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25 July 2007 : Column 1120W—continued
Pakistan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will seek discussions with the Pakistani authorities on the level of UK aid to Pakistan following statements by Pakistani Ministers on the Queen’s Birthday Honours. [152509]
Mr. Malik: The UK has made a long-term commitment to reducing poverty in Pakistan through a 10-Year Development Partnership Arrangement (DPA) signed in November 2006. The DPA is based on a shared commitment to pursuing poverty reduction objectives, respecting human rights obligations entered into, and improving financial management and accountability in Pakistan.
The DPA is the framework against which we provide assistance to Pakistan, and against which we hold all discussions with Pakistani Ministers about our aid programme.
Sudan: Asylum
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimates his Department has made of the numbers of Darfuri refugees who have left Sudan for each neighbouring country; and if he will make a statement. [149401]
Mr. Thomas: The UNHCR is the agency responsible for registering refugees. DFID, like all other agencies, relies on UNHCR estimates for refugee numbers and locations. The latest figures they have provided to DFID indicate that there are 235,000 Darfuri refugees in Chad and some 10,000 refugees from Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Central African Republic. There are not substantial numbers of registered refugees from Darfur in other neighbouring countries.
Tanzania: Overseas Aid
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information he has received on the shortfall in the Bank of Tanzania’s external payment arrears account for 2005-06; how much Tanzania received in aid from (a) the World Bank and (b) the IMF in each of the last five years; how much Tanzania has received in unearmarked contributions from the UK; and if he will make a statement. [150176]
Mr. Thomas [holding answer 19 July 2007]: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been notified of potential irregularities with the Bank of Tanzania external payment arrears account for 2005-06. As a result the Government of Tanzania (GoT) agreed to undertake an audit of this account. We are in close contact with the IMF and GoT on this matter.
| Aid flows from IMF, World Bank and DFID budget support (unearmarked) | |||
| IMF (US$ million) | WB (US$ million) | DFID (£ million) | |
| (1) One off debt relief Source: IMF statistics (SDR conversion 0.65$:1SDR) and WB CAS disbursement statistics | |||
In July 2007, DFID disbursed a further £105 million budget support for 2007-08.
Leader of the House
Departments: Air Conditioning
Chris Huhne: To ask the Leader of the House how much was spent by her Office on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in each of the last five years. [151987]
Helen Goodman: Following the recent machinery of Government changes which saw the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons transfer from the Privy Council Office to the Cabinet Office, we are currently unable to provide a substantive answer to this question.
Departments: Recruitment
Mrs. May: To ask the Leader of the House how much her Office paid in fees to recruitment agencies for (a) temporary and (b) permanent staff in each year since 1997. [151662]
Helen Goodman: The information is set out in the following table with regard to temporary staff. Data for financial years 1997-98 to 2000-01 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Financial year | Cost (£) |
The Office has not used recruitment agencies for permanent staff.
Draft Legislative Programme
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement of 11 July 2007, Official Report, columns 1449-51, on the draft legislative programme, which of the planned Bills will apply (a) fully and (b) in part in (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland; and, in such cases, if she will set out the form in which the legislation will apply in each respective area of the United Kingdom. [150512]
Helen Goodman: In “The Governance of Britain—The Government's Draft Legislative Programme” (CM 7175) the Government set out how the proposed Bills will apply to the Devolved Administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the basis of current plans. In many cases discussions will continue to take place with the Devolved Administrations and the Government are mindful to ensure that it honours the commitments to consult and communicate with them on such matters, made in the “Memorandum of Understanding with the Devolved Administrations”.
Table summarising the details published in the Draft Legislative Programme:
Mr. Allen: To ask the Leader of the House if she will make it her usual policy to subject Bills to pre-legislative scrutiny. [152865]
Helen Goodman: The Government endeavour to subject Bills to pre-legislative scrutiny, where timing and other constraints allow. As indicated in the Government's recently published Draft Legislative Programme (CM7175), 58 draft Bills have been published since 1997.
The publication of the Draft Legislative Programme is the first time public consultation has been sought before the Queen's Speech and is a further element in the exposure of legislative plans to scrutiny ahead of introduction. The Government believe this consultation will lead to better engagement between MPs, peers and the people.
UK Youth Parliament
Mr. Drew: To ask the Leader of the House whether a Minister intends to make a visit to the forthcoming session of the UK Youth Parliament; and if she will make a statement on progress on the proposal announced by the Prime Minister for a future session to be held in the House. [150943]
Helen Goodman: I understand that the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice) addressed the session of the United Kingdom Youth Parliament in Glasgow which has just been completed.
Following the statement by the Prime Minister on 3 July, my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House will be raising with the Modernisation Select Committee the question of whether the Youth Parliament could be invited to the Chamber of this House once a year on a non-sitting day.
Work and Pensions
Jobcentre Plus: Argyll and Bute
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff there were in post in each Jobcentre Plus office in Argyll and Bute at the end of each of the last five years. [152467]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 24 July 2007]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 25 July 2007 :
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many full-time equivalent staff there were in post in each Jobcentre Plus office in Argyle and Bute at the end of the each of the last five years. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The following table shows the figures for each of the last four operational years in each of the offices in the Argyle and Bute area and an overall total. Unfortunately, owing to changes in the operational management of the offices and in the recording methodologