| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
4 Apr 2005 : Column 1207W—continued
Surplus Assets Sales
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department sold any surplus stock on the eBay auction website, in each year since 2000–01. [220946]
Hilary Benn: No surplus stocks of assets have been sold by DFID on eBay.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the value of sales of surplus assets from his Department was in each year since 2000–01. [220971]
Hilary Benn: The value of sales of surplus assets by DFID is shown as follows:
| Value of sales (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 28,000 |
| 2001–02 | 109,264 |
| 2002–03 | 28,828 |
| 2003–04 | 106,685 |
| 2004–05 | (55)76,860 |
(55)Year to date figure.
This information is included in departmental Resource Accounts, copies of which are normally available in the Library.
Technical/Logistical Expertise (Information Exchange)
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what channels are available for the exchange of (a) technical and (b) logistical expertise between his Department and UK non-governmental organisations active in the field of international development; what fora his Department has (i) initiated, (ii) funded and (iii) run for such purposes since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [224576]
Hilary Benn: DFID consults extensively with NGOs on both policy and technical issues. We do this through a variety of channels including ministerial and official meetings with the British Overseas Aid Group (BOAG), British Overseas NGOs for Development network (BOND), regional visits and bilateral meetings.
DFID endeavours to carry out public consultations as recommended in the Code of Practice on Consultations published by the Cabinet Office in January 2004. When consulting NGOs, this guidance is used in conjunction with the 'Compact' between the government and the voluntary and community sector which includes a specific code of good practice on 'Consultation and Policy Appraisal'.
DFID has funded the British Overseas NGOs for Development network (BOND) since 1993 when it was established as a membership organisation. It now represents over 280 international development NGOs
Since 1997, there has been a great deal of consultation through a variety of ad hoc fora but no central record is held.. This information could be obtained only by incurring a disproportionate cost.
4 Apr 2005 : Column 1208W
Technology Transfers
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the technology transfers effected by his Department in each of the last three years. [215315]
Hilary Benn: DFID funds research which generates a wide range of new or improved agricultural and other technologies, which are transferred to farmers and users in developing countries. These transfers occur over a period of years, rather than in a single year. Recent examples include the use of animal traction techniques for improved efficiency (Bolivia, Kenya and Zimbabwe) and seed priming on farms (soaking seeds in water before sowing) for improved crop establishment and higher yields (25 countries).
Further information on DFID's research programmes is available on the DFID website: www.dfid.gov.uk. Details of natural resources and infrastructure research and technology projects are included on two databases: www.narsis.org and www.infrastructureconnect.info.
World Bank
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which candidate the Government plan to support for the Presidency of the World Bank. [223375]
Hilary Benn: The broad support of the membership, including from developing country clients of the Bank group will be very important in taking their work forward.
The Government have noted Mr. Wolfowitz's nomination with interest. He is very distinguished and experienced internationally. There is of course a process that has to be gone through in which the views of developing countries are important. It is the Bank's board which makes the decision, and it is important that this is a transparent process. The UK Government are interested in Mr. Wolfowitz's vision for the future of the World Bank in reducing international poverty at a time when the need to make much faster progress has never been clearer.
DEFENCE
Armed Forces Training Review
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list with a short biography the inspectors who took part in the Adult Learning Inspectorate Safer Training review into armed forces training. [223678]
Mr. Ingram:
In May 2004 1 commissioned the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) to conduct an independent and searching review of the way the armed forces train our personnel. Their report was published on 21 March 2005. I am grateful for the work of the Chief Inspector of Adult Learning for England and his inspection teams in undertaking this comprehensive and very detailed survey of Defence initial training. I am, however, unable to provide the names and biographical details of the inspectors requested, as it is my Department's policy in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 not to release
4 Apr 2005 : Column 1209W
such information into the public domain as this might contribute to or facilitate an unwelcome invasion of their privacy.
British Nuclear Deterrent
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to remove the British nuclear deterrent from the Clyde. [218369]
Mr. Hoon: We have no plans to change basing policy for the UK's nuclear deterrent force.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will rule out the acquisition of battlefield nuclear weapons for use by British forces. [218370]
Mr. Hoon: Battlefield nuclear weapons are not required by the Government's policy on nuclear deterrence.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will rule out the use of UK nuclear weapons on a first strike basis. [218371]
Mr. Hoon: The United Kingdom Government would be prepared to use nuclear weapons only in extreme circumstances of self-defence. We would not use our weapons, whether conventional or nuclear, contrary to international law.
A policy of no first use of nuclear weapons would be incompatible with our and NATO's doctrine of deterrence, nor would it further nuclear disarmament objectives. We have made clear, as have our NATO allies, that the circumstances in which any use of nuclear weapons might have to be contemplated are extremely remote. Our overall strategy is to ensure uncertainty in the mind of any aggressor about the exact nature of our response, and thus to maintain effective deterrence.
Camouflage Garments
Mr. Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many camouflage combat garments have been supplied by the factory in China under the cut and sew contract; and what the timetable for the delivery of all camouflage garments under the contract is. [223935]
Mr. Ingram: To date a total of over 100,000 items have now been delivered by the cut and sew prime contractor, this includes over 40,000 items of combat clothing. Under this Enabling Arrangement, the contract delivery schedule is agreed on each Warrant as it is issued.
Coalition Forces (Iraq)
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish an up to date list of the countries providing troops to the coalition forces in Iraq and how many troops each country provides. [215163]
Mr. Ingram: In early March 2005, the United Kingdom had 7,961 personnel deployed in Iraq.
The number of personnel per troop contributing nation is a matter for individual countries. Open source figures provided by those countries, as at early March 2005, are as follows.
4 Apr 2005 : Column 1210W
Norway and Portugal retain nine and two staff officers respectively.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |