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7 Dec 2004 : Column 416W—continued

Departmental Costs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in each of the last two years. [200856]

Hilary Benn: DFID has not bought-in or outsourced any accountancy services, within our central finance function, over the last two years because we have sufficient in-house capacity.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) new builds, (b) demolition rebuilds and (c) private finance initiative projects in his Department in each of the last two years. [200857]

Hilary Benn: The cost of new builds for DFID overseas office in the last two years was as follows:
 
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CountryPlanned estimate (£)
Democratic Republic of Congo3,000,000
Ethiopia2,800,000
Pakistan2,229,000
Rwanda896,000

There were no demolition rebuilds or Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects.

Iraq (Humanitarian Assistance)

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 29 November 2004, Official Report, column 345, to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock) what the (a) number and (b) locations of civilians in and around Fallujah to whom humanitarian assistance could be provided. [202128]

Hilary Benn: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reports that around 210,000 civilians from Fallujah are currently living in the area around Fallujah: 120,000 in and around Amiriyah, 24,000 in Hababniyah, 21,000 in and around Karma, 21,000 in Nieamiyah, 12,000 in and around Saklawiya, and 12,000 spread across the smaller towns of Heet, Aana, Rawa, and Hadeatha. Assessments by the Interim Iraqi Government (IIG) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) indicate that a further estimated 35,000 civilians from Fallujah are currently situated in Baghdad. It is estimated that only a few thousand civilians remain in the city of Fallujah.

The IIG reports that the majority of Fallujah's displaced civilians are staying with family and friends. Some are in schools, mosques, and Government buildings, and a small number are in tents. The IIG, the Multi-National Force, and humanitarian agencies agree that there is no humanitarian crisis in and around Fallujah.

The IIG is monitoring the situation and co-ordinating humanitarian work in the area. A cross-ministry Core Co-ordination Group has been established, and representatives from key Iraqi Ministries are now on the ground, conducting assessments and distributing essential supplies. The IIG is also working with the Multi-National Force, UN agencies, and NGOs to ensure safe access to Fallujah's displaced civilians, and to plan for their return to the city. DFID is providing technical advice to the IIG Fallujah Core Co-ordination Group and is maintaining close contact with representatives from the Multi-National Force and with humanitarian organisations on the ground.

Training Courses

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) cost to the Department, (b) title and (c) location was of each training course organised by his Department for its staff in each financial year since 1997–98. [200397]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not hold these costs centrally. However, in the last seven years we are aware of spending on training as follows:
 
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Financial year£ million
2003–044.4
2002–032
2001–021.4
2000–011
1999–2000.85
1998–99.58
1997–98.88

DFID is committed to ensuring staff have the right skills and expertise to meet our commitment to the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals.

We manage numerous external training providers covering a range of subjects such as economics, working with Ministers and Parliament, language training, leadership and management.

A more definitive answer could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial penalties were paid in each financial year since 1997–98 to training providers by the Department for training courses prepared for its staff which were subsequently cancelled at the Department's request. [200417]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not hold all the information centrally. However, in the last three financial years we are aware of the following money paid to training providers for courses that we have cancelled:
£000
2004–0512,750
2003–0413,750
2002–0318,430

DFID values its staff. We are committed to providing training and learning opportunities and developing staff to their full potential.

A more definitive answer could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Turkmenistan/Armenia

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what development aid has been provided by the Government to the governments of (a) Turkmenistan and (b) Armenia in each year since 2000; what conditions have been attached in each case; and what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of those conditions. [201976]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID's bilateral assistance to Armenia and Turkmenistan for the period 2000–04 was as follows:
Financial year£ million
Armenia
2000–011.935
2001–021.491
2002–031.191
2003–042.753
2004–05(1)2.500
Turkmenistan
2000–010.111
2001–020.062
2002–030.162
2003–040.036
2004–05(1)0.036


(1) Planned disbursements in the current 2004–05 financial year.



 
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Additionally, the UK's attributed share of multilateral assistance to: (i) Armenia; (ii) Turkmenistan was as follows:
All figures in £ million

ECOther(2)UNWorld bankTotal
(i) Armenia
20001.80.00.22.54.5
20011.20.00.24.96.3
20022.31.00.20.03.5
(ii) Turkmenistan
20000.40.00.10.00.5
20010.30.10.20.00.6
20020.20.10.10.00.4


(2)EBRD and Asian Development Fund


DFID's bilateral technical assistance is untied as set out in rules and regulations governing the delivery of DFID's development assistance—there are no general or specific conditions placed on recipient countries. In the period from 2000 DFID's bilateral assistance programme in Armenia has been provided in the form of technical assistance through a range of projects to support the Armenian Government's reform agenda.

Development assistance to Turkmenistan has been provided through a small grants scheme administered by the British embassy.

TRANSPORT

A30

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how long the inquiry into the A30 improvement at Goss Moor lasted; what period has elapsed since the conclusion of the inquiry; and when he expects a decision to be announced. [203076]

Mr. Jamieson: The local inquiry sat for seven days between Tuesday 13 January 2004 and Tuesday 3 February 2004. The Inspector's report was received on 30 April 2004 and the decision announced on Monday 29 November 2004.

Airline Pilots (Chemical Exposure)

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether UK airline captains experiencing cockpit or cabin air contamination event serious enough for pilots to use emergency oxygen have a responsibility to inform passengers to which chemicals they might have been exposed. [202745]

Charlotte Atkins: Pilots are required to use oxygen as a precautionary measure in all cases of suspected cockpit air abnormalities irrespective of severity of event. Flight crew are not professionally qualified to verify the cause of air contamination or identify what chemicals if any, passengers may have been exposed to. The captain has discretion to inform passengers of an event.

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the findings of the 1999 UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment that neuropsychological abnormalities can occur as a long-term complication of acute organophosphate poisoning, with particular reference to aviation lubricant Exxon Mobil Jet oil. [202744]

Charlotte Atkins: The report concluded that acute organophosphate poisoning occurs mainly in sheep dipping or orchard spraying. There is no convincing evidence that it also occurs in relation to aviation lubricants, where organophosphates may be present only as trace elements.

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Civil Aviation Authority records incidents of UK pilots flying with (a) headaches, (b) eye, nose and throat irritation, (c) concentration difficulties and (d) dizziness and nausea. [202743]

Charlotte Atkins: The CAA has a Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) system in place and any form of incident leading to incapacitation while on duty has to be reported by the pilot.


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