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23 May 2007 : Column 1335W—continued
Terrorism: East Sussex
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 were from (i) East Sussex and (ii) Eastbourne in each of the last five years. [138023]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Office does not collate this information in the form requested.
Workers Registration Scheme
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workers were registered under the Workers Registration Scheme in (a) Cambridgeshire, (b) Norfolk and (c) Lincolnshire in each of the last five years. [136237]
Mr. Byrne: Regional information on those workers who came to work in the UK from the eight Eastern European countries which acceded to the EU on 1 May 2004 is published in the Accession Monitoring report. The requirement for workers from these countries to register on the Worker Registration Scheme has applied from 1 May 2004 only.
Information about the number of workers in the areas specifically requested is not available in the report. However, the number of workers in the Anglia, Midlands and Central regions who have registered from 1 May 2004 to 31 December 2006 is published in table 8 of the Accession Monitoring Report, on the following link:
The next Accession Monitoring Report will be published on the 22 May 2007.
Written Questions
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to answer Questions (a) 131379, (b) 131380 and (c) 131381, on British citizenship, tabled by the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on 28 March 2007. [134386]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 27 April 2007]: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 14 May 2007, Official Report, column 543W.
Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints Serco have received on the treatment of women detainees at Yarl’s Wood, broken down by subject of complaint. [137996]
Mr. Byrne: Since the commencement of the new Serco contract to operate Yarl’s Wood there have been nine official complaints made to Serco by detainees. Three have been related to healthcare, two concerned the food, and four regarding single issues; the issue of shampoo and washing tablets, the escort process, the reception process and one complaint against staff, which was related to a detainee feeling unsupported by staff.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the management contract with Serco in respect of Yarl’s Wood stipulates in relation to the treatment of women detainees; and what guidance he has issued to Serco on (a) locked room detention, (b) access to or possession of mobile phones and (c) access to international news via satellite television. [137999]
Mr. Byrne: The contract that exists between the Home Office and Serco outlines the requirement for a full, varied and active regime for the detainees held at Yarl’s Wood IRC. Detainees are required to be in their rooms for the 23:15 roll count, but are free to move around their accommodation units after this time. Detainees are allowed to be in possession of mobile phones and there are no plans to restrict their use. There is no restriction to satellite news; there was a fault with the system early in May but this has been resolved.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking in response to the protest by female detainees at Yarl’s Wood removal centre; and if he will make a statement. [138004]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 18 May 2007]: There have been unfounded rumours that the quality of care provided to detainees at Yarl’s Wood will be reduced in the wake of the operating contract transfer from GSL to Serco. The new contract director Victoria Jones spoke to the detainees in Yarl’s Wood on two occasions on 4 and 5 May, and has also written to the detainees about their concerns. The centre has remained mainly calm. Complaints and concerns are addressed as they arise.
International Development
Ascension Island: Overseas Aid
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of UK aid was allocated to Ascension Island in 2006. [138854]
Mr. Thomas: There is no aid programme to Ascension Island. It is, however, eligible to apply for funds from the joint DFID/Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funded Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP). In 2006-07 Ascension had two OTEP projects:
Environmental Information System with a total allocation of £98,810 over two years; and
Improving Access to Green Mountain National Park with a total allocation £29,500 over one year.
Burundi: Education
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the government of Burundi on educational development. [138589]
Hilary Benn: I recently announced financial support for education in post-conflict states, including £6 million to Burundi over three years.
I discussed our programme in Burundi, which has a strong focus on education, with the 1st Vice-President when he was in London last month. The Burundi Minister of Education and Culture also called on DFID during his visit to the UK in March, to explain the challenges facing the education sector in Burundi and how we might help them.
We recognise the need to help the government provide access to quality education and a peace dividend for people who suffered over 12 years of civil war, which is why we provided support to Burundi to help implement the policy of free primary education, announced at the President's inauguration in August 2005. This included building and rehabilitating schools, training teachers and providing textbooks, which helped increase enrolment by around 40,000. Since then DFID has worked closely with the government of Burundi and a range of other partners on the development of a sector plan for educational development, and on financing arrangements. We are also working with the government to help them gain endorsement of their sector plan and entry to the Education-For-All fast track initiative.
China: Overseas Aid
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid has been allocated to China in 2007-08; what projects are being funded by that aid; and what factors were taken into account when determining whether it was appropriate to allocate UK aid to China. [138380]
Mr. Thomas: DFID’s bilateral programme in China in 2007-08 will be £33.4 million. We provide assistance in the areas of basic education, combating HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis, health system reform and promoting the integration of water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion. This bilateral programme is due to end by 2010-11. The rationale for our bilateral programme is set out in the DFID Country Assistance Plan for 2006-11, a copy of which is available from the DFID website at:
The main justification is the large numbers of poor people who still live on less than $2 per day; and the
good use that the Chinese make of international best practice in planning and implementing their own large domestic programmes, which deliver health and basic education services to poor people in China.
Developing Countries: Sanitation
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) budget and (b) plans he has for the future support of water and sanitation projects in developing countries. [138543]
Hilary Benn: The UK has agreed that half of our direct bilateral aid to poor countries should be spent on basic services, including water, and we will double our total support to water and sanitation in Africa to £95 million a year by 2007-08 and more than double it again to £200 million a year by 2010-11.
