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28 Feb 2007 : Column 1317W—continued
Severn Barrage: Nature Conservation
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on flora and fauna in the Severn estuary of the installation of the Severn barrage. [122349]
Barry Gardiner: The Severn Estuary is a Special Protection Area (SPA), which is protected under the Habitats Regulations 1994. An Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations, and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) under the EIA Directive would be needed for any plan or project likely to have a significant effect on the site. These assessments would be carried out by the developer in the context of their specific proposal.
A UK project on tidal power, which includes a review of Severn Estuary proposals, is being led by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC). The project aims to address the role of tidal power in a low- carbon electricity system. The SDC has commissioned evidence-based reports, including reviews of Severn barrage and non-barrage proposals, to look at the expected economic, social and environmental impacts of options to harness tidal power. The SDC intends to publish its final report and the individual evidence-based reports in the summer of 2007.
Natural England has also carried out research on potential impacts on flora and fauna in the Severn Estuary of the installation of a Severn barrage.
Water Charges
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps his Department is taking to assist lower income households in receipt of income-related benefits in paying water bills; [122903]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to increase the take-up by eligible lower income households of Government-sponsored measures aimed at assisting them in paying water bills. [122904]
Ian Pearson: A cross-Government steering group was set up to review the way in which lower income households are helped with their water and sewerage charges. Ministers’ decisions following the review are set out in the Cross-Government Review of Water Affordability Report, which was published in December 2004. In line with the review’s recommendations:
(i) the Vulnerable Groups Regulations were extended in 2005 to increase eligibility;
(ii) DEFRA, Ofwat and the Consumer Council for Water have been working with water companies on measures to increase take-up of the Vulnerable Groups Scheme;
(iii) a pilot study currently under way in the South West is looking at the combined impacts of several measures on water affordability, including benefit entitlement checks, meter installation and water efficiency measures. We expect the results of the pilot study in summer 2007; and
(iv) the Government, Ofwat and water companies are co-operating to investigate the likely distributional consequences of alternative tariffs, especially for those on lower incomes.
International Development
Crop Substitution (South America)
6. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support the encouragement of crop substitution among South American coca-growing communities. [123725]
Mr. Thomas: DFID is supporting an initiative in Yungas in Bolivia to develop community tourism among coca-growing communities. This initiative is expected to produce useful lessons for crop diversification schemes elsewhere in the Andes, including illicit coca-growing areas.
Darfur
7. Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Darfur. [123726]
Hilary Benn: The humanitarian situation in Darfur is extremely fragile. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of UN and humanitarian agencies, the 4 million people dependent on aid in the region have been helped. Worsening security and attacks on humanitarian workers have, however, made this increasingly difficult to sustain.
I am sure the House will wish to condemn the continuing violence against both civilians and humanitarian workers in Darfur and call on all sides to stop, to accept the AU/UN peacekeeping force, and to restart negotiations.
10. Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Darfur. [123729]
Hilary Benn: The humanitarian situation in Darfur is extremely fragile. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of UN and humanitarian agencies, the 4 million people dependent on aid in the region have been helped. Worsening security and attacks on humanitarian workers have, however, made this increasingly difficult to sustain.
I am sure the House will wish to condemn the continuing violence against both civilians and humanitarian workers in Darfur and call on all sides to stop, to accept the AU / UN peacekeeping force, and to restart negotiations.
Zimbabwe
8. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. [123727]
Hilary Benn: Despite good rains last year, about 1 million Zimbabweans are reliant on international food aid as the next harvest approaches. Early indications suggest significant failure of this year’s crop in southern Zimbabwe. An independent assessment is expected to be undertaken from April, to examine the scale of forthcoming food shortage. Many Zimbabweans will face difficulty accessing food because of the dire economic situation, resulting from the policies of their Government. DFID will spend £33 million in 2006-07 to tackle food insecurity and HIV/AIDS, including a £3 million contribution to the World Food Programme’s activities in Zimbabwe.
14. Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with leaders in southern Africa on the humanitarian situation of the people of Zimbabwe and their aid requirements. [123733]
Hilary Benn: The Government take every opportunity to raise the situation in Zimbabwe with others. We continue to urge South Africa, both as a neighbour of Zimbabwe, and also as a strong voice in the South African Development Community (SADC), to work with SADC partners to address the crisis in Zimbabwe. DFID officials have regular contact with counterparts in the region to alert them of the worsening crisis in Zimbabwe.
Climate Change: Bangladesh
9. Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to assist Bangladesh in tackling climate change. [123728]
Mr. Thomas: DFID is providing £115 million over five years to support portable, sustainable livelihoods for people living in areas most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change—increasing sea levels, flooding, coastal salinity and drought.
DFID is working with the Bangladesh Government to reduce risks and develop a climate change action plan. In addition, DFID is improving the resilience of infrastructure—for example by installing taller electricity poles, raising tube wells and homesteads, reinforcing road embankments and enhancing plans for water transportation.
DFID will prioritise further research to better forecast large-scale migration caused by climate change.
British Aid
11. Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms he uses to assess the effectiveness of British aid; and if he will make a statement. [123730]
Mr. Thomas: DFID uses a comprehensive set of mechanisms to assess the effectiveness and impact of British aid. Bilateral projects and country programmes are reviewed annually for their contribution to international development goals, against country objectives, corporate targets and international commitments on aid effectiveness.
Education (Developing Countries)
12. Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on the promotion of education in developing countries. [123731]
Hilary Benn: DFID is committed to achieving the millennium development goals on education, of universal primary education and gender equality in primary and secondary education by 2015.
The Government will spend some £8.5 billion over the next 10 years in support of education in developing countries. This long-term commitment will help developing countries prepare and implement 10-year education sector plans to achieve the education goals. Our funds will support investment in schools, the recruitment and training of teachers, get more boys and girls into and completing school and improve the quality of education.
Child Trafficking
15. Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to prevent children being trafficked into the UK. [123734]
Mr. Thomas: Poverty creates the conditions in which children are vulnerable to trafficking. DFID’s purpose is to support long-term programmes to help eliminate the underlying causes of poverty, including lack of education for children as well as lack of livelihood opportunities and social security for their families. Getting children into school is key to protecting them from trafficking and improving their life chances. DFID is committed to ensuring all children receive primary education and has a commitment to spend over £8.5 billion to support education over the next 10 years. DFID is also a major supporter of UNICEF and non-governmental organisations working for children’s rights and protection.
Afghanistan: Overseas Aid
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards achieving the millennium development goals in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [122751]
Hilary Benn:
Because of the devastation Afghanistan suffered through decades of conflict up to 2001, it is currently off-track on all the millennium development goals (MDGs). The Afghan Government therefore decided to set themselves a revised target of 2020 to meet the MDGs, and the country has made significant progress since 2001. Economic growth is strong and legalGDP increased by almost 85 per cent. in real terms between 2002-03 and 2005-06. School enrolment has quadrupled in the last four years. Nearly 6 million Afghan children are now in school, a third of them girls. Over 13,000 primary and secondary schools have been reconstructed, and some 1.2 million illiterate people are participating in literacy courses. Since 2001 the number of functioning health clinics has increased by 60 per cent., and the immunisation of over
16 million children against childhood diseases has saved around 35,000 lives. Afghanistan has one of the highest incidences of tuberculosis in the world, but the proportion of cases detected and cured increased from almost zero in 2000 to nearly 25 per cent. in 2005.
DFID’s programme in Afghanistan is focused on state-building, economic management, and improving livelihoods. Over 70 per cent. of our aid goes directly to the Government of Afghanistan to support its own development priorities in pursuit of the MDGs. The vision for achieving the revised 2020 targets is set out in the interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy.
Africa: HIV Infection
Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what progress has been made on the Gleneagles targets for treating HIV/AIDS in Africa; and if he will make a statement; [123589]
(2) what assessment he has made of progress towards meeting the Gleneagles targets for treating HIV/AIDS in Africa; and if he will make a statement. [123612]
Hilary Benn: Significant progress has been made towards the goal of universal access to anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment worldwide by 2010, signed up to by leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) countries in July 2005.
In sub-Saharan Africa between 2003 and 2006, the numbers on treatment rose tenfold from 100,000 to over 1 million. This is equivalent to 23 per cent. of those needing treatment. The number of health locations offering treatment has grown from 3 to 110 in Zambia and from 3 to 60 in Malawi over the past two years. Treatment averted an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 premature deaths in developing countries in 2005.
In Abuja, Nigeria, in May 2006, African leaders made commitments to strengthen practical leadership and mobilise resources to realise the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care. In June 2006, world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to universal access at the UN High-level Meeting on AIDS. They agreed to set in 2006, through inclusive, transparent processes, ambitious national targets, including interim targets for 2008 that reflect the urgent need to scale up significantly towards the goal of universal access.
In eastern and southern Africa, 14 countries— 70 per cent.—have established targets or will do so by end 2006. In west and central Africa, 17 countries have set targets, 13 have devised roadmaps and six have annual workplans which have been costed.
Developing Countries: Overseas Aid
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was paid in development aid from the UK to developing countries in each of the last five years. [122561]
Hilary Benn: Total bilateral and multilateral gross public expenditure on development, excluding administration, by the UK in the last five years was:
| £ million | |
A breakdown of development aid from the UK to developing countries in each of the last five years is published in “Statistics on International Development 2001/02-2005/06”, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Bilateral aid by recipient country can be found in table 12 of the publication while aid channelled through international bodies for use in or on behalf of aid recipient countries is listed in table 16.
Developing Countries: Sexual Offences
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to tackle sexual violence in (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo, (b) Uganda and (c) Pakistan; and if he will make a statement. [123041]
Hilary Benn: In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we are supporting humanitarian agencies to provide medical assistance to victims of sexual violence, particularly in Eastern DRC, including funding the Norwegian NGO Christian Relief Network to support Panzi hospital (South Kivu) in constructing and running a 100-bed wing specialised for treating women suffering from fistula—which is one of the most serious and devastating consequences of sexual violence. Their programme includes outreach to encourage women to seek medical support and psychological support for patients, as well as medical treatment. We are also continuing our support to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has extended its programme of medical and psychological support to victims of sexual violence in North and South Kivu. The UK will be spending more than £35 million this financial year on humanitarian and health service delivery projects in the DRC through the UN and NGOs and many of these contain an element of assistance to victims of sexual violence.
It is also vital to tackle the underlying causes of sexual violence, particularly conflict and impunity. Conflict reduction is a major focus of the UK’s work in the DRC, and at a local level in eastern DRC we support NGOs who are promoting dialogue and peace building work between communities previously in conflict. DFID is also funding training of justice sector workers and the police on gender and sexual violence and children’s rights. We are also making a £2 million contribution to a major project in eastern DRC to restore the justice system so it is able to address the most serious crimes. We are working with the Government and other donors to develop a long-term programme of justice reform.
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