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Uganda

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the percentage of Ugandans who lived in poverty in (a) 2001 and (b) 2004. [64589]

Hilary Benn: According to the latest available data from the Uganda National Household Survey in 2002–03, 38 per cent. of the population lived below the poverty line compared with 56 per cent. of the population in 1992. There was a significant decline in poverty through the 1990s.

The 2005–06 Uganda National Household Survey is currently being carried out and new poverty data should be available by the beginning of 2007.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of Uganda's budget in the last year for which figures are available was (a) donor sponsored and (b) sponsored by the UK. [64825]

Hilary Benn: In the Ugandan financial year of 2004–05 (which runs from July to June) 47 per cent. of the Government of Uganda's budget was sponsored by donors. In the financial year of 2004–05, British aid was 4.7 per cent. of the Government of Uganda's budget. This is the last financial year for which data are available.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the total Ugandan budget British aid represented in (a) 2001 and (b) 2004; and how much total aid Uganda received in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2004. [64826]

Hilary Benn: In the Ugandan financial year of 2001–02 (which runs from July to June), British aid was 6.7 per cent. of the total budget of the Government of Uganda. In the financial year of 2004–05, British aid was 4.7 per cent. of the total budget.

In the financial year of 2001–02, Uganda received total aid equivalent to £492 million, the total aid received by Uganda in the financial year of 2004–05, was equivalent to £478 million.

This information is based on data from Uganda's Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the contribution of the funds allocated to the Ugandan Ministry of Defence's strategic defence review to the reduction of poverty in that country. [64844]

Hilary Benn: Human security is essential for development. At the same time it is important for governments to strike the right balance between expenditure and security and on reducing poverty in areas such as education and health.

An independent assessment of the UK's support for Uganda's first strategic Defence Review was carried out in December 2004. It found that the Review has helped to
 
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establish the processes necessary for ensuring a professional, modern, accountable, efficient and affordable security sector. Already the Review has been the basis for the development of a Defence Corporate Plan that prioritises expenditure and includes indicators which can be used to monitor performance for example in procurement, financial management and management of human resources. The Defence Review and the Corporate Plan provide a basis for more effective dialogue between government and development partners about Uganda's defence expenditure. In this, we emphasise the importance of implementing the recommendations of the Defence Review to help provide the security required for poverty reduction.

NORTHERN IRELAND

A and E Departments

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) on how many occasions police were called to deal with unruly or violent behaviour at accident and emergency departments in each of Northern Ireland's acute hospitals in each of the last three years; [64911]

(2) how many incidents necessitating police being summoned occurred at accident and emergency departments of each Northern Ireland acute hospital in each year between 2000 and 2005. [65312]

Mr. Woodward: The information requested is not recorded centrally either by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety or by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Therefore, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Avian Influenza

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures have been established in the event of the arrival in Northern Ireland of avian influenza to protect (a) the farming community and (b) the wider population. [65924]

Mr. Woodward: Both the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) and the Department of Rural Development (DARD) are working closely on this issue and have contingency plans in place to deal with an outbreak of avian influenza in both humans and birds.

Specific guidance on worker safety and personal protection has been issued to DARD staff, the poultry industry, and those living and working on farms in respect of the threat of avian influenza. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) prophylaxis will be made available to those who have contact with infected poultry.

There have been no cases of human-to-human transmission recorded to date and the threat of avian influenza to the general population is currently very low indeed. Nevertheless DHSSPS has ensured that arrangements are in place for the rapid diagnosis and management of any human cases of avian influenza.
 
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Information for professionals and the public is available on our website at http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/phealth/avianflu.htm.

Further information on the disease risk to humans travelling to and from areas affected by avian flu has been produced jointly by DARDNI and DHSSPS and is available at ports, including airports, GP surgeries and community pharmacies.

Civil Service (Travel Expenses)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 2490W, on civil service travel expenses, what percentage of travel undertaken by (a) the Department for Agriculture and Rural Affairs and (b) the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) during the last financial year was (i) within Northern Ireland, (ii) between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, (iii) between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and (iv) between Northern Ireland and continental Europe; what percentage of travel costs incurred by the NIO was for air travel between Belfast and London; and what percentage of travel costs was for (A) standard and economy and (B) first and business class travel. [62511]

Mr. Hain: The cost of NIO travel cannot be disaggregated, except at disproportionate cost. However, it is estimated that less than 10 per cent. of the cost is for travel within NI and between NI and the RoI. It is further estimated that some 80 per cent. of all travel cost is in respect of flights between NI and GB and that less than £1,000 was spent on travel between NI and continental Europe.

Approximately 90 per cent. of air travel cost was for journeys between Belfast and London and some 94 per cent. of these trips were at business class with the remaining 6 per cent. at economy class.

NIO business class travel bookings are at competitive rates, are fully flexible and refundable and enable staff to make last minute adjustments to their travel arrangements without a cost penalty to meet the demands of the Department's business.

Travel costs within the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development cannot be separated into the geographical divisions requested except at disproportionate cost.

However, it is estimated that some 85 per cent. of expenditure was on mileage, which is likely to relate primarily to travel within Northern Ireland, 12 per cent. related to public transport within the United Kingdom (including air, train and bus fares) and 3 per cent. related to travel outside of the United Kingdom.

Deaf Teachers

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaf people qualified as teachers in the last five years; and how many of those people are now employed as full-time teachers. [65891]

 
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Angela E. Smith: Students gaining an initial teacher training qualification from a Northern Ireland higher education institution and declaring a hearing impairment/deaf disability, 2000–01 to 2004–05 are as follows:

	Number of qualifications obtained
2000–01	(20)—
2001–02	0
2002–03	(20)—
2003–04	5
2004–05	(20)—

⁽²⁰⁾To prevent the identification of individuals, figures less than five have been suppressed.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Information on the current employment status of the graduates identified in the table is not available.

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