Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 7 February 2007
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from (a) local authorities and (b) associated bodies on the financial impact of section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005; and what responses he has made. [118890]
Mr. Bradshaw: DEFRA officials have held a number of discussions with the Local Government Association, local authorities and other interested organisations, about the financial impact of section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act. When commenced, section 68 will transfer responsibility for stray dogs from the police solely to local authorities.
In October last year, the Local Government Association contacted their members to calculate a representative cost estimate for local authorities to take on the duty set out in section 68. At the same time, the Association of Police Officers calculated the police’s current spend on fulfilling their stray dog duties.
A stakeholder group comprising of the Dogs Trust, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, National Dog Warden Association, Dog Theft Action and representatives from dogs homes and kennels was convened in June 2006 to assist in developing a voluntary code of practice for stray dogs. This guidance will be made available to local authorities in time for the commencement of section 68.
Floodplain Building
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many buildings have been constructed on floodplains since May 1997. [107949]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
Information on the numbers of buildings constructed on floodplains is not available centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Flood risk is a major factor in the location of new development. The Government published a new Planning Policy Statement (PPS25) in December 2006 to strengthen and clarify earlier policy on this issue. Flood risk must be taken into account at all stages of the planning process. Development that would not be safe in the higher flood risk areas should be directed to areas of lower risk wherever this is practicable. Where new development is necessary in higher risk areas because no viable alternative is available, steps must be taken at site level to make it safe if it is to be permitted. In those areas close to rivers where water must be
allowed to flow in times of flood—the ‘functional floodplain’—only a very restricted range of development associated with essential infrastructure should be permitted.
Waste Management: Planning Permission
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial cost was incurred by local authorities that rejected waste management planning applications which were subsequently accepted at appeal in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04, (d) 2004-05 and (e) 2005-06. [119077]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
Information on the costs incurred by local authorities on applications which are subsequently determined on appeal is not held by the Department.
International Development
Afghanistan
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) local health care clinics and (b) hospitals there were in Afghanistan in each year between 1995 and 2006. [112305]
Mr. Thomas: The health care system in Afghanistan has suffered years of neglect. According to the Central Statistics Office’s (CSO) Statistical Yearbook 2003, the percentage of expenditure on health between 1997 and 2000 was only 0.5 per cent. of GDP and the number of doctors per 1,000 people a mere 0.1 per cent. against an average of 2.2 per cent. for all developing countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that in 2001 the total expenditure on health was 5.2 per cent. of GDP.
Although DFID is not directly engaged in the health sector, DFID officials in Kabul have contacted the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) for this data. The ministry have confirmed that the data requested is not available back to 1995.
There are, though, signs that progress is being made. The World Bank, European Commission and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are investing heavily in this sector. In the November 2006 report of the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board, it was recorded that the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) has been expanded to 82 per cent. of the Afghan population. 856 standard health facilities are now functional; 82 facilities provide comprehensive emergency obstetric care, and 309 provide basic emergency obstetric care. 71 per cent. of all BPHS health facilities are now staffed with at least one female staff member. One district hospital, 22 basic Health Centres and 17 Comprehensive Health Centres have also been established.
AIDS
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s expenditure on tackling AIDS in developing countries; and if he will make a statement. [118957]
Mr. Thomas: An interim evaluation of “Taking Action: The UK’s strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world”, is currently under way. It is taking a detailed look at how the Government are implementing “Taking Action”. The evaluation is due to be completed in spring 2007. We look forward to receiving the report and responding to it.
Burma
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much British aid reached the people displaced by the military offensive in Karen state in 2006. [118626]
Mr. Thomas: In 2006, DFID provided approximately US$ 350,000 for support to internally displaced people through community-based groups in Eastern Burma. Approximately US$20,000 of that funding reached some of the 20,000 people displaced by the military offensive in Northern Karen state and Eastern Bago Division. The remainder of the funds were used to provide assistance to other communities affected by displacement in Eastern Burma, including support for displaced communities in relocation sites in Government-controlled areas, in cease-fire areas and in contested areas.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the 3D Fund for Burma will fund cross-border projects in order to reach people in areas to which the military regime refuses to allow access. [118629]
Mr. Thomas: The 3D Fund recognises the difficulties that it is likely to face in accessing civilians trapped in areas of conflict between the Burmese military and ethnic armed groups. In addition to pressing the Burmese authorities to increase access to these areas for humanitarian work, the 3D Fund will explore a range of other options for accessing these areas.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions representatives of the 3D Fund have had with the Karen National Union on the viability of funding projects in Karen state in areas not under control of the regime in Burma. [118659]
Mr. Thomas: 3D Fund representatives have had no direct discussions with the Karen National Union. The 3D Fund has, however, initiated discussions with a range of community-based organisations, local non-governmental organisations and ceasefire groups about how they can contribute to the 3D Fund’s efforts to deliver services in areas which are not under the control of the military, including in Karen state.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Global Fund spent in Burma during the period it operated there; and how much of that amount was spent on consultants. [118660]
Mr. Thomas:
In the period during which the Global Fund operated in Burma, it disbursed approximately US$11.09 million in support of work on HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria. US$194,357 was spent on consultants in order to ensure effective fund management. Technical support and advice were
provided through the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
Developing Countries: Elections
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department gives (a) directly, (b) through the EU and (c) through the UN to assist with the cost of democratic elections in developing countries. [117915]
Mr. Thomas: DFID contributed £17.1 million as direct bilateral assistance in support of democratic elections in 2005-06, some of which will be provided through multilateral organisations based in developing countries.
