Previous Section Index Home Page

13 Dec 2006 : Column 1089W—continued

Support to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria—the Global Fund—is one of the ways we assist efforts to tackle HIV and AIDS. We have committed £359 million to the Global Fund over seven
13 Dec 2006 : Column 1090W
years (2002-08). This includes £100 million for 2006 and a further £100 million for 2007, subject to the Global Fund’s performance. The UK is now the fourth largest donor for the period 2006-07 (after France, the US and Japan) and the second largest in the EU. The UK’s current commitment to the Global Fund represents around 8 per cent. of its funding.

Since it was created in January 2002, the Global Fund has approved a total of US $6.8 billion to nearly 400 grants in 136 countries. 56 per cent. of this will go to sub-Saharan Africa, 11 per cent. to East Asia and the Pacific, 10 per cent. to Latin America and the Caribbean, and 8 per cent. to Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Kashmir

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect of corruption on the disbursement of (a) UK and (b) international funds for earthquake relief in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [107907]

Mr. Thomas: The Government of Pakistan (GoP) have reaffirmed publicly that every effort will be made to ensure that earthquake programmes are implemented in a fully transparent and accountable manner. It is bound to submit its audited accounts to its Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee for review.

We have been working very closely with the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) and our key donor partners, such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, to help Pakistan meet this commitment. A full range of measures are being put in place by GoP, with our support, to address corruption concerns. Measures to guard against corruption include three layers of auditing, including an internal audit at ERRA, an external audit by the Auditor General of Pakistan, and independent verification of expenditures. In addition, the main seven donors (UN, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Commission, the United States, Japan and DFID) have agreed on an earthquake reconstruction monitoring and evaluation framework. The Government of Pakistan have, additionally, agreed with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and DFID a set of measures to help guard against the risk of corruption, includingthe development of a fully automated financial management information system.

Middle East

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions Ministers and officials from his Department have had with Ministers and officials from (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) the Treasury, (c) No. 10 and (d) other Departments on development assistance in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. [108232]

Hilary Benn: DFID Ministers and officials are in regular discussion with counterparts from other Government Departments, both in London and in Jerusalem. However, it is not our policy to provide details of all such meetings.


13 Dec 2006 : Column 1091W

Official Cars

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many cars run by his Department were manufactured (a) in the UK and (b) abroad. [104817]

Mr. Thomas: DFID HQ uses cars supplied by the Government Car and Despatch Agency. Information on cars operated by the Government Car and Despatch Agency is available on page 14 of its Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06, copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

DFID’s overseas offices do run cars, but no central record is held of their country of manufacture. All our vehicles are procured through processes designed to ensure value for money through open, untied competition.

Tsunami Victims

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on providing support for the victims of the tsunami. [108272]

Mr. Thomas: DFID has pledged £140 millionin response to the Indian Ocean tsunami ofDecember 2005. £75 million was pledged to the immediate humanitarian relief effort, including £7.5 million to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities. Thiswas exceeded as our total commitment rose to£76.214 million. A further £65 million was pledged to meet reconstruction needs in tsunami-affected countries. The breakdown of commitment and spend to date by country (including the provision at regional level) is shown in the following tables.

Humanitarian relief
£ million
Committed Spent

Regional (inc. DRR)

50.642

41.15

Sri Lanka

4.825

4.653

India

2.767

2.617

Indonesia

16.47

16.47

Somalia

0.5

0.5

Maldives

1.01

1.01

Total

76.214

66.4


The regional commitment includes DFID support to the United Nations and £7.5 million for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities. £7.222 million for DRR has yet to be disbursed. We are considering options for spending this allocation. A further £2.592 million has not been spent because projects that we supported cost less to deliver than was originally budgeted. DFID is recovering remaining unspent funds.


13 Dec 2006 : Column 1092W
Reconstruction and recovery
£ million
Pledged Committed Spent

Regional

0

0

0

Sri Lanka

2

2

0

India

3

3

0

Indonesia

59.2

19.6

14.1

Somalia

0

0

0

Maldives

0

0

0

Total

64.2

24.6

14.1


DFID’s focus in the reconstruction phase for Sri Lanka has been to build capacity in-country to manage the longer-term recovery effort. This work is focused upon the north and east of Sri Lanka, but has been suspended due to the current crisis.

The money committed to reconstruction and recovery in India will provide a recovery and reconstruction programme coordinated by the UN for social equity, restoration of livelihoods, shelter, ecosystem restoration, HIV/AIDS, disaster preparedness, and programme management.

In Indonesia DFID is supporting the following programmes:

In addition to DFID funding, the British Government have also contributed through the European Commission (EC). The EC has already pledged €123 million in humanitarian assistance and up to €350 million for longer-term reconstruction. The UK’s share of this is approximately £15 million and £40 million respectively. Her Majesty’s Treasury estimates that the Government will also be contributing approximately £50 million through tax relief on public donations made through the Gift Aid Scheme.

The UK has also contributed to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, who have both pledged resources in support of the tsunami-affected area.

Culture, Media and Sport

Digital Switchover

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the number of households which will qualify for assistance n switching over to digital television in each parliamentary constituency in the south-west. [105509]

Mr. Lammy: The information is as follows:


13 Dec 2006 : Column 1093W
Constituency Total eligible benefits units

Bath

11,000

Bournemouth East

11,000

Bournemouth West

12,000

Bridgwater

13,000

Bristol East

13,000

Bristol North West

12,000

Bristol South

13,000

Bristol West

9,000

Cheltenham

11,000

Christchurch

16,000

Cotswold

10,000

Devizes

11,000

East Devon

16,000

Exeter

13,000

Falmouth and Camborne

14,000

Forest of Dean

11,000

Gloucester

12,000

Kingswood

12,000

Mid Dorset and North Poole

10,000

North Cornwall

15,000

North Devon

14,000

North Dorset

12,000

North Swindon

9,000

North Wiltshire

10,000

Northavon

10,000

Plymouth, Devonport

13,000

Plymouth, Sutton

12,000

Poole

13,000

St. Ives

14,000

Salisbury

13,000

Somerton and Frome

12,000

South Dorset

13,000

South East Cornwall

13,000

South Swindon

9,000

South West Devon

10,000

Stroud

11,000

Taunton

14,000

Teignbridge

16,000

Tewkesbury

11,000

Tiverton and Honiton

14,000

Torbay

16,000

Torridge and West Devon

14,000

Totnes

14,000

Truro and St Austell

15,000

Wansdyke

11,000

Wells

14,000

West Dorset

13,000

Westbury

12,000

Weston-Super-Mare

14,000

Woodspring

10,000

Yeovil

13,000

Totals

634,000

Notes:
1. Rounded to the nearest thousand.
2.The table shows all parliamentary constituencies covered by the Government office for the south west. The region receives terrestrial television services from the following ITV regions: West Country, West, Meridian and Central.
3. Eligibility for help from the digital switchover help scheme will be by benefit unit rather than the whole household definition used by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Office to forecast future household growth.
4. The definition of a benefit unit is a couple and any dependent children. It excludes adults deemed to be non-dependents who, if eligible, will be able to claim assistance from the help scheme in their own right.

Next Section Index Home Page