---

13 Sept 2004 : Column 1427W—continued

Locusts

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action he is taking to assist the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in its request for more international aid to help tackle the locust plague in West Africa. [188103]

Hilary Benn: The UK committed £1.5 million ($2.7 million at current exchange rate) in August to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) international emergency appeal for the immediate control of the locust swarms. In total the international community has pledged $37 million.

To date, the FAO has provided about $5 million to six countries and to four regional projects across West and North Africa. There is currently unspent donor money available from the international appeal. As the situation is easing in Morocco and Algeria, their governments are also redeploying resources in the south.

The Department for International Development continues to monitor the situation closely. In the event that the situation deteriorates rapidly, the UK will
 
13 Sept 2004 : Column 1428W
 
review its response in line with the FAO and in-country logistics capacity given the difficulty of operating in such remote areas.

Zambia

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 21 June 2004, Official Report, column 1219W, on Zambia, what specific projects have received support in the Milanzi constituency of the Eastern Province of Zambia. [187537]

Hilary Benn: To date, one project specific to Milanzi constituency is receiving support. A local NGO called Shade the Shame has just been granted funding of £10,000 from the DFID financed Small Grant Scheme (SGS). Shade the Shame co-ordinates the activities of women's clubs in the district and currently has 22 affiliate clubs with 1,200 members. Each club specialises in a particular income generating activity. DFID's Grant will help purchase more equipment for the clubs, enhancing their productivity and increasing members' incomes.

The SGS is managed by the British High Commission, and has a small budget each year. Priority is given to small-scale community enterprises that show an awareness of HIV and AIDS prevention and coping initiatives, and are environmentally sensitive.

The Eastern Province of Zambia is the main focus for SGS funding this year. DFID is in the process of assessing a large number of applications from the Province, including some more proposals from the Milanzi constituency. Final decisions will be made by the end of September.

TREASURY

Civil Service Redundancies

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to each Government department of redundancy payments arising from staff reductions announced in the 2004 Spending Review. [187939]

Mr. Boateng: Individual departments are responsible for managing any efficiency related workforce changes.

Honesty Hotline (Newhaven)

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals have used the Honesty Hotline installed by HM Customs at Newhaven Port to report occasions where they may have exceeded the duty limit in each month since its installation. [188086]

John Healey: Customs does not maintain records on the number of calls of the type described originating at Newhaven.

Mountain Rescue Teams

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the zero rating of VAT to all purchases by mountain rescue teams to other items. [188092]

 
13 Sept 2004 : Column 1429W
 

John Healey: Under long-standing formal agreements with our European partners, we are not able to extend or add to the current list of zero rates.

However, as part of the wide range of VAT reliefs available to charities, rescue, or first aid charities may purchase VAT-free the specialised telecommunications, aural, visual, light enhancing or heat detecting equipment which they use. These charities are also able to buy medicines, medical equipment, ambulances and certain vehicles designed to transport disabled people free of VAT.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce an across the board exemption from vehicle tax for dedicated rescue vehicles used by mountain rescue teams. [188093]

John Healey: Any changes to taxation policy are made by the Chancellor in the context of his Budget statement after considering relevant economic, social and environmental factors.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Human Rights

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) how many claims have been made in UK courts citing breach of the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 in each year since passage of that Act; [188601]

(2) how many court judgments have found a breach of the claimant's rights under the Human Rights Act 1998 in each year since passage of that Act. [188602]

Mr. Lammy: This information is not maintained centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Services Commission

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will break down by type of debt the money owed to the Legal Services Commission. [185950]

Mr. Lammy [pursuant to his reply, 21 July 2004, Official Report, c. 376W]: I listed in my previous answer the break down by type of debt of the money owed to the Legal Services Commission in 2003–04. This omitted to indicate that these figures were in thousands and the following table now reflects this.

	£000
Contribution due from funded clients	29,509
Costs to be recovered	25,431
Statutory charge	263,896
Damages	12,904
Amounts due from suppliers	31,718
Recovery of defence costs orders	1,722
Accrued income European social fund	82
Prepayments and other accrued income	404
Total	365,666

 
13 Sept 2004 : Column 1430W
 

Magistrates Court Cells (Aberystwyth)

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment has been made of the health and safety standards in Aberystwyth Magistrates' Court cells. [187075]

Mr. Leslie [holding answer 9 September 2004]: Custody facilities at courthouses are audited by the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) at regular intervals against current standards of health and safety, decency and security. On 2 June 2004, a PECS audit concluded that the Aberystwyth Magistrates' Court cell complex meets basic health and safety standards.

However, access to the cell area fails to meet the established security standards because there is no van dock and there is no direct access to the custody area from the courtrooms. In order to reduce risk the number and type of hearings with defendants in custody at the courts has been reduced. This allows the custody officers a greater degree of control over each custodial defendant brought before the Court.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

British Agricultural Products

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she has taken to promote British agricultural products abroad. [186669]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: UK Trade and Investment works closely with Defra to help the British agricultural industry trade internationally. Our primary means is through the International Agriculture and Technology Centre based at Stoneleigh Park, which arranges a series of targeted events, inward and outward missions, and attendance at exhibitions where companies can improve their business prospects through international trade.

British Energy

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the current Government-backed rescue package for British Energy. [186330]

Mr. Timms: The terms of the Government's support for British Energy's restructuring plan were set out in the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 28 November 2002, Official Report, column 488. The latest position was set out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in her statement on 17 June 2004, Official Report, column 48WS.

---