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26 Oct 2004 : Column 1134W—continued

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

AIDS Epidemic

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the need for short-term emergency funding, in addition to funding in the medium and long-term, to combat the AIDS epidemic. [190993]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID agrees with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) assessment made in their 2004 global report, that:

"Taking Action, the UK's Strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world" launched last July, takes account of both characteristics.

For example, DFID will assist countries to develop both short-term 'emergency' solutions to address the current shortage of health and education personnel, and to take a longer-term view of human resource planning and management in the light of the impact of the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

It is important to develop long-term solutions. HIV and AIDS require long-term predictable funding, which is why the UK is proposing to increase aid through the International Finance Facility. DFID has committed £1.5 billion to AIDS over the next three years from 2005 to 2008.

CDC Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 16 September, Official Report, column 1713W, on CDC/Actis Capital, if he will break down the amount owed to CDC by quarter since 1999. [192793]

Hilary Benn: Total debt owed to CDC at the end of each year from 1999 is as follows:
£ million
1999985.6
2000731.2
2001682.9
2002552.1
2003515.6







 
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This information is not retained on a quarterly basis and the cost of disaggregating it would be disproportionate.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2004, Official Report, column 1709W, on CDC/Actis Capital, if he will list the (a) contractor, (b) subject studied, (c) cost and (d) date of each independent environmental study contracted by Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd. since 1999; [192794]
 
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(2) if he will list audits of Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd.'s environmental management practices since 1999, broken down by auditor. [192811]

Hilary Benn: The studies and audits contracted and undertaken since 1999 are listed as follows.

The costs of these contracts are commercially sensitive. They have generally been in the range US$10,000 to US$50,000, depending on the scope and terms of reference.
ContractorDateScope
1. Higaturu Oil Palm
Mott MacDonald Ltd.June 2000Doboduru grasslands development and status of QABB
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.August 2001Comprehensive environmental audit
SGS AustraliaJuly 2004; (undertaken since December 2002 and repeated annually)Surveillance audit of ISO14001 environmental management system
ERMSeptember 2004Health impacts of Higaturu Oil Palm's performance
2. Poliamba
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.2001Comprehensive environmental audit, including environmental action plan.
SGS AustraliaJuly 2004 (undertaken since December 2002 and repeated annually)Surveillance audit of ISO14001 environmental management system
3. Milne Bay Estates
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.February 1999Padi-padi oil palm development: environmental plan
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.June 1999Development of oil palm on leased customary blocks: environmental plan
Mott MacDonald Ltd.June 2000Oil palm expansion
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.August 2001Comprehensive environmental audit
SGS AustraliaJuly 2004 (undertaken since December 2002 and repeated annually)Surveillance audit of ISO14001 environmental management system
4. Asiatic
PT LTS Indonesia and Environmental Management and Monitoring PtySeptember 2000Comprehensive environmental impact assessment
PT LTS Indonesia and Zoological Society of LondonJanuary 2001Tiger survey
Sumatran Rhino Projectmid 2001Rhino survey
Jim Jarvie, Independent Consultantmid 2001High conservation value forest review
Mott MacDonald Ltd.June 2001Peer review of PT LTS Indonesia's and Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.'s Environmental Impact Assessments
SGS AustraliaAugust 2004 (undertaken since February 2003 and repeated annually)Surveillance audit of ISO14001 environmental management system
5. Harapan plantations
PT LTS Indonesia and Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.September 2000Comprehensive environmental impact assessment
Mott MacDonald Ltd.June 2001Peer review of PT LTS Indonesia's and Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.'s Environmental Impact Assessments
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.May 2003Comprehensive review of environmental and social performance, undertaken by way of due diligence on behalf of investor DEG
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.July 2004Pre-development environmental and social impact assessment
SGS AustraliaAugust 2004 (undertaken since February 2003 and repeated at least annually)Surveillance audit of ISO14001 environmental management system

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who has performed external audits of environmental management at the (a) Higaturu Oil Palm, (b) Poliamba, (c) Milne Bay Estates, (d) Asiatic and (e) Harapan plantations since 1999; and whether such audits involved on-site monitoring. [192795]

Hilary Benn: Audits have been undertaken by LTS Indonesia, Environmental Management and Monitoring, Mott MacDonald Ltd., SGS Australia and local statutory bodies. Audits have generally involved onsite visits. Otherwise, onsite monitoring is part of the companies' internal environmental management systems which are audited at least every year by SGS Australia.
 
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Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 16 September, Official Report, column 1709W, on CDC/Actis Capital, what assessment he has made of Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd.'s environmental assessment in its bi-annual investment valuation reviews. [192796]

Hilary Benn: DFID has made no assessment of Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd's environmental assessment. Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd. is required to comply with CDC's business principles and their environmental assessment is audited to the ISO 14001 standard.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 16 September, Official Report, column 1709W, on CDC/Actis Capital, if he will list the environmental matrix risk level of each (a) CDC/Aureos and (b) CDC/Actis Capital investment project. [192808]

Hilary Benn: CDC's Business Principles require Actis and Aureos to manage environmental risks, and the matrix system is a management tool used in this process. The risk levels of individual investments are commercially sensitive.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what CDC/Actis Capital investment there has been in Afghanistan Capital Partners; and if he will make a statement. [192809]

Hilary Benn: CDC has made no commitment to invest in Afghanistan Capital Partners.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the objectives of CDC/Actis Capital's partnership with Aviva plc. [192810]

Hilary Benn: CDC and Aviva are co-investors in a fund in China now managed by Actis. The fund contributes to poverty reduction by mobilising private capital and investing in viable Chinese businesses.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received about (a) compliance and (b) non-compliance with business principle standards by Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd. [192797]

Hilary Benn: I refer to my answer of 4 October 2004, Official Report, column 1778W. The Department has received no specific representations about Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd.'s compliance or non-compliance with CDC's responsible business principles.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the last environmental quality study was commissioned at (a) Higaturu Oil Palm, (b) Poliamba, (c) Milne Bay Estates, (d) Asiatic and (e) Harapan plantations. [192817]

Hilary Benn: Each of the plantations in the Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd. group—Higaturu Oil Palm, Poliamba, Milne Bay Estates, Asiatic and Harapan—was subject to an environmental audit in 2004.


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