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30 Jan 2007 : Column 163W—continued
International Development
Alternative Energy Funds
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on the establishment of a World Bank fund for developing countries to invest in alternative energy funds. [111881]
Hilary Benn: At the Gleneagles summit in 2005, the UK secured G8 agreement that the World Bank should lead on establishing a new Clean Energy Investment Framework (CEIF) that would operate across the international financing system. The aim of this framework is to accelerate and catalyse public and private sector investments in cleaner energy in developing countries.
The first phase of this work was discussed at the World Bank's Annual Meetings in September 2006. Countries broadly supported the approach put forward, and asked the Bank to continue work on exploring financial options to support clean energy investments.
The second phase in developing the CEIF will be carried out before the G8 summit in 2008. Engaging the private sector in this work is a key priority going forward. In November 2006, the Chancellor, with the Presidents of the World Bank and the four leading regional development banks, announced a partnership with the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development. The purpose of this partnership is to explore how to stimulate private sector investment through the Clean Energy Investment Framework. A conference will be held in London in March 2007 to launch this work.
In parallel, the Multilateral Development Banks have looked for ways to take forward this work. The Asian Development Bank launched an Energy Efficiency Initiative, with an annual target of providing $1 billion assistance for clean energy projects. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development launched the Sustainable Energy Initiative last year which aims to leverage €5 billion of investment in cleaner energy over the next five years. The World Bank has sought to maximise its existing resources to support clean energy investments, in line with another element of the Gleneagles agreement. A recent World Bank report shows that in 2006 the Bank increased the financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects by 45 per cent. to a total of $668 million, exceeding the 20 per cent. annual increase target set in 2004.
The UK has committed over £15 million to the CEIF so far, including £3 million for technical support in developing the CEIF and supporting discussions in developing countries; £10 million to fund posts and programme budgets across the multilateral development banks and UNDP over the next three years; and £3 million to the EBRD's Sustainable Energy Initiative. The UK has also announced support for one of the first projects to be developed under the CEIF framework—an investment in wind power in Mexico.
Departmental Offices
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in (a) 2004 and (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement. [112185]
Mr. Thomas: The total area of office space which DFID used in central London in 2004 was 17,192 square metres. This remained the case until 25 December 2006, when the total reduced to 15,190 square metres as a result of vacating one of our two London properties. This reduction was achieved by a number of means, including more effective use of office space, and relocation of posts to our office in East Kilbride.
DFID has no agencies with office space.
Development Aid
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Government spending, other than from the Department for International Development (DfID), is counted as Official Development Aid (ODA), broken down by Department or agency; and what proportion of total ODA came from non-DfID Government sources in each year since 2001. [112332]
Hilary Benn [holding answer 29 January 2007]: The following table sets out the breakdown of non-DfID Official Development Assistance (ODA). Where possible the Department or agency has been stated—however, detailed information on contributing Departments is not stored on our systems, for example, UN Contributions from other Government Departments is collected by the FCO but includes spending by FCO and DEFRA, DTI and other Government Departments.
Global Purchase Fund
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much Government funding has been allocated to the Global Purchase Fund for the development of affordable treatments of disease announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2001. [111882]
Mr. Thomas: The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) was established in 2002 to help countries combat these diseases, which kill over six million people each year. To date, the GFATM has committed US$ 7 billion in 136 countries to support interventions against all three diseases. The UK is a strong supporter of the Global Fund, and we are committed to making it work even better and to ensuring the global response to AIDS, TB and Malaria is improved. We have pledged £359 million to the Global Fund since 2002, including commitments of £100m in 2006 and, subject to performance, in 2007.
Government Auctions
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development where his Department publishes information about Government auctions which it arranges or to which it contributes in (a) Blackpool, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West; and when the next such auction will take place in each area. [117422]
Mr. Thomas: DFID has never contributed to any Government auctions.
Microfinance Projects
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people have participated in microfinance initiatives funded directly by his Department in each of the last five years. [117340]
Mr. Thomas: DFID is currently supporting 79 microfinance and financial sector programmes in 28 countries. DFID works in close collaboration with other donor Governments and multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank, who are also providing financial and technical support for many of these programmes.
A brief review of the largest programmes shows that in 2006 more than 9 million people participated in microfinance initiatives that received support from DFID in that year. Calculating the number of people who have participated in microfinance in previous years would involve disproportionate cost as information is held at the country level.
Open Source Software
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of his Department’s computer systems use open source software; what percentage of the systems planned to be installed use such software; and whether he plans to increase the use of open source software in his Department. [111169]
Mr. Thomas:
30 per cent. of DFID’s current computer systems use Open Source Software components. It is expected that by the end of 2008, up to 60 per cent. of DFID’s computer systems will include some Open Source components, using the definition adopted by the Open Source Initiative. DFID will continue to consider Open
Source solutions on an overall value for money basis in accordance with the Government’s policy statement in 2004.
Plan for Africa
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much Government funding has been allocated to help finance African countries' 10-year education plans to be produced as a result of the Gleneagles Implementation Plan for Africa. [111910]
Hilary Benn: The Government have pledged £8.5 billion over the next 10 years in order to support the efforts of developing countries to reach the Millennium Development Goal of getting all children into school by 2015. Most of the African countries in which we provide support for education are in the process of developing or up-dating their 10-year education plans to achieve this target. So far, DFID has signed 10-year agreements with Ghana (£106 million, 2006-15) and Mozambique (£150 million, 2007-16).
Tanzania
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK gave (a) bilaterally and (b) through multilateral institutions, broken down by institution, to Tanzania in 2005-06; and what form the bilateral aid took. [111699]
Hilary Benn: UK bilateral development assistance to Tanzania in 2005-06 was as follows:
| £ GBP million | |
Multilateral shares are reported by calendar year and the latest available figures for 2004 are as follows:
| £ million | |
| Source: Statistics for Development 2001-02 to 2005-06, available at: www.dfid.gov.uk | |
Zimbabwe
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to reduce infant mortality in Zimbabwe. [111618]
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