In 2005-06 we committed £78 million to Sub-Saharan Africa, which is home to some of the world's poorest people and where the millennium development goals (MDG) for water and sanitation are most off-track.
Current bilateral commitments include a planned investment of £100 million in Ethiopia and around £20 million a year in Sudan. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have more than doubled our commitments on water and sanitation from £4 million a year in 2005-06 to £10 million a year by 2007-08.
Our major commitments in Asia include £5.5 million to help deliver water and sanitation to £6 million slum dwellers in Indian cities. In Bangladesh, we support UNICEF’s sanitation, environmental health and water programme, which helps 30 million people and 7,500 schools. We also provide nearly £16 million to the charity WaterAid’s sanitation and environmental health programme. This has already reached over 1 million of some of Bangladesh’s poorest people—and intends to reach a further 3 million over five years.
But we cannot tackle this alone. That is why I have called for global action on water and sanitation.
At the international level we are calling for two main things:
one annual report to monitor progress towards achieving the MDG water and sanitation targets. This should set out levels of access to safe water and adequate sanitation, highlighting where progress is lagging behind.
one high-level global annual meeting to review what is being done, highlight progress and agree on action.
Within each country there should be:
One national water and sanitation plan—setting out current levels of access and identifying the investment needed.
One water and sanitation co-ordinating group—this should bring together government, civil society and donors to identify the blockages and agree who will do what.
Palestinians: Economic Situation
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with international colleagues on the economic situation in the West Bank and Gaza. [138445]
Hilary Benn:
I regularly discuss the economic situation in the West Bank and Gaza with counterparts
from across the international community, and I recently met with the Palestinian Finance Minister, Salaam Fayyad.
I remain concerned about the economic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). Average incomes are almost 40 per cent. below their 1999 levels and poverty is rising. The Palestinian Authority faces a massive funding shortfall, in large part due to the withholding of customs revenues by Israel. Restrictions on movement are a severe constraint on business.
DFID is responding with £15 million in contributions through the Temporary International Mechanism, which supports basic services and pays allowances to public sector employees and the poorest Palestinians. We are also developing support to stimulate investment and business innovation in the OPTs.
Somalia: Overseas Aid
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the humanitarian needs of those who have fled Mogadishu since March 2007. [138568]
Hilary Benn: The security situation in Mogadishu and the surrounding area makes it difficult to assess the humanitarian situation precisely, and DFID has not made any independent assessment.
However, there is wide consensus that over 350,000 people were displaced by fighting in Mogadishu at the end of March and beginning of April. Many estimates, including those of the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross, put the number higher. In addition the UN estimates that 30 to 40 per cent. of the population were unable to leave the city and were displaced within Mogadishu. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has accused the UN and the international relief agencies of overestimating the numbers, and asserts that only 30,000-40,000 were displaced.
The feedback from those relief agencies currently operating in Mogadishu is that humanitarian needs are substantial in all sectors.
Since January 2006 the UK has been the second largest donor of humanitarian relief to Somalia, including $7.4 million since January 2007, of which a substantial amount is being used to help those displaced by the fighting. We stand ready to provide more assistance where we can be sure this will make a difference to the poorest and most vulnerable Somalis.
Tuberculosis: Vaccination
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the role of the new tuberculosis vaccine development in the (a) progress and (b) likely outcomes of the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006 to 2015. [138538]
Mr. Thomas:
The Global Plan to Stop TB estimates that a new vaccine will be launched between 2014 and 2018, so will not have a major role on the progress and outcomes of the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-15. Simulations conducted as part of the Global Plan suggest that once introduced a new vaccine will reduce
new cases of tuberculosis by 20 per cent. in the first 10 years and by 40 per cent. by 2050.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department made an estimate of the funding (a) required and (b) available to the programme for the research and development of a new tuberculosis vaccine. [138539]
Mr. Thomas: The Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-15 estimates that $3.6 billion will be required to research and develop a new tuberculosis vaccine and that there is a funding gap of $1.5 billion.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has considered the merits of providing research and development finance for the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation and its programme of work. [138540]
Mr. Thomas: During 2007 DFID will be holding a consultation on a new strategy for research. As part of this consultation DFID will consider the merits of research and development for drugs and vaccines for neglected tropical diseases, including tuberculosis. DFID is already supporting the development of new drugs for tuberculosis, through the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation on its plans for the development and promotion of a new tuberculosis vaccine in developing countries. [138541]
Mr. Thomas: Officials in DFID have met staff from the Aeras Global TB vaccine foundation several times in the last year and are kept up to date with its plans for the development and promotion of new tuberculosis vaccines in developing countries.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the funding requirements of the future roll out of a global tuberculosis vaccination programme. [138542]
Mr. Thomas: More work is required by the Stop TB Partnership to assess the funding requirements for the future roll out of a global tuberculosis vaccination programme. Some rough estimates suggest that about $340 billion per year will be required, based upon information from a number of sources.
Justice
Electoral Register
Mr. Heald:
To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what estimate she has made of (a) the number of people who are not on their local Electoral Register but would be eligible to vote were they on the Electoral Register, (b) the number of people who are on a local Electoral Register but should not be, (c) the number of people who appear on more than one Electoral
Register and (d) the number of people who appear more than once in a single Electoral Register. [137630]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 May 2007:
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