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31 Jan 2007 : Column 308Wcontinued
We have made the following contributions to multilateral and international organisations:
£ Sterling | ||||
Multilateral organisation | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
(1) Includes Financial Aid, Technical Cooperation, Grants and Aid in Kind, and total DFID Debt Relief. (2) Includes non-DFID Debt Relief, British Council, and the Global Conflict Pool. (3) Recorded flows to Iraq before 2003-04 are humanitarian assistance provided through UN agencies and Civil Society Organisations for Iraqi citizens. No aid was provided to the Government of Iraq during that period. |
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of microfinance projects in Iraq; [112109]
(2) what funding his Department has committed to microfinance in Iraq in each year since the invasion. [112112]
Hilary Benn: The UK's provincial reconstruction team in Basra has recently assessed microfinance initiatives in southern Iraq. It concluded that, with improved security, these initiatives can improve livelihoods, particularly in fertile agricultural areas, and urban areas where there is a market for goods and services, by extending credit to small businesses.
However, in the long term a more sustainable solution is to unlock Iraq's significant financial resources for the benefit of local businesses. While DFID is not funding any microfinance initiatives in Iraq, we are advising provincial and central government officials on ways of extending credit to small and medium enterprises. This work is taking place in coordination with USAID which is funding two microfinance institutions operating across Iraq; together these two organisations have made $78 million worth of loans to over 40,000 clients.
Through the UK provincial reconstruction team in Basra, we are running a series of workshops to equip local businessmen in Basra, Dhi Qar, Maysan and Muthanna with the skills they need to succeed. Training sessions to date have included management training, advice on how to set up a business, and information about marketing.
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the UK Government are giving to the Governments of Syria and Jordan in supporting displaced refugees from Iraq. [112246]
Hilary Benn: We are very concerned at the increasing numbers of people displaced due to sectarian violence in Iraq.
We have recently announced a £4 million contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide emergency assistance, including water, medical supplies and rehabilitation of health infrastructure to vulnerable people, including internally displaced people (IDPs) inside Iraq. We are also considering UNHCR's appeal, which includes help to refugees in neighbouring countries. This brings our total humanitarian contribution for Iraq to over £120 million since 2003. Additionally, DFID provided £70 million to the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI), which provides support to internally displaced persons. We are not directly assisting the Governments of Syria and Jordan at present.
Above all the first priority of the Iraqi Government must be to end the violence that is causing this situation, with the support of the international community and the region.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the percentage of the population in Zimbabwe who live below the poverty line. [110786]
Hilary Benn: It is estimated that 56 per cent. of the population live on less than US $1 a day while 80 per cent. live on less that US $2 a day (Poverty Assessment Study Survey 2006).
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of the Brent Teaching Primary Care Trust service reductions on the financial position of the London borough of Brent; and if she will make a statement. [117231]
Mr. Woolas: It is the responsibility of the council and the primary care trust to work in partnership to provide services that meet the needs of their local population.
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) names, (b) length of service, (c) relevant experience and (d) organisational affiliations are of the current commissioners of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. [117545]
Meg Munn: The current commissioners of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights were announced by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 5 December 2006. Their names and information about length of service, relevant experience and organisational affiliations are available on the CEHR website at:
http://www.cehr.org.uk/content/commissioners.rhtm.
A second round of commissioner recruitment is currently in train, looking to secure up to five further commissioners, including a Scotland commissioner.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic properties there are in each council tax valuation band in each local authority ward in England. [111970]
Mr. Woolas: Ward level data for England on the number of dwellings in each council tax band at 2001 can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1505882
Data for years 2001 to 2004 using middle super output areas can be found on the Neighbourhood Statistics Service website at:
http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/datasetList.do?JSAllowed=true&Function=&%24ph=60&CurrentPageId=60&step=1&CurrentTreeIndex=l&searchString=&datasetFamilyId-938&Next.x-14&Next.y=13
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage real terms increase in average band D council tax in England was in each year since 1997-98. [111996]
Mr. Woolas: The real terms average percentage increases in band D, two-adult council tax in England in each year since 1997-98 are shown in the following table:
Percentage | |
Real term increase | |
The figures are calculated from data reported by local authorities on BR1, BR2 and BR3 forms and have been adjusted using the all items retail prices index (RPI) as at April each year.
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have a full-time dedicated anti-domestic violence co-ordinator. [112100]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
Domestic violence co-ordinators are employed directly by local authorities at unitary, county and district level. Data for local authorities in each of the nine Government Office regions, and for Wales, is shown in the table as follows.
Government office | Full-time domestic violence co-ordinators (or equivalent) | Local authority level |
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to monitor performance against best value performance indicator 225 on domestic violence. [117557]
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