DFID also supports the UN and the EC in assisting developing countries to carry out democratic elections through core and non core contributions. However, DFID does not hold details of what proportion of our contributions to the UN or the EC were used to assist with the cost of democratic elections.
Iraq
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has allocated for the reconstruction and development of Iraq in each of the next three years; and through which channels the money will be distributed. [118728]
Mr. Thomas: The UK will spend at least another £100 million over the next three years on humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Iraq on top of our 2003 Madrid pledge of £544 million, which is now fully disbursed. This further allocation of £100 million brings the total UK commitment to £644 million.
Some of this funding will be channelled through DFID’s bilateral programme of assistance to Iraq. This will help the Iraqi Government to make better use of their substantial oil resources; and assist the Iraqi Government, at provincial and national level, to plan and deliver investment in basic services (electricity, hospitals, etc.), improve oil production levels, generate jobs and manage its own resources more effectively. In addition, funding will be channelled through the UK’s contribution to EC funding for Iraq, and through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP).
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reconstruction and development objectives his Department set for (a) education, (b) water and sanitation, (c) health care and (d) microfinance in Iraq prior to the invasion of Iraq; to what extent they have been met; and if he will make a statement. [118729]
Mr. Thomas:
Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, DFID objectives were to ensure that there was sufficient preparation to avert a major humanitarian crisis during and immediately after the conflict and facilitate the rapid restoration of essential services such as health care, power, and water and sanitation. Much of our initial support was channelled through United Nations agencies, the International Red Cross and
non-governmental organisations. These organisations moved back into Iraq quickly and set up effective humanitarian operations after the major conflict ended. They had experience of working in Iraq, well-established local networks and a capacity to deliver assistance on the ground. While several agencies withdrew expatriate personnel from Iraq for security reasons during the remainder of 2003, many of their programmes continued under the management of well-qualified local staff.
In education, over 5,000 schools have been rehabilitated; more than 100,000 primary and 40,000 secondary schools teachers have been trained; and over 70 million new textbooks distributed.
In water and sanitation, around £660 million has been spent on over 300 projects to repair essential infrastructure; but decades of neglect and an ageing infrastructure means that the overall access to drinkable water and sewage systems remains similar to pre 2003 levels.
In health care, over 5 million children have received life-saving vaccinations. More than 1,000 health care facilities have been rehabilitated or equipped, and more than 6,000 health workers trained. Through extensive disease control programmes, the prevalence of leishmaniasis, measles, malaria and polio has declined.
In microfinance, two institutions are operating across Iraq, which have made US$78 million worth of loans to over 40,000 clients.
Continued violence, including sabotage of key infrastructure facilities, and low (but growing) levels of technical capacity in Iraq’s national and local governments have made progress difficult. However, Iraq is not a poor country. The Iraqi Government plans to spend over £20 billion (US$40 billion) in 2007. The real challenge is to help the Government of Iraq spend this money effectively so that Iraqis see real improvements. DFID is providing expert advice to help the Government do this at national and provincial level.
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the levels of (a) exports, (b) imports and (c) gross domestic product of Iraq in each year from 1995 to 2006; and if he will make a statement. [118730]
Mr. Thomas: Economic data for Iraq are patchy. There are little data on exports and imports, due to the lack of effective border control for several years, and international trade data have never been properly compiled. However, the World Bank provides the following data:
| Balance of payments | ||||
| US$ million | ||||
| Gross domestic product (GDP) | Exports | Petroleum exports | Imports | |
| (1) Estimated (2 )Projected | ||||
Iraq’s economy is powered by oil (oil accounts for approximately two-thirds of GDP and more than 95 per cent. of exports). Therefore, Iraq’s ability to export oil has a strong impact on the strength of its economy. As a result, GDP, exports and imports have continued to grow since 2003.
Constitutional Affairs
Departmental Fixed Assets
Mr. Francois: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which fixed assets her Department sold for more than £10,000 in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06; and what the (i) sale value, (ii) purchaser and (iii) date of sale was of each asset. [110796]
Bridget Prentice: The information requested is as follows.
| Asset | Sale proceeds (£) | Purchaser | Date of sale |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |