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In Uganda we support NGOs working to change attitude and behaviour on domestic violence and undertaking local and national advocacy for new laws on domestic relations and sexual offences. We have committed £117,000 over three years to the Centre
for Domestic Violence and Prevention to help communities and civil society organisations to end domestic violence. We are also providing £180,000 for three years to MUFUMI Human Right Defenders Network which is working on similar issues.
In the last two years in northern Uganda we have provided £1.6 million to UNICEF to work with women and young people on issues around protection and sexual violence in camps for internally displaced people. This year we have also provided £240,000 to Save the Children Fund for similar activities.
In Pakistan, DFID committed £6 million to the UNDP Gender Support Programme in December 2006. The programme supports the Government of Pakistan in reducing poverty in Pakistan by enabling women, especially the poor, to participate more equally in economic, public and domestic life. £2 million of DFIDs contribution will be used to establish a Gender, Justice and Protection Fund, with the specific aim of supporting joint Government and civil society efforts to tackle violence against women.
DFID has also committed £3.5 million, to the Gender and Education Policy Support Project (GEPSP), a joint initiative with the Government of Pakistan and UNICEF to generate better understanding of security concerns and to strengthen capacity to do something about them. Security is critical to female participation in education. Good practice includes locating schools within reasonable distances (primary but also middle and secondary schools once girls have reached puberty), promoting safe access to schools for girls and female teachers (e.g. via travel allowances and school buses), building boundary walls (and in some cases providing security guards), enforcing the ban on corporal punishment and developing a culture among teachers where this is not seen as necessary.
The DFID-funded Gender Support Project which came to an end in 2006 supported 57 projects aimed at womens empowerment. 10 of these focused on the issue of violence against women. An example is a project aimed at ending violence against women in the southern part of North West Frontier Province through legal empowerment. The project focused on raising awareness among young people of the issue of violence against women, and providing legal aid and skills to women.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contingency plans have been agreed with the Governments of (a) the United States, (b) Syria and (c) Jordan in order to address the problems created by the influx of large numbers of Iraqi refugees into countries neighbouring Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [122949]
Hilary Benn: We are in close touch with our partners and agencies about the situation regarding displaced Iraqis inside Iraq and in the region.
While we acknowledge that the influx of refugees has put pressure on national provision of services in countries including Syria and Jordan, and there are certainly needs in small border camps, the degree to which neighbouring countries require significant emergency assistance is not yet evident.
Despite the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recent appeal (which incorporates contingency planning), UNHCR is still in the process of making investigations both into the caseload and priority needs of refugees. Needs assessments are currently being undertaken by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other organisations. These will provide a clearer picture of how best to respond.
A meeting of international partners, including the US, UN agencies, representatives from regional governments and donor representatives will take place in Geneva this week to discuss the caseload of refugees in the region and agree the best ways to respond. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, in liaison with other humanitarian partners.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what further consideration his Department has given to contributing to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees $60 million appeal to help displaced Iraqis; and if he will make a statement. [122747]
Hilary Benn: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has limited access in Iraq owing to the poor security situation, and only provides support to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in six out of Iraqs 18 governorates. We have therefore made a contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who are able to work nationwide through the Iraqi Red Crescent Society. This support includes emergency assistance including shelter, food and non-food items, as well as supporting hospitals by providing war wounded kits and other essential materials. They also run community projects to enhance the capability of local service provision, such as infrastructure repairs and water and sanitation projects.
We may yet contribute to UNHCRs appeal to support Iraqis who have been displaced in the region. We are currently in discussions with UNHCR and international partners on the precise caseload and their needs.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response the UK has made to the UNHCRs January 2007 Iraq Situation Supplementary Appeal; and if he will make a statement. [122913]
Hilary Benn:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has limited access in Iraq owing to the poor security situation, and only provides support to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in six out of Iraqs 18 governorates. We have therefore made a contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who are able to work nationwide through the Iraqi Red Crescent Society. This support includes emergency assistance including shelter, food and non-food items, as well as supporting hospitals by providing war wounded kits and other essential materials. They also run community
projects to enhance the capability of local service provision, such as infrastructure repairs and water and sanitation projects.
We may yet contribute to UNHCRs appeal to support Iraqis who have been displaced in the region. We are currently in discussions with UNHCR and international partners on the precise caseload and their needs.
Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much he has allocated to the provision of security by private contractors for those implementing reconstruction, humanitarian and community relations programmes in Iraq; and what proportion of total expenditure on such programmes provision for security represents. [123593]
Hilary Benn: For the period March 2003 to February 2007, DFID spent £390 million on reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to Iraq. Of this total, £38.2 million was spent on the provision of security by private contractors, representing almost 10 per cent. of overall spend.
We keep this security expenditure as low as we reasonably can. But without this, we would not be able to do the vitally important reconstruction and humanitarian work which we have been doing in Iraq. We have a duty to protect the very dedicated teams of staff who work in Iraq in extremely difficult circumstances.
13. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the priorities of his Department are in Palestine, Israel and neighbouring countries. [123732]
Hilary Benn: Since Hamas entered government in March 2006, DFID's priority in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) has been to support Palestinian basic needs through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM). Through the TIM, DFID has provided £12million for Palestinian front line health services, allowances to the poorest government workers and for essential operation, maintenance and repair work for water, sanitation and electricity services.
DFID does not maintain bilateral aid programmes with any of the countries surrounding the oPt which are middle income, including Israel. This allows DFID to better target scarce resources towards the poorest and most fragile countries.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Departments spending on educational programmes is undertaken through international institutions. [123252]
Mr. Thomas:
Around 39 per cent. of DFIDs budget is channelled through international and multilateral organisations, part of this goes towards education. The total amount of funding through multilateral
organisations is published in the document Statistics on International Development, copies of which are available in the Library. The proportion of this funding which is spent on education varies from institution to institution and from year to year. The following table outlines funding through major international institutions relevant to education.
Total DFID expenditure on the funding of selected multilateral organisations | |||||
£ million | |||||
2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | |
In addition we channel substantial funds through civil society organisations, part of which goes towards education.
Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what UK aid has been allocated to refugees from Darfur in Chad. [123610]
Hilary Benn: In 2006-07 DFID has allocated £4 million to relief programmes in Chad. These funds have been used to provide aid to Darfuri refugees and local internally displaced people in eastern Chad and to refugees from the Central African Republic in southern Chad.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money from the public purse (a) his Department and (b) its agencies gave to (i) the Smith Institute and (ii) its subsidiary SI Events Ltd in each year since 1997; and for what purpose each payment was made. [123103]
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Departments proposals for two-year jail sentences for individuals who steal or illegally trade in personal information will apply to paper-based manual records. [123666]
Vera Baird:
The existing penalties do not apply to paper-based manual records. My Department has no plan to extend the proposals to increase the penalties
under section 60 of the Data Protection Act to cover paper-based manual records.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the submission by the Council of Circuit Judges to her Departments consultation on increasing penalties for deliberate and wilful misuse of personal data. [123675]
Vera Baird: A copy of the submission will be placed in the Library of both Houses of Parliament.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many independent bodies existed to hear appeals on decisions made by her Department and its Executive agencies in (a) 1997-98, (b) 2001-02 and (c) 2005-06; and how many there have been in 2006-07 to date. [121684]
Vera Baird: A range of independent bodies and offices, including the courts, can hear appeals on decisions made by my Department and its Executive agencies. The following table lists those bodies and offices, the type of appeals they hear and the date of establishment.
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