2003 to March 2004	WFP	Additional Contribution to 2003 UN Appeal, due to Crisis in Darfur, to Provide Emergency Food Assistance to Sudanese Populations Affected by War and Natural Disasters	2,000,000
January to April 2004	MSF-F	Emergency Assistance to IDPs in Darfur—through increasing access to health care in conflict areas, disease prevention, halting nutritional deterioration and treating malnourished children	491,369
January to December 2004	MSF-H	Darfur Components of Emergency Health Interventions in Northern Sudan Project	650,000
February to December 2004	UNICEF	Emergency Assistance to Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur for Health; Water Supply; Water and Environmental Sanitation; Relief and Shelter Items; and the Protection of Children	1,000,000
February to November 2004	GOAL	Emergency Assistance to Population in Kutum Province, North Darfur—through a combined Health, Nutrition and Shelter Intervention	575,963
March to December 2004	ACF	Emergency Nutrition Programme in North Darfur	250,000
March to December 2004	WFP	Emergency Distribution of Food Aid Commodities to Sudanese Refugees in North East Chad	1,000,000
March 2004 to January 2005	UNHCR	Emergency Assistance to Sudanese Refugees in Eastern Chad	1,000,000
April 2004 to December 2004	OXFAM	Public Health Humanitarian Response Darfur (Water/Sanitation Programme)	2,193,161
May 2004 to December 2004	WFP	Emergency purchase and distribution of Food Aid for internally displaced Sudanese in Darfur	2,000,000
May 2004 to November 2004	WHO	Emergency primary health care and response to communicable diseases in Darfur; support to measles vaccination programme	1,500,000
May 2004 to December 2004	UNICEF	Additional support to humanitarian assistance for crisis in Darfur; emergency nutrition; emergency health care and the protection of children	1,500,000
May 2004 to July 2004	UN Joint Logistics Centre	Support to enable UN Joint Logistics Centre to co-ordinate the logistics of an effective humanitarian response in Sudan	250,000
Total			16,910,493

 
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DFID has allocated £35 million for bilateral assistance to Sudan in 2004–05. This will be spent in the following areas:

Life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian, recovery and reintegration assistance.

Assistance for parties to implement the peace agreement including military/political arrangements and to build the consensus for peace more widely.

Support for the development of an effective public administration, state security and judicial system throughout Sudan.

Support for development and implementation of policies for poverty reduction.

DFID does not have a bilateral programme in Chad.

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action he has taken to secure access to Darfur for humanitarian relief; and if he will make a statement. [175839]

Hilary Benn [holding answer 25 May 2004]: Pursuant to the response given to UIN 175839 on Wednesday 26 May.

I remain deeply concerned about the grave situation in Darfur, western Sudan. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Minister for Africa (Chris Mullin) and I all registered our serious concerns about the humanitarian and human rights situation with the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, when he visited London on 11 May. The UK Special Representative and our Ambassador in Khartoum had further detailed discussions about Darfur with several Government Ministers and senior officials in Khartoum last week.

I spoke to Mr. Ismail again on 20 May and he told me he had announced new measures governing the issue of visas and travel permits to humanitarian workers wishing to travel to Darfur. These new measures came into effect on 24 May and include the following: all visas for NGOs, donors, the ICRC, the UN and other humanitarian workers going to Darfur will be issued by Sudanese Embassies within 48 hours; visas will now last for three months rather than one; the requirement for permits to travel from Khartoum to Darfur has been cancelled—notification of travel plans is now the sole requirement; unrestricted movement in Darfur is permitted, subject to UN security co-ordinating movements; a special customs officer will be appointed to facilitate the smooth movement of humanitarian freight.

We welcomed this announcement, and have been monitoring its implementation closely. Initial indications are that these new procedures are working.

Humanitarian needs in Darfur remain enormous. Over one million people are internally displaced and a further 120,000 have fled across the border into Chad. Their circumstances are precarious and are likely to worsen with the onset of rains in the region. The UK has committed over £17.5 million to humanitarian agencies
 
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working in Darfur and eastern Chad (see table). We are the second largest donor in Darfur after the US. Our commitments include £5 million agreed on 11 May to support WFP, WHO and UNICEF, as well as commitments in the last two weeks of £670,000 to MSF-Belgium for emergency health care in North Darfur and £250,000 for the UN Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC). We have also seconded seven humanitarian experts, four of whom are supporting OCHA in Khartoum and in Darfur and three of whom are working in UNJLC to improve the co-ordination of relief. In addition we have provided 15,000 plastic sheets and 22,500 blankets for distribution by agencies. We also contribute 19 per cent. of the cost of ECHO'S commitment—of £4.5 million—to NGOs working in Darfur and Chad. Despite our efforts, we are concerned that the recent UN appeal remains significantly under funded, and we are urging other donors to increase their contributions.

The Sudanese Government can be in no doubt about the seriousness with which we view the situation. We have made it very clear that we expect the parties to implement fully the 8 April ceasefire agreement, including by ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access. Both parties must to put an end to all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The Sudanese Government must act now to rein in the Janjaweed militias who seem to be responsible for some of the worst atrocities.

In terms of improving the security situation in Darfur, our priority remains rapid deployment of the African Union-led Ceasefire Monitoring Commission (CFC). To this end we are in almost daily contact with the AU through our Embassy in Addis Ababa, and with other members of the international community. The AU mission has now returned from its reconnaissance visit, and they are currently putting together an operational plan and outline budget. These will be discussed today by the Sudanese Government and opposition groups in Addis Ababa. We then plan to make a swift and significant contribution to the CFC and are encouraging other donors to do the same.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has now issued its report on Darfur and the Security Council has been briefed on its contents. It identifies disturbing patterns of human rights violations in Darfur, including forced displacement, arbitrary killing of civilians, and rape, perpetrated by the Sudanese Government and its proxy militia, many of which may constitute war crimes and/or crimes against humanity. Further urgent discussions are taking place on what action should now be taken in light of the report's recommendations. We, with our EU partners, have also made clear that all alleged attacks should be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice. We are also in close contact with the OHCHR about Darfur, and are working to ensure that the Independent Expert, mandated by the 23 April Commission on Human Rights decision on Sudan, is appointed as soon as possible.

The House will also want to be aware that on 26 May the Protocols on power-sharing and the three areas of
 
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the Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and Abyei were signed at the Sudan peace talks in Naivasha, Kenya. The UK has played an important role in supporting the parties at the peace talks and was represented at the signing ceremony by our Special
 
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Representative for Sudan, Alan Goulty. The signing is a welcome and significant step towards a comprehensive peace agreement that will bring an end to decades of conflict in the south of Sudan.

I will keep the House updated on developments.
⁽¹⁴⁾UK government-funded humanitarian support in response to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan

Period	Agency	Description	Total cost (£)
October to December 2003	UNHCR	Assistance to Sudanese Refugees in Eastern Chad—2003	1,000,000
October 2003 to September 2004	SC-UK	Related Internal Displacement in North Darfur	500,000
November to December 2003	ICRC	Contribution to the ICRC 2003 Emergency Appeal for Sudan	1,000,000
November 2003 to March 2004	WFP	Additional Contribution to 2003 UN Appeal, due to Crisis in Darfur, to Provide Emergency Food Assistance to Sudanese Populations Affected by War and Natural Disasters	2,000,000
January to April 2004	MSF-F	Emergency Assistance to IDPs in Darfur—through increasing access to health care in conflict areas, disease prevention, halting nutritional deterioration and treating malnourished children	491,369
January to December 2004	MSF-H	Darfur Components of Emergency Health Interventions in Northern Sudan Project	650,000
February to December 2004	UNICEF	Emergency Assistance to Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur for Health; Water Supply; Water and Environmental Sanitation; Relief and Shelter Items; and the Protection of Children	1,000,000
February to November 2004	GOAL	Emergency Assistance to Population in Kutum Province, North Darfur—through a combined Health, Nutrition and Shelter Intervention	575,963
March to December 2004	ACF	Emergency Nutrition Programme in North Darfur	250,000
March to December 2004	WFP	Emergency Distribution of Food Aid Commodities to Sudanese Refugees in North East Chad	1,000,000
March 2004 to January 2005	UNHCR	Emergency Assistance to Sudanese Refugees in Eastern Chad	1,000,000
April 2004 to December 2004	OXFAM	Public Health Humanitarian Response Darfur (Water/Sanitation Programme)	2,193,161
May 2004 to December 2004	WFP	Emergency purchase and distribution of Food Aid for internally displaced Sudanese in Darfur.	2,000,000
May 2004 to November 2004	WHO	Emergency primary health care and response to communicable diseases in Darfur; support to measles vaccination programme	1,500,000
May 2004 to December 2004	UNICEF	Additional support to humanitarian assistance for crisis in Darfur; emergency nutrition; emergency health care and the protection of children	1,500,000
May 2004 to July 2004	UN Joint Logistics Centre	Support to enable UNJLC to co-ordinate the logistics of an effective humanitarian response in Sudan	250,000
May 2004 to October 2004	MSF-Belgium	Emergency Health Care for IDPs in North Darfur	671,300
Total			17,581,793

⁽¹⁴⁾   In addition we have also seconded four humanitarian officers to OCHA and three to the UN Joint Logistics Centre to work on Darfur.



 
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