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Departmental Recycling

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the latest available 12 month figures are for the proportion of the Department's redundant documentation, waste paper and card that is recycled; and if he will make a statement on the Department's recycling policy. [188701]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In the UK, in the last 12 months, the Department for International Development has recycled at least 90 per cent. of our redundant documentation, waste paper and card, and has now implemented an Environment Management System to monitor all our environmental impacts including waste streams. DFID also has a clear policy to reduce our production of waste by actively encouraging re-use, recycling and composting of paper and card and recycling of other materials such as glass, metal and wood. DFID also use refurbished and recycled products and materials wherever possible, and all our copying paper is 100 per cent. recycled with at least 75 per cent. post-consumer waste.

Disaster-prone Regions

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 22 July 2004, Official Report, columns 383–84W, on disaster-prone regions, if he will set a date for the implementation of a disaster reduction strategy. [189111]

Hilary Benn: The scoping study designed to inform DFID's proposed strategy for Disaster Reduction is due to be completed within the next few weeks. DFID will then start to draw up a strategy and a plan for its implementation, but we also wish to take account of the outcome of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction to be held in Japan in January 2005 before finalising it. Therefore I envisage that DFID's strategy will be finalised by the end of March 2005. It will include information on an implementation.
 
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Hurricane Ivan

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department plans (a) to provide to and (b) to request from the European Union for (i) the Cayman Islands, (ii) Jamaica, (iii) Grenada and (iv) other affected parts of the Caribbean following the passage of Hurricane Ivan. [189791]

Hilary Benn: Details of the UK's immediate humanitarian response to affected parts of the Caribbean, following the impact of Hurricane Ivan, were included in the oral statement I made in the House on 14 September and the written statement provided on 16 September.

Since then DFID has announced a further contribution of £368,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross towards their regional appeal, bringing our overall support to the Red Cross to £0.5 million. DFID has continued to deliver priority relief supplies, including plastic sheeting, potable water and hygiene materials to the Cayman Islands following an urgent request from the Government. Following the completion of field assessments, we are also considering support to the relief efforts of non-governmental organisations working in Grenada and Jamaica.

The European Community has announced it is mobilising £3.65 million in emergency relief and post emergency rehabilitation to help Grenada cope in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. This includes the earlier commitment of £1.01 million from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office towards the country's emergency needs and to assist St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The UK share of this European Community humanitarian assistance is about £710,000. The European Union is also planning to mobilise £2.64 million from the allocation to Grenada under the European Development Fund, originally set aside for unforeseen circumstances. This allocation will go towards post emergency reconstruction focusing on the rehabilitation of schools that were severely damaged.

The European Union will also be exploring, with the Government, ways to adapt already committed but as yet un-disbursed funds available to Grenada. In addition, discussions will also be held with the Government concerning a previously earmarked £3.51 million for the development of the water sector in Grenada as to the possibility of using these funds to help with the rehabilitation of the water system that has been severely disrupted.

The full extent of the recovery needs of Grenada and other affected islands will take a little time to be assessed but the extent of destruction and damage indicates significant loss. The World Bank sent a team last week to Grenada. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and Caribbean Development Bank will be starting their assessment this week. The Government of Jamaica plan to announce their initial findings later this week.

I will be making a further written statement to the House following the recess. In the meantime, the DFID website www.dfid.gov.uk contains regularly updated information.
 
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Natural Disasters

Mr. Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much overseas aid the UK has provided to assist relief efforts following natural disasters in each of the last five years. [189487]

Hilary Benn: DFID does not keep statistics distinguishing between humanitarian aid provided for natural disasters and humanitarian aid in other contexts centrally; this information could not be obtained without incurring a disproportionate cost. DFID's total humanitarian assistance in the last five years was as follows:
Humanitarian assistance

	Total (£ million)
1999–2000	314
2000–01	297
2001–02	288
2002–03	374
2003–04(2)	381

⁽²⁾ Provisional.

These figures include UK contributions to European Community Humanitarian programmes and UK contributions to UN humanitarian agencies.

Pakistan

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking (a) to encourage democratic reform and (b) to assist in institution-building in Pakistan. [188365]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is working to support improvements to the democratic process in Pakistan, including through initiatives to improve grassroots democracy, the embedding of the recently introduced devolution reforms and extensive capacity-building support for the strengthening of key representative bodies. As part of this, DFID is supporting federal and provincial level programmes of Civil Service Reform and Public Sector Development, as well as targeted support for the Ministries of Finance, Education, and Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Women's Development, Social Welfare and Special Education, Comptroller General of Accounts, National Accountability Bureau, Election Commission of Pakistan and others. DFID is also supporting the Faisalabad District Government to evolve and strengthen district governance systems. DFID is also considering some capacity-building support through civil society to small political parties across the political spectrum.

Efforts are also being made through civil society to secure greater representation and accountability of the state to its citizens by enhanced awareness of their entitlements and the participation, particularly of women, in decision-making at all levels of devolved government. In the 2001–02 Local government elections, for example, 32,222 women were elected into union councils and 3,827 women to tehsil/town and district councils. In addition, through contesting open elections, 16 women were elected as union council, tehsil or district nazims (mayors).
 
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Sudan

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the level of funding the Government will commit to the reconstruction of southern Sudan during the six-year interim period; and if he will make a statement. [189547]

Hilary Benn: I have allocated £150 million over the next three years for relief and development in Sudan, after a comprehensive peace agreement. DFID expects funding to continue at this level at least for the rest of the interim period and remains fully committed to helping the people of Sudan reach a sustainable peace and eliminate poverty. DFID looks forward to the peace talks reconvening soon.

Tristan da Cunha

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact on the islanders of Tristan da Cunha of the changes in sailing schedules of the Royal Mail Ship St Helena; and if he will make a statement. [189541]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In January this year, the St. Helena Government (SHG) decided to end the annual call by the RMS St. Helena at Tristan da Cunha. In reaching its decision, SHG considered the alternative access arrangements available to Tristan da Cunha and the take-up of passenger and freight traffic on the ship during recent voyages. Taking account of alternative shipping links with Tristan, which can offer more competitively priced freight and passenger capacity, the conclusion reached was that the annual call had become of limited economic or practical value.

Essential physical access arrangements for Tristan will be maintained by other vessels that call there on other business. These include two South African fishing vessels and a South African research ship which, between them, are expected to make 14 visits to Tristan this year.

The new arrangements for the XRMS St. Helena' will remain under review and further adjustments will be considered in the light of experience. SHG has not ruled out the possibility in future of occasional voyages to Tristan (or the UK) if there were sufficient demand for them.

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