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Iraq
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Iraqi civilians have (a) full electricity and water services, (b) part electricity and water services and (c) no such services at all; and if he will make a statement. [204744]
Hilary Benn: According to a survey of Iraqi households carried out between April and May 2004, almost all Iraqi households are connected to an electricity network, with little variance between urban and rural areas. However, only 15 per cent. of households report their electricity supply to be reliable: 85 per cent. of households experienced low voltage supply or a supply of less than 12 hours per day.
Water services for Iraqi households vary more greatly between urban and rural areas. In urban areas, 66 per cent. of households have reliable, safe drinking water; 33 per cent. have access to safe water but the supply is unreliable; and 1 per cent. of urban households are receiving unsafe drinking water. In rural areas, 43 per cent. of Iraqi households have reliable access to safe drinking water, 22 per cent. have access to safe drinking water but the supply is unreliable, and 34 per cent. have access only to unsafe drinking water.
DFID has helped to improve electricity and water supplies to southern Iraq, the poorest region of the country, through the Emergency Infrastructure Programme to which we contributed £20 million. DFID is currently funding a £10 million programme to address further weaknesses in essential services in the south. Electricity and water supply rehabilitation projects are being undertaken under the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, which is managed by the United Nations and the World Bank and to which DFID has contributed £70 million. Electricity and water projects are also being financed from the USA's $18.4 million supplemental appropriation for Iraq reconstruction, and from Iraq's own budget.
Philippines
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the distribution of food aid in Infanta, Philippines on 8 December; what guidelines his Department (a) has established and (b) is establishing for the effective, efficient and safe distribution of food aid; whether these guidelines are regularly distributed to UK non-governmental organisations active abroad; and if he will make a statement. [204632]
Hilary Benn:
On 8 December the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team conducted its own assessment of the relief operation there and DFID supplied one member of this team. They reported that all families in the affected area have received food assistance and that further food assistance would be required. DFID has responded by providing £100,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements' relief activities, comprising a number of elements including emergency food
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assistance. DFID will also consider further assistance to affected populations through the United Nations Flash Appeal when this is issued.
DFID is an associate member of the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International, through which members aim to make humanitarian action accountable to the beneficiaries. This covers all types of humanitarian assistance including food aid. DFID also encourages all its partners to adhere to Good Humanitarian Donorship principles, and ensures that the non-governmental agencies it supports have in place correct procedures to make food assistance effective and properly targeted. For example, ensuring adherence to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response under the Sphere Project. In the particular case of the Philippines, DFID consulted with the UK embassy, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations in country to ensure that DFID assistance was channelled appropriately. DFID will continue to monitor implementation of its assistance to this end.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) food and (b) monetary aid his Department (i) has pledged, (ii) has delivered and (iii) is going to deliver to the Philippines to deal with the effects of super typhoon Nanmadoe; and if he will make a statement. [204633]
Hilary Benn:
DFID has responded by providing £100,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements' relief activities, comprising emergency food, shelter, medical assistance, water and sanitation and other essential supplies to the
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worst hit areas. DFID will also consider further assistance through the United Nations Flash Appeal when this is issued.
We have also provided a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team that travelled to the Philippines to help in the aftermath of the storms and typhoons.
Projects (Departmental Funding)
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the projects (a) funded and (b) managed by his Department in (i) the Middle East, (ii) Central Asia and (iii) the South Caucasus since 2002; and how many staff from (A) the country concerned and (B) outside the country concerned are employed by each. [204631]
Hilary Benn: It would entail a disproportionate cost to list every project funded or managed by the Department on a bilateral basis since 2002. Details of all major projects involving DFID funding of £1 million or more for the period since 2002 are provided in the following tables: (i) the Middle East, (ii) Central Asia and (iii) the South Caucasus. The tables also include information on the numbers of DFID staff who have contributed to the development or management of each project. Many of these projects are co-financed with other donors, such as the World Bank; we do not hold information on their staffing complement.
The Central Asia, South Caucasus and Moldova Regional Assistance Plan and the Country Assistance Plan for the Palestinians are available in the House of Commons Library.
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