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1 May 2007 : Column 1528Wcontinued
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that rail companies inform passengers of the forthcoming smoking ban on stations. [134393]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department of Health (DoH) is conducting a significant communications campaign aimed at the public to ensure maximum awareness of the smoke free legislation before its implementation on 1 July. The Department for Transport has discussed the issue of communication with rail passengers with ATOC and Network Rail and provided advice to DoH on issues such as enforcement and signage arrangements on the rail network.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress the UK has made in meeting its commitment to double aid to Africa by 2010. [134392]
Hilary Benn: The UK Government are party to the European Union (EU) pledge to reach a collective target for the Overseas Development Assistance to Gross National Income ratio (ODA/GNI) of 0.56 per cent. by 2010, estimated to nearly double total aid between 2004 and 2010, with at least 50 per cent. of the increase going to Africa. The UK also announced a timetable to reach 0.7 per cent. ODA/GNI by 2013 and committed to double its bilateral spending in Africa between 2003-04 and 2007-08. The G8 Gleneagles 2005 communiqué stated that the commitments of the G8 and other donors would lead to an increase in ODA to Africa of $25 billion a year by 2010, more than doubling aid to Africa compared to 2004.
The UK Government are on track to honour our commitments. Total ODA/GNI ratio increased from 0.36 per cent. in 2004 to 0.52 per cent. in 2006. Provisional figures show that UK ODA to sub-Saharan Africa increased from £1.2 billion in 2004 to £2.9 billion in 2006, with debt relief accounting for much of this increase. The Department for International Development's (DFID's) bilateral programme of aid to sub-Saharan Africa is set at £1.25 billion for 2007-08.
ODA to sub-Saharan Africa from all donors of the Development Assistance Committee rose by $10 billion, or 59 per cent. in real terms, between 2004 and 2006. We will continue to engage with G8 and EU partners to encourage others also to keep to their aid volume commitments.
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department paid to (a) the Adam Smith Institute, (b) Accenture and (c) KPMG for work in each of the last six years. [134628]
Hilary Benn: The information is as follows:
£ | |||
Adam Smith Institute | Accenture | KPMG | |
DFID also has contracts with Adam Smith International Ltd., which is a separate self-financing commercial organisation. Data during the same period is as follows:
Adam Smith International (£) | |
These organisations have undertaken a range of public service reforms, in accordance with the requirements of development recipients. Examples are support to the South African Government's restructuring of state-owned organisations, and capacity building support for the Afghanistan Ministry of Commerce.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution the UK Government has made to the UN High Commission for Refugees for aid to assist Iraqi refugees and displaced persons; and if he will make a statement. [134593]
Hilary Benn: DFID has contributed £1.5 million in response to the UN High Commission for Refugees' (UNHCR) appeal for Iraqi refugees and displaced persons. The appeal will provide food, shelter, water and sanitation and legal protection mechanisms for Iraqi refugees across the region. This appeal is now almost fully funded.
Our support to UNHCRs appeal is part of a wider £10 million contribution that DFID has made since January to provide emergency relief and other services to displaced and vulnerable Iraqis. This takes our total humanitarian assistance to over £125 million since 2003.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of bilateral assistance to (a) Malawi, (b) Zambia, (c) Ghana, (d) Uganda, (e) Sierra Leone, (f) Rwanda, (g) Vietnam, (h) Pakistan, (i) Nepal and (j) East Timor was delivered by direct budget support in 2005-06; and what projections he has made for future delivery of direct budget support as a proportion of overall bilateral aid up to 2009-10. [131310]
Hilary Benn: Poverty Reduction Budget Support (PRBS) is DFID's term for aid provided to a partner government to support that government's poverty reduction programmes which is spent using the government's own financial management, procurement and accountability systems. PRBS is also commonly known as direct budget support.
We deliver PRBS in many different ways in different countries, depending on the objectives we are trying to achieve and the particular risks we face.
General budget support is provided to the government to support implementation of the overall poverty reduction strategy. It is allocated and spent by the government across all sectors to achieve overall progress against multiple poverty reduction objectives. General budget support has the advantage of supporting the government's overall policies for addressing poverty and reinforces the role of the Ministry of Finance in allocating resources across government in the most effective way.
Sector budget support is normally provided to the government to support implementation of a particular sector strategy and achieve particular improvements in for example health, education or road infrastructure. In some countries this can be a more effective way of
achieving development in particular sectors. Sector budget support can also be a more effective way of delivering aid where there are high fiduciary or political risksin some countries we track our resources to the sector or sub-sector to ensure that they are spent in that sector.
The proportion of DFIDs bilateral assistance delivered as PRBS in 2005-06 and projections up to 2007-08 for each country are given in the following table. Projections are based on PRBS commitments DFID has made to partner governments together with the current allocation of DFID bilateral aid to the relevant countries. Projections beyond 2007-08 will not be available until the comprehensive spending review is concluded later this year. East Timor did not receive any PRBS from DFID in financial year 2005-06 and is not projected to receive any in following years.
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