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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 7 March 2005
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Asian Tsunami
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with countries affected by the Asian tsunami regarding the sexual exploitation of children left (a) orphaned and (b) otherwise vulnerable, by the disaster; and what assistance the Government have given to help combat sexual exploitation of vulnerable children. [219717]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has talked at length with affected governments and humanitarian agencies operating on the ground to ensure that the needs of all vulnerable groups are adequately met. In particular, DFID is supporting programmes through the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). This includes £2,250,000 to UNICEF's Child Protection programmes in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. This programme includes assessments of the needs of children, the monitoring of vulnerable groups and advocacy on behalf of children with the relevant government bodies. DFID has also provided £400,000 to the Save the Children Fund's programme in Sri Lanka that includes child protection activities.
DFID continues to monitor the situation, and its country offices are retaining strong links to non-governmental organisations and United Nations agencies as we move into the recovery phase.
Malawi
Tom Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has
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received from the Malawi Government on the time scale for commencement of funds for the six-year health programme. [218045]
Hilary Benn: DFID has been clear that UK aid under the new six-year programme will be available from the beginning of the UK 2005–06 financial year. No representations have been received about the time scale for the commencement of payments. DFID spending on health in Malawi in financial year 2004–05 on existing commitments to Government and NGO programmes will be £11 million and is expected to increase by 50 per cent. with the new programme in 2005–06 and subsequent years.
DFID signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health and other collaborating partners, Norway/SIDA and the World Bank on 29 October 2004, and an exchange of letters on DFID's health sector support on 9 December 2005. An initial disbursement of funds into the Donor Pool to support the Sector Wide Approach was made in December by Norway/SIDA. DFID is due to add its disbursement into this pool on 1 April 2005, once agreement is reached on a plan of action to reform Central Medical Stores.
TRANSPORT
Metrolink (Manchester)
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will determine the bid for the upgrading of phases 1 and 2 of Manchester's Metrolink. [220394]
Mr. McNulty: We are discussing the bid in detail with the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and will make a decision as soon as we are able to.
Transport Projects
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what major transport projects have been approved in the last year, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [215839]
Mr. Darling: The major local authority schemes (outside London) listed in Table 1 were approved fully during the course of 2004:
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The major local authority schemes (outside London) listed in Table 2 were provisionally approved during the course of 2004. These schemes are approved with conditions, the main ones being that costs do not increase, statutory and consultative procedures are completed satisfactorily and their designs and appraisal do not change significantly.
The schemes listed in Table 3 were added to the Highway Agency's targeted programme of improvements during 2004.
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Decisions on road projects in London have been devolved to the London Mayor.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (a) how many and (b) what types of unmanned aerial vehicles have been licensed to operate over land in civilian airspace by the Civil Aviation Authority in each of the last five years. [220167]
Charlotte Atkins: To date, the Civil Aviation Authority has not issued any Certificates of Airworthiness to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Business Regulatory Costs
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to review the cost of regulation to businesses. [217347]
Nigel Griffiths: Previous budgets have taken measures to reduce the costs of regulation to business. For instance our flat rate VAT scheme has helped cut payments for up to 700,000 businesses.
Our raising the mandatory audit threshold has helped up to 219,000 businesses save up to £270 million per annum. Our abolition of automatic fines for VAT have helped too—in 1996–97 this cost business £99 million.
Future budgets can be expected to provide further help.
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