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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:
"AIDS is an exceptional disease with exceptional and wide-ranging impact, which requires an exceptional response. It has the characteristics of both a short-term emergency and of a long-term development crisis".
"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.
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 | |
---|---|
1999 | 985.6 |
2000 | 731.2 |
2001 | 682.9 |
2002 | 552.1 |
2003 | 515.6 |
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]
26 Oct 2004 : Column 1136W
(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.
Contractor | Date | Scope |
---|---|---|
1. Higaturu Oil Palm | ||
Mott MacDonald Ltd. | June 2000 | Doboduru grasslands development and status of QABB |
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd. | August 2001 | Comprehensive environmental audit |
SGS Australia | July 2004; (undertaken since December 2002 and repeated annually) | Surveillance audit of ISO14001 environmental management system |
ERM | September 2004 | Health impacts of Higaturu Oil Palm's performance |
2. Poliamba | ||
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd. | 2001 | Comprehensive environmental audit, including environmental action plan. |
SGS Australia | July 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 1999 | Padi-padi oil palm development: environmental plan |
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd. | June 1999 | Development of oil palm on leased customary blocks: environmental plan |
Mott MacDonald Ltd. | June 2000 | Oil palm expansion |
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd. | August 2001 | Comprehensive environmental audit |
SGS Australia | July 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 Pty | September 2000 | Comprehensive environmental impact assessment |
PT LTS Indonesia and Zoological Society of London | January 2001 | Tiger survey |
Sumatran Rhino Project | mid 2001 | Rhino survey |
Jim Jarvie, Independent Consultant | mid 2001 | High conservation value forest review |
Mott MacDonald Ltd. | June 2001 | Peer review of PT LTS Indonesia's and Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.'s Environmental Impact Assessments |
SGS Australia | August 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 2000 | Comprehensive environmental impact assessment |
Mott MacDonald Ltd. | June 2001 | Peer review of PT LTS Indonesia's and Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd.'s Environmental Impact Assessments |
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd. | May 2003 | Comprehensive review of environmental and social performance, undertaken by way of due diligence on behalf of investor DEG |
Environmental Management and Monitoring Pty Ltd. | July 2004 | Pre-development environmental and social impact assessment |
SGS Australia | August 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.
26 Oct 2004 : Column 1137W
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. groupHigaturu Oil Palm, Poliamba, Milne Bay Estates, Asiatic and Harapanwas subject to an environmental audit in 2004.
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