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Africa

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with UK industry on facilitating the use of alternative energy technologies in Africa. [176833]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID recognises the importance of improving access to affordable and sustainable energy services in Africa, in support of livelihoods and in the provision of social services. This is particularly difficult in rural areas where conventional technologies, such as grid-connected electricity, are expensive or impractical. Decentralised options using alternative technologies, including those based on renewable energy, may help provide a solution to meeting energy requirements.

DFID is working with international networks such as the Global Village Energy Partnership and the EU Energy Initiative to promote access to energy services, drawing on the full menu of technology options. This is a commitment in the UK Energy White Paper of February 2003. DFID is also working with other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Trade and Industry, to ensure that their efforts to promote alternative technologies and the interest of UK industry is consistent with our poverty reduction objectives.

In addition, DFID maintains contact with UK business groups such as the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), which was established in 2001 to promote sustainable energy, including the greater global use of renewable energy.

Cameroon

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what his Department's expenditure was on forestry-related projects in Cameroon in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004; what the projected spending is for (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006; and if he will make a statement; [177983]

(2) what plans his Department has to support efforts to (a) combat trade in illegal timber and (b) promote reform of the forestry sector in Cameroon; and if he will make a statement; [177984]

(3) what action the Government is taking to support efforts to (a) combat the trade in illegal timber and (b) reform the forestry sector in Cameroon; and if he will make a statement on his Department's objectives for work in the country; [177985]
 
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(4) what analysis his Department has undertaken of the state of the forestry sector in Cameroon; [177986]

(5) what his Department's commitments are to funding community development projects in Cameroon; and if he will make a statement. [177987]

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development's (DFID) expenditure on forestry-related projects in Cameroon over the past three financial years has been: (a) 2001, £2.6 million (b) 2002, £2.4 million; (c) 2003, £1.0 million ¹ . The planning figure for 2004–05 is £3 million. DFID's future forestry support of Cameroon will be focused on the African Forestry Law Enforcement and Governance initiative. DFID plans to commit £11 million over the next four years in support of the Cameroon Government's Forest and Environment Sector Programme (FESP).

The FESP is being implemented by the Government with support from DFID, the World Bank, the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the Canadian International Development Institute (CIDA), the European Union (EU) and the French Development Agency (AFD). The programme aims to implement wide ranging institutional reform and an effective strategy to control illegal logging, and to take measures to consolidate the rights of communities and protect the community forests from industrial exploitation. In particular, community development will be supported through the redistribution of a proportion of forestry revenues to rural communities. DFID also plans to develop a related initiative to strengthen the contribution of civil society and the private sector to forest sector reform.

Extensive analysis of the forestry sector has been undertaken by the Government, DFID and other donors as part of the FESP appraisal process, including a thorough social, economic and environmental assessment. In addition, DFID and the World Bank have commissioned reviews of over 10 years of fiscal and community forest reform.

DFID is strongly committed to stopping illegal logging and international trade in illegally produced forest products. One of the central aims of the reform programme is to stop illegal logging through (i) strengthening the capacity of government regulatory agencies (ii) introducing new forest management standards and regulatory systems (iii) encouraging increased community involvement (iv) encouraging private sector involvement in the management and (v) maintaining the independent monitor of forest operations.

Specifically, DFID has funded an independent body (Global Witness) to monitor the conduct of forest operations for the past three years in order to improve governance and transparency in the forest sector. DFID also strongly endorses the EU Forest Law and Governance Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan. We are encouraging the Government of Cameroon to develop a Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the EU to support its reforms and prevent illegal exports of timber. Such an agreement would strengthen government efforts to stop illegal logging and promote sustainable forestry.
 
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In addition to Community Development support through the FESP, DFID funds various community development projects. The Small Grants Scheme, operating through the British High Commission, supports a wide range of development proposals from different Non Governmental Organisations and Community Based Organisations on a annual basis (e.g. in Human rights, Education, Health, Water and Sanitation). DFID also supports a Capacity Building Programme run by the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) to strengthen civil society organisations in the forest sector. Assistance is also provided to the Cameroon Mountain Conservation Foundation (CAMCOF), to provide funding to enable communities to be engaged in biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use, thereby improving livelihoods.

¹ Rounded to the nearest £100,000

DAC/OECD Taskforce

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the role of the UK Government with regard to the DAC-OECD Task Force. [176794]

Hilary Benn: A senior DFID official chaired the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Task Force on Donor Practices and Aid Harmonisation. The Task Force produced the DAC Guidelines 'Harmonising Donor Practices for Effective Aid Delivery' which set out good practices for improving harmonisation. At the DAC High Level Forum in Rome, February 2003, the representatives of 51 multilateral and bilateral development agencies, including DFID, and 28 developing countries endorsed the Guidelines and committed themselves to taking forward this agenda. DFID produced a Harmonisation Action Plan in February 2003 that we are due to report on (at the DAC) in early July.

Following the Rome Declaration, the DAC Working Party on Aid Effectiveness and Donor Practices was established to further the work of the DAC Task Force. DFID is represented at official level on the Working Party and its sub-groups; the Task Team on Harmonisation and Alignment, Joint Venture on Public Financial Management, Joint Venture on Managing for Development Results, Procurement Capacity Building and Aid Untying. DFID staff members have attended meetings of all five subgroups since their inception, making a significant contribution to their work programmes. A second High Level Forum will take place in Paris in March 2005, to take stock of progress and accelerate action in key areas.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what approach the UK Government is taking with regard to the regulation of aid-giving policies encouraged by the DAC-OECD Task Force, with specific reference to Africa. [176795]

Hilary Benn: The main output of the OECD Development Assistance Committee Task Force on Donor Practices was a report in 2003 on "Harmonising Donor Practices for Effective Aid Delivery". Rather than seeking to regulate aid donor behaviour, it sets out good
 
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practices for donors to follow. DFID has adopted an Action Plan to promote Harmonisation, which aims to reinforce on-going changes within DFID (as well as encouraging similar reforms in other donor agencies). These changes make procedures simpler and more flexible, so that we can more easily harmonise with other donors, align our assistance with national poverty reduction strategies, and make greater use of partner government systems (rather than separate parallel channels) where this is appropriate. DFID is also aligning its own internal incentives to ensure that they encourage staff to promote these good practices.

Harmonisation is a particularly high priority for African governments which find dealing with a large number of donor agencies burdensome. DFID supports many country-led harmonisation initiatives like Uganda's Partnership Principles and Rwanda's Partnership Framework, and has led donor efforts to harmonise budget support in several countries including Ethiopia, Ghana and Mozambique. DFID also plays a leading role in the Strategic Partnership with Africa which is a World Bank-chaired forum bringing
 
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together representatives of major donors and African governments to challenge and help donors to improve their performance.

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