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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 9 November 2004
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Commission for Africa
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the Commission for Africa. [197191]
Hilary Benn: Following the second successful meeting of the Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, the Commission has produced its consultation document, which is now available on its website. The Commission will be seeking the views of governments, civil society and businesses within and beyond Africa, on this document until 17 December. I hope that hon. Members will continue to feed in their views and comments on the Commission's work over the coming months. I expect that the final report will be published in March 2005.
Departmental Offices
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost of (a) decoration and (b) refurbishment of the London offices of the Department was in each of the last four years. [196142]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: The cost of redecoration and refurbishment of DFID's two London offices in each of the last four years were as follows:
20 Victoria Street redecoration:
In addition to the above, major refurbishment projects were carried out on the two offices. These were:
Fair Trade
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether it is his policy to ensure that hospitality within his Department is sourced from fair trade producers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules. [197060]
Mr. Gareth Thomas:
I can confirm that it is DFID's policy that all tea, coffee and orange juice served within the Department is sourced from fair trade producers.
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Our external catering company also promotes and make use of fair trade products wherever possible in our staff restaurant.
Horn of Africa
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the current drought in the Horn of Africa; and if he will make a statement. [196667]
Hilary Benn: The drought conditions in the Horn of Africa have caused serious stress to the most vulnerable communities in the region, in some cases resulting in humanitarian crisis. DFID is committed to ensuring the most urgent humanitarian needs are met. At the same time, and where possible, DIFD is working with governments to reduce vulnerability to these shocks.
Successive years of drier than normal rainfall conditions especially in the Horn of Africa, during the last five years, have led to reduced pasture and water availability in many key areas—northern Somalia, eastern and southern Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, parts of Eritrea, northern Sudan and a part of western Chad.
DFID has doubled humanitarian expenditure in Somalia and Sudan over last year. In Ethiopia DFID is responding to humanitarian needs with direct support and is also working with the Government of Ethiopia to reduce vulnerability to these kinds of shocks in a more sustainable way—while increasing the overall level of resources substantially. DFID has also recently agreed £5 million for humanitarian relief in affected parts of Kenya.
DFID continues to monitor the situation in Somalia and Eritrea and is considering the best means of assistance to address the most urgent humanitarian needs resulting from the drought there.
Overseas Aid
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) expenditure was allocated prior to 6 November 2003 and (b) adjusted expenditure was allocated after 6 November 2003 to middle-income countries for (i) 2003–04, (ii) 2004–05 and (iii) 2005–06; and how much was allocated to (A) South Africa, (B) China, (C) Sri Lanka, (D) Russia, (E) Jamaica, (F) Guyana, (G) Brazil, (H) Bolivia, (I) Serbia and Montenegro, (J) Bosnia, (K) Albania, (L) Kosovo, (M) Belize and (N) Windward Islands in each year. [196036]
Hilary Benn: On 6 November 2003, I announced changes to DFID's planned bilateral aid programme allocations to middle-income countries for 2004–05 and 2005–06. The changes resulted from decisions taken on the Government's pledge on reconstruction and humanitarian aid in Iraq, together with DFID's commitment to increase the proportion of its bilateral aid going to the poorest countries to 90 per cent. by 2005–06.
Planned bilateral commitments to middle-income countries prior to 6 November 2003 totalled £234 million in 2003–04, £249 million in 2004–05 and £220 million in 2005–06. After 6 November the comparative figures were
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£443 million, £304 million and £228 million respectively, of which Iraq accounted for £207 million in 2003–04, £91 million in 2004–05 and £86 million in 2005–06.
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The following table sets out the changes to allocations in the countries requested:
(1) This figure represents SACU MIC countries (South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland).
(2) The reduced allocations for Brazil and Bolivia in 2005–06 are part of a move to a more regional approach, focused on support for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank's Latin America operations. This is shown in the increased Latin America regional budget for 2005–06.
(3) Includes Belize/Windward Islands.
The figures for 2005–06 are indicative planning figures and will be reviewed as part of DFID's annual resource allocation exercise that will conclude in the new year.
Sudan
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many internally displaced people are (a) known and (b) estimated to be hosted by camps near Nyala in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. [196663]
Hilary Benn: The most recent UN Humanitarian Profile (October 2004) indicated that approximately 529,000 internally displaced people are in the South of Darfur, of which Nyala is the capital. A large proportion of these are in camps and settlements. The UN reports that 170,963 are internally displaced people known to be hosted in camps in the Nyala area. It is likely that there are further numbers of displaced persons in host communities and recent arrivals due to insecurity moving into the area.
On 2 November, the Government of Sudan forcefully relocated of 6–8,000 internally displaced people from the El Geer camp (previously known as the El Seraif camp) in the Nyala area. This occurred without prior consultation with the UN. It was therefore in breach of the established and agreed mechanism to determine voluntary return and movement of people. The UK strongly condemns any forced relocations, and through our Ambassador to Sudan, has made representations to the Government of Sudan to adhere to its obligations and commitments under the Memorandum of Understanding on Darfur, between the Government of Sudan and the International Organisation for Migration, which prohibits involuntary movement of internally displaced persons. This has been echoed by the EU and UN. DFID continues to monitor the situation closely.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of the number of internally displaced people in (a) Sudan and (b) Darfur; how many there are estimated to have been in each month since September 2003; and if he will make a statement. [196664]
Hilary Benn: According to the latest UN Humanitarian Profile in October, there are 1.6 million people displaced in Darfur. It is estimated that a further 4 million have been displaced in Sudan as a whole. In addition there are a further 200,000 displaced from Darfur into Eastern Chad as refugees.
It is very difficult to provide accurate monthly figures of internally displaced people in Sudan as a whole of Darfur due to the issue of access constraints, notably due to problems of security affecting agency movements.
Due to very limited access in Darfur up until April 2004, the UN did not estimate figures on a monthly basis beyond its September 2003 report of 250,000 displaced people. From April 2004 until August, the UN estimated that there were just over 1 million displaced people. From September this figure reached 1.5 million. The reasons for this increase is due to the on-going violence and improving access to Darfur. For Sudan as a whole, the UN has not made monthly estimates. It has been estimated that in September 2003 there were 3.7 million displaced.
The UK continues to monitor the situation.
Angus Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the number of internally
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displaced people displaced by the conflict in (a) southern Sudan and (b) Darfur; and if he will make a statement. [196665]
Hilary Benn: It is difficult to determine accurately the numbers of people displaced in Darfur and southern Sudan primarily due to the problem of access. The latest United Nations Humanitarian Profile estimates that approximately 1.6 million people are internally displaced within Darfur as a result of the crisis there. It is estimated that up to 4 million people have been displaced in Sudan as a whole. In addition to this figure, it is estimated that there are 600,000 Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries, of which 200,000 from Darfur have been displaced into Eastern Chad.
The UK continues to press both the Government of Sudan and the rebels to allow greater access as well as pressing all parties to sign and deliver on the Abuja humanitarian protocol. The UK strongly condemns any forced relocations of conflict affected persons.
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