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Sub-post Offices

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the sub-post offices in each area that have been redefined from (a) urban to rural classification and (b) rural to urban classification. [220656]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The classification of a post office branch as urban or rural is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). My officials have asked colleagues in POL to issue a direct reply to the hon. Member.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations her Department has launched with the active involvement of Post Office Limited on its definitions of sub-post office branch classification; and whether this information has been published. [220657]

Mr. Sutcliffe: None. The classification of a post office branch as urban or rural is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). My officials have asked colleagues in POL to issue a direct reply to the hon. Member.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Congestion Charge

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on congestion (a) charges and (b) penalty charge notices by the Department since the commencement of the congestion charging scheme. [213817]

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Milburn) on 28 February 2005, Official Report, column 957W.

Excluding Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) services, DFID only has one additional vehicle. This vehicle is exempt from paying congestion charges as it is registered with the Public Carriage Office; a licensed private hire company.

Food Aid

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the estimated amount of food aid required by the World Food Programme is; how much food aid has been distributed to (a) Zambia, (b) Zimbabwe, (c) Malawi, (d) Lesotho, (e) Mozambique, (f) Swaziland and (g) Angola during current food aid distribution programmes; and what further action his Department is taking to ensure the distribution of food aid. [219699]

 
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Hilary Benn: Latest information from the World Food Programme (WFP) shows that from July 2004 until the end of January 2005, a total of 182,579 metric tonnes of food was distributed in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and Angola. From 2005 until the end of December 2007, WFP has appealed for 656,000 metric tonnes of food to be delivered through its Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation. Angola is not part of this programme.

DFID is currently providing funding for the WFP operations in Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Improving the monitoring and evaluation of food aid distribution and strengthening information systems to provide better data on food insecurity are priorities for DFID in the region. DFID support for food aid programmes in southern Africa will continue to be based on a careful assessment of needs, combined with a review of the most effective and efficient responses to food insecurity, which might sometimes include other forms of support such as seeds or cash.

St. Helena

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the length of runway required for an airport on St. Helena; and if he will make a statement. [220308]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: A report by Atkins Management Consultants, which I sent on 9 November 2004 to the hon. Member and other parliamentary colleagues, identified three possible options to maintain future access for St. Helena. Two of them would require providing an airport, while the third would replace the existing ship. The report indicated that the airport options would entail total runway lengths of either 2000m or 2250m, both inclusive of runway end safety areas. Decisions will be announced, in consultation with the St. Helena Government, as soon as it is possible to do so.

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with Shelco regarding its proposal to build (a) an airport and (b) other infrastructure requirements on St.Helena; and if he will make a statement. [220309]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: I met with Shelco representatives on 8 September 2004. There have also been discussions between Shelco and the St. Helena Government. All investor interest in St. Helena is welcome and will be considered on an equal footing.

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what estimate he has made of the level of public funding necessary to sustainSt. Helena in the next 10 years (a) without an airport and (b) with an airport; and if he will make a statement; [220311]

(2) what assessment he has made of St. Helena's potential for earning income from tourism (a) without an airport and (b) with an airport; and if he will make a statement; [220313]
 
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(3) what assessment he has made of the potential for St.Helena to attract tourists from (a) France, (b) the United States of America and (c) the United Kingdom if an airport is built on the Island; and what assessment he has made of the implications for UK support to St.Helena of an increase in tourism on the island. [220321]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Data of the kind requested, but not necessarily in this exact form, has been compiled for an analysis of three shortlisted access options which is under consideration. The outcome will be announced, in consultation with the St. Helena Government, just as soon as it is possible to do so. At that stage, in keeping with our previous practice for material prepared to shortlist the options, we shall consider publication as appropriate.

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much public funding has been made available to St. Helena in each year since 1997. [220312]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID bilateral disbursements for St. Helena in the financial years 1997–98 to 2003–04 were as follows:

Financial year	£000
1997–98	8,384
1998–99	8,594
1999–2000	9,185
2000–01	9,968
2001–02	9,833
2002–03	9,343
2003–04	10,419

St. Helena also receives some assistance from the FCO Good Governance Fund and FCO Economic Diversification Programme. Those disbursements were as follows:
£000

	Disbursements
1997–98	211
1998–99	163
1999–2000	231
2000–01	212
2001–02	321
2002–03	436
2003–04	260

In addition, over the same period, allocations totalling some €14.35 million (around £9.5 million) were made to St. Helena by the European Commission (EC), of which the UK share was about 13 per cent. Disbursement of the EC allocations is on going.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Poverty

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to achieve the Government's targets of (a) ending child poverty by 2020 and (b) halving it by 2010; and if he will make a statement. [219346]

 
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Mr. Pond [holding answer 2 March 2005]: Our first step towards eradicating child poverty as set out in our current Public Service Agreement target is to reduce the number of children in low-income households by a quarter by 2004–05.

The sixth annual Opportunity for all" report (Cm 6239), published in September 2004 is available in the Library and sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion; the Government's child poverty strategy is clearly outlined in the Treasury's Child Poverty Review published with the 2004 Spending Review.

Child Support Agency (Mr. Lovelace)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will personally take up with the Child Support Agency the case of Mr. Lovelace, a constituent of the hon. Member for Vale of York. [219741]

Mr. Pond: My noble Friend the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis) will meet the hon. member to discuss the case of Mr. Lovelace.

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