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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 21 November 2006

International Development

Afghanistan

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of the schools in Afghanistan that were re-opened following the deployment of UK armed forces in the country have since been temporarily or permanently closed. [100571]

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has made an estimate of the number of schools that have closed in Afghanistan due to violence since January. [101962]

Hilary Benn: Since UK forces deployed to Afghanistan as part of the NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), school attendance in Afghanistan (including for girls) has risen significantly. According to UNICEF, the number of children in school increased from 1.2 million in March 2002, to 5.1 million in December 2005.

The recent school closures due to security related incidents are worrying. The latest information we have from the Afghanistan Ministry of Education records:

We have had no further data from the Ministry of Education updating these figures.

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many refugee camps there are in Helmand Province; how many people are in each; and how long each camp has existed. [100927]

Hilary Benn: In Helmand there are reported to be two refugee camps near Lashkar Gah. The exact population of these is currently not known, but UN estimates suggest that about 2,800 families in Helmand have been displaced. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) community is thought to comprise of: semi nomads (Kuchis); those displaced by drought; and those displaced as a result of violence. A number of the IDPs are not living in camps but with host families; and families from rural areas are moving to the main town of Lashkar Gar to buy supplies and sell crops as they would any year. This confuses the picture.

UK officials have been monitoring the IDP situation in Helmand. In August the Governor asked the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to assist in the provision of food and non-food items to 3,000 IDP
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families. The PRT provided $60,000 to help with this. The assistance was distributed by the Government and we have had no request for further assistance. The UN has reassured us that in Helmand the basic needs of the 2,800 families are being met. Assistance from the World Food Programme, United Nations High Commission of Refugees and the Afghan Red Crescent has been made available to Helmand.

Mukhtar Camp was established in 1995-06. The second camp, outside Lashkar Gar, was established this year and is hosting newly arrived IDPs.

Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources his Department has committed to post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan. [101866]

Hilary Benn: Over the last five years DFID has spent over £390 million on reconstruction and development in Afghanistan. At the London Conference in January 2006, the UK signed a 10-year development partnership agreement with the Government of Afghanistan. This agreement commits DFID to provide £330 million for reconstruction and development over the subsequent three years. This forms part of the UK’s overall pledge at the London Conference of £500 million over three years. DFID’s budget for Afghanistan is £102 million in 2006-07. This will rise to £113 million in 2007-08, and £115 million in 2008-09.

In addition, DFID contributes 18 per cent. of the European Commission’s pledge of €1 billion over 2002-07. And over 10 per cent. of the World Bank’s spending in Afghanistan of $250-300 million a year. We also contribute financially to UN programmes and to the Asian Development Bank.

Cuba

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of policies to promote sustainable development in Cuba. [101222]

Mr. Thomas: DFID does not have a direct development programme in Cuba, so no specific assessment of sustainable development policies there has been made. DFID’s Caribbean office focuses on the English-speaking Caribbean, and therefore only maintains a watching brief on developments in Cuba. We are of course generally concerned about the welfare of the Cuban people and about how Cuba affects the wider Caribbean through its relationship with its neighbours.

DFID does provide support to NGOs working in Cuba through our central funding. Currently, through our Partnership Programme Agreements, DFID provides funding of two NGOs working in Cuba—Save the Children and the Ethical Trading Initiative.

As part of the European Union, we are committed to the policy of constructive engagement with Cuba. In the period 2000-05, the European Commission’s support to Cuba has included humanitarian aid and disaster prevention; food security; NGO co-financing in various sectors—including agriculture, health and education; economic cooperation; financial and
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technical cooperation; and support to the promotion of democracy and human rights. Since August 2003, the EC’s support to Cuba has been constrained by Cuba’s refusal to accept EC bilateral aid cooperation. Since then EC support has been provided only through non-governmental entities. For example, in 2005, the EC committed approximately €300,000 to Cuba, all of which was for NGO co-financing.

We will continue to monitor political and other developments in Cuba and respond as needed in the context of our engagement in EU institutions and our Caribbean regional programme.

People Trafficking

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department is funding to combat human trafficking. [100945]

Hilary Benn: The aim of all DFID's work is to eliminate the poverty and social injustice that make people vulnerable to trafficking. The main channel for funding projects which specifically combat human trafficking is the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Since 1999, DFID has committed almost £9 million to support their programme in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. A further £3 million has been allocated to their programme in China. DFID provides core funding to ILO's Special Action Programme to combat forced labour (including trafficking); £1.9 million is allocated for 2006-09.

DFID also funds the work of non-governmental organisations. Over £1.6 million has been provided to Save the Children's programme in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region.

Communities and Local Government

Bonus Payments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in her Department each year since 2001-02; and how many civil servants received bonuses in each year. [101038]

Angela E. Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 6 November 2006, Official Report, columns 868-69W to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).

Fire Service College

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people (a) were made redundant and (b) retired in each of the last five years at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; and what the cost of redundancy was in each year. [101258]


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Angela E. Smith: The information requested on the number of redundancies and retirements is given in the table. It is not our policy to release information of a personal nature that could be used to identify individuals.

Financial year Retirements Redundancies (cost)

2005-06

3

2004-05

1

2003-04

4

2002-03

5

2001-02

7

1


Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the turnover was of foreign business for the last five years at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; and what the projection is for the 2007-08 financial year. [101259]

Angela E. Smith: The volume of work undertaken by the College for overseas customers for the last five years and forecast for the current year, expressed in terms of income earned is given in the following table. Business planning for the next financial year is currently under way and projections of income from overseas customers have not yet been made.

Financial year £000

Actual

2001-02

1,115

2002-03

1,188

2003-04

1,593

2004-05

1,637

2005-06

2,209

Forecast

2006-07

2,800


Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters have been trained at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh in each of the last five years, broken down by rank; and what the predicted figures are for the 2007-08 financial year. [101260]

Angela E. Smith: The numbers of firefighters—both UK Fire and Rescue Service and others—trained at the Fire Service College in each of the last five years are in the table. The breakdown by rank is unavailable because records are not kept in that form. Business planning for 2007-08 is currently under way so student numbers cannot yet be forecast.

Financial year Firefighters trained at the Fire Service College

2006-07

(1)8,627

2005-06

7,844

2004-05

7,394

2003-04

6,542

2002-03

5,342

2001-02

5,882

(1) Projected figure as at November 2006

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Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what options have been investigated for use of land at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; and which government organisations and private companies have been consulted. [101261]

Angela E. Smith: Proposals that an area of the Fire Service College (FSC) site be allocated for residential development was included in Cotswold district council's (CDC) First Deposit Local Plan Review 2001-11 but subsequently withdrawn in the Revised Deposit Plan. An appeal was rejected by the Inspector following a public inquiry and no planning allocation for residential development exists. The FSC submitted representations in respect of the Proposed Further Modifications to the Revised Deposit (2001-11) Local Plan in respect of Housing Numbers, but this was rejected by CDC. General consultation on college ideas for development of the site (including options for land disposals) have been held with both CDC Planning Department and the Government office for the south-west (GOSW). No formal planning applications have been submitted.

Two fire-related organisations, the Fire Protection Association and the Institution of Fire Engineers have moved to the college site in the past two years.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's policy is on (a) regional fire centre training and (b) central training at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; and what assessment she has made of future trends in this field of training. [101262]

Angela E. Smith: The Government's aim for Fire and Rescue Service training is to ensure that best use is made of resources at the appropriate level. The Fire and Rescue Service National Framework 2006-08 states that regional management boards should draw up a regional HR strategy which encompasses training and development and identifying and implementing the most efficient and effective means for delivering this. The preparation and updating of these regional HR strategies will provide information on current and future training needs.

That training at national, regional and local level should be complementary is based on the principles set out in the National Fire and Rescue Service Learning and Development Strategy for England (LDS), published in November 2005. There are a number of examples where Fire and Rescue Services work in partnership to provide training and there may be further scope for some facilities to be shared on a regional or sub-regional basis.

The Fire Service College continues to provide a national and international facility for operational incident management training, centred on its unique facilities and recognises the need for learning and development to be delivered more flexibly to meet the changing needs of the Fire and Rescue Service. It is reviewing its programme of training courses and products to meet the changing needs of the Fire and Rescue Service.


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Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure that the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh trades profitably in the 2007-08 financial year. [101263]

Angela E. Smith: As a trading fund the Fire Service College's financial target is to manage its funded operations so that the revenue of the fund consists principally of receipts in respect of goods and services provided in the course of funded operations; is not less than sufficient, taking one year with another, to meet outgoings which are properly chargeable to revenue account; and to achieve a return, averaged over the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2009, of a minimum of 4 per cent. as a percentage of average capital employed.

The college continues to work towards an operational and financial model which will enable it to meet this target on a sustained basis. On-going investment in the marketing and relationship management teams is expected to yield significant growth in the college’s trading income for 2007-08. At the same time, the college continues to operate and improve cost controls, with targeted expenditure reductions in terms of both staff and non-staff expenditure through 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Firefighters

Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many reported incidents of attacks on firefighters there were in each year since 1990. [101316]

Angela E. Smith: Records have only been kept since 1 April 2004 for England and Wales only. The total number of reported incidents since then is 2,581:

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reasons underlay her decision not to proceed with the Fire Brigades Union proposals for resilience controls utilising the existing control structure for the Fire and Rescue Service. [101417]

Angela E. Smith: A full analysis of the Fire Brigades Union proposals for resilience controls was undertaken. It concluded that the FBU proposals would not meet the required level of resilience; could potentially add confusion and delay in having more than one control dealing with large incidents; would be at least as expensive to implement as FiReControl; and would increase long term running costs.


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