---

21 Oct 2005 : Column 1283W—continued

Departmental Finance

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what was his Department's expenditure on sexual reproductive health non-governmental organisations through the Civil Society Challenge Fund in 2004–05. [20713]

Mr. Thomas: In financial year 2004–05,we supported 21 sexual reproductive health projects with 14 different non-governmental organisations through our Civil Society Challenge Fund. The funding allocated to these projects for 2004–05 was £1.133 million.
 
21 Oct 2005 : Column 1284W
 

Developing World

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what studies he has commissioned on the impact of non-agricultural market access on the sustainability of forests in developing countries. [19840]

Mr. Thomas: DFID has not commissioned studies on the impact of non-agricultural market access on the sustainability of forests in developing countries. However, the European Commission has commissioned a report on the forest sector under its work programme on "The sustainability impact assessment of proposed WTO (World Trade Organisation) negotiations". The final report of the forest sector study, dated June 2004, is available on the website of the Institute for Development Policy and Management of the University of Manchester: http://www.sia-trade.org/wto/Phase3B/Reports/ForestFR19June05.pdf.

The broad conclusions of this study are that:

Tariffs on forest products are low (average trade-weighted tariffs are less than 5 per cent.).

Further reductions will not affect consumption and production a great deal, certainly not as much as population and economic growth. Much trade is already governed by regional agreements where tariffs are close to zero.

Overall, the environmental impacts of further tariff reductions are likely to be small. However, where governance is poor the social and environmental consequences of liberalisation could be significant.

Further liberalisation of agricultural trade will have a bigger impact on forests than the liberalisation of the forest products trade. This is because of the scale of agricultural trade, the scope for significant tariff reductions and the effects of conversion of forest lands to agricultural use. The product groups that affect forests most significantly are: oil palm, soybean, beef, rubber, cocoa and coffee.

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money the Government have pledged in each of the last five years to improve pharmaceutical provision in the developing world. [19540]

Mr. Thomas: The UK Government are committed to significantly improving the access to medicines, both branded and generic in developing countries. We need to work with others to tackle the key factors affecting access if we are to make lasting improvements.

The factors recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that can improve poor peoples' access to medicines are: affordable pricing, sustainable financing, reliable health services and the rational selection and use of existing drugs. In general, these are what DFID spends money on, rather than pharmaceuticals specifically.

The Department for International Development (DFID) does not specifically fund the pharmaceutical industry. However, since 2000, DFID has spent over £650 million on the health sector in Africa. This includes supporting an Access to Medicines Initiative (ATMI) in Ghana, support to the WHO for the appointment of National Professional Officers for Essential Medicines in 11 African countries, to provide technical assistance on supply, management and rational use of medicines. In addition, the UK Government have been a key donor to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria
 
21 Oct 2005 : Column 1285W
 
(GFATM) and has committed £359 million through to 2008. This will help pay for increased coverage of proven interventions for these three diseases and some associated health services support.

In September this year, the UK launched, with other donors, the International Financing Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). This will provide $4 billion for the work of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) over a 10-year period. GAVI supports the purchase of vaccines by developing countries and the strengthening of immunisation systems. IFFIm funding will save the lives of 5 million children and prevent a further 5 million deaths of immunised children in adulthood.

At the G8 summit in Gleneagles this year, G8 leaders made a commitment to increase aid by $50 billion per annum by 2010 and to relieve developing country debt. Such an increase in long-term predictable funding includes resources for stronger health services, improving medicines and better health.

Private Members' Bills

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorise officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. [16636]

Mr. Thomas: DFID has no record of any such occasions.

Rebranding

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on rebranding in (a) his Department and (b) related agencies in each of the last five years. [18078]

Mr. Thomas: DFID has not incurred any expenditure on rebranding within the Department during the last 5 years.

Capital for Development (CDC), a public limited company wholly owned by DFID, has been rebranded in the last five years. However, information on this spending could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Community Restorative Justice

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on community restorative justice programmes in Northern Ireland in each of the last four years. [20363]

Mr. Hanson: Community restorative justice programmes are operated on a voluntary basis and may receive funding from independent sources outside of Government; the Northern Ireland Office has not funded any community restorative justice programmes.
 
21 Oct 2005 : Column 1286W
 

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Department planned expenditure is on community restorative justice programmes in the next financial year. [20364]

Mr. Hanson: The Northern Ireland Office has no planned expenditure on community restorative justice programmes in the next financial year.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list each community restorative justice project funded by his Department. [20365]

Mr. Hanson: The Northern Ireland Office has funded no community restorative justice projects.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many community restorative justice programmes are located in (a) Unionist areas and (b) Nationalist areas. [20366]

Mr. Hanson: Community based restorative justice projects, founded on a voluntary or charitable basis, operate in both Unionist and Nationalist communities. The Northern Ireland Office has been discussing the development of operational guidelines with Northern Ireland Alternatives, who co-ordinate projects in Unionist areas and Community Restorative Justice (Ireland) who co-ordinate projects in Nationalist areas. Details on the exact number of projects for which they are responsible, and which are fully operational at this time, are not available.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the protocols for community restorative justice schemes. [20367]

Mr. Hanson: Draft guidelines for the operation of community restorative justice schemes are currently under consideration. These will be published shortly.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the protocols governing community restorative justice schemes will include a requirement for those who run schemes to co-operate with the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [20368]

Mr. Hanson: The guidelines will require all community restorative justice schemes to work with criminal justice agencies, including the police, as recommended by the Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland.

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have completed community restorative justice programmes in each of the last four years. [20369]

Mr. Hanson: Community restorative justice schemes are voluntary bodies that are not funded by Government, and consequently no official information on their volume of business is unavailable.

---