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Department of the Clerk

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff in the Department of the Clerk of the House were directly recruited from the private sector. [198701]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: No records are kept of the previous employment of staff of the Department. Staff are recruited through open competition and national advertisement. Recruitment of committee specialists, for example, who typically serve from two to four years,
 
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reflects diverse experience and backgrounds, with such staff coming from the academic, public service, voluntary and private sectors.

Mr. Pound: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff were employed in the Clerk's Department in (a) 1974, (b) 2000 and (c) at the latest date for which figures are available. [198732]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: Numbers of staff employed in the Department of the

Clerk of the House have been as follows:

	Number of staff
1979(11)	2, 3137
2000	(13)272
2004	(14)311

⁽¹¹⁾ No published data is available before this date. This figure is taken from the first Annual Report of the Commission.
⁽¹²⁾ Includes 28 staff in the Vote and Sales Office, at that time part of the Library, but since transferred to the Department of the Clerk of the House.
⁽¹³⁾ Complement
⁽¹⁴⁾ Average full-time equivalent

Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission whether an assessment has been made of the potential for hot desking in the Clerks' Department. [198832]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: The pattern and nature of work activity in the Clerk's Department does not generally lend itself to hot desking. In those areas of activity where a hot desking style of working is appropriate, some provision is already made.

Dame Marion Roe: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many and what proportion of staff in the Clerk's Department work from home. [198424]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: Tasks carried out by members of the Department normally require presence on the estate: as staff of the House of Commons Service, they are in the business of providing corporate services to all Members and to the House as a whole. No staff of the Department are employed on the basis of home-working. Staff may occasionally work at home on particular tasks, such as drafting.

Department of the Serjeant at Arms

Mr. Hogg: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff in the Department of the Serjeant at Arms work from home. [198397]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: Some staff work from home on occasional days on particular tasks or by local agreement, with remote access to the parliamentary network. Tasks carried out by members of the Serjeant at Arms Department normally require a presence on the estate; as staff of the House of Commons Service, they provide corporate services to all Members and to the House as a whole.
 
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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he makes of the role of public services privatisation conditionalities in the provision of aid to developing countries; and if he will make a statement. [198055]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK has recently published a draft policy paper for consultation on the issue of aid conditionality, "Partnerships for poverty reduction: changing aid conditionality." This paper (produced jointly by DFID, HM Treasury, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) makes a commitment to reducing the burden of conditionality while recognising the continuing relevance of conditions. After a period of consultation, DFID plans to finalise this policy statement in the first quarter of 2005.

DFID supports a range of reforms to improve the way that public money is spent and accounted for, and the way that public services are provided, especially to poor people. We recognise the sensitivity and contested nature of many policy reforms, including the privatisation of public services. This highlights the need for careful country-specific analysis to ensure that reforms are appropriately designed, as well as strong country ownership of any such initiative. DFID's draft policy suggests that in future we should only support reforms where partner governments have had space to debate—including where appropriate in Parliament—the full range of policy options, and have made their own decision informed by clear evidence of the benefits to poor people. As the UK policy paper makes clear, aid terms and conditions must support, not "buy" reform.

To improve the quality of policy design and implementation around issues such as privatisation, DFID continues to press for increased use of analytical tools such as Poverty and Social Impact Assessment (PSIA). By mid-2004 some 150 PSIA activities were being carried out. The results of this work are already indicating the need for a more careful use of policies such as privatisation: both in the nature of the reform of organisations, and in the need to ensure that the social protection functions of these organisations are taken into account. DFID recognises that there is a need to increase the number, and to improve the quality of PSIA, and to ensure that the results of PSIA are used effectively in the policy process. The World Bank has committed to more careful consideration of the significant distributional consequences of policies that they support. This will include greater use of PSIA to inform the policy choice. The Bank has also committed to report at the next annual meetings in 2005 on progress in the use of PSIA.

Iraq

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to encourage partner governments operating in Iraq to employ more local contractors. [197910]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has regular contact with other donors operating in Iraq, through the Iraqi Interim Government's donor co-ordination
 
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mechanisms, meetings of the Donor Committee of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, monthly teleconferences with major donors and direct contacts with other donors in Baghdad, Basra, Amman and elsewhere. DFID technical experts work closely to support the work of the US Project Contracting Office in south-eastern Iraq. Through all these contacts, DIFD stresses the importance of Iraqi leadership of the reconstruction process, and the benefits of employing Iraqi contractors to implement programmes where appropriate and feasible.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received regarding delays in fulfilling contracts in Iraq due to operating restrictions under health and safety legislation; what his policy is in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the quantity of potable drinking water delivered to Basra in this context. [197917]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is not aware of any representations made about delays in fulfilling contracts in Iraq due to operating restrictions under health and safety legislation.

Individuals and consultancy organisations contracted by DFID to work in Iraq are responsible for their own well-being and security arrangements. They are strongly advised to follow the same rules and procedures as DFID does for its own staff. This includes detailed security briefings prior to departure and upon arrival, the provision of body armour, and hostile environment training. DFID will take all reasonable steps to ensure that consultants are provided with secure accommodation in Iraq, and will provide them with suitable transport and close protection. DFID also aims to provide practical assistance on request.

A recent survey in April/May 2004, indicated that in the Basra Governorate, 97 per cent. of households have access to safe drinking water supplies but for 22 per cent. of households this access is unstable. This compares with national average figures of 91 per cent. and 30 per cent. respectively.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what study his Department has made of whether extra costs have been incurred in Iraq by donor countries through employment of non-local workers; and whether workers employed locally by UK and EU contractors are subject to European Union Health and Safety regulations. [197967]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has not undertaken an assessment of whether other donor countries have incurred extra costs through the employment by donors of non-local workers in Iraq. DFID does, however, encourage other donors and contractors to employ Iraqis to help implement programmes where appropriate and feasible.

Local law and employment regulations normally take precedence over international regulations with regard to workers employed locally by the UK and EU contractors. Most international companies apply a corporate code, which tends to reflect EU/US standards of health and safety.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance he proposes to offer to the interim Iraqi Government to restore the
 
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(a) water, (b) sewage, (c) power and (d) telephone infrastructure, following recent military action against Falluja. [198012]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Interim Iraqi Government (IIG) is leading on reconstruction work in Falluja following the recent military action. A ministerial level co-ordinator has been appointed and significant funds from the Iraqi Government budget have already been set aside for this work. An Iraqi Ministry of Health assessment team visited Falluja hospital on 11 November and further assessments are planned, security permitting. The IIG is being supported by the Multi-National Force-Iraq, which also has considerable resources for immediate post-conflict reconstruction work including clearing rubble and the restoration of water, sewerage and electricity services.

DFID is in close contact with the Interim Iraqi Government and is ready to respond positively to requests from them for help or advice. DFID is also keen to see independent assessments of the situation once it is safe for agencies to enter Falluja.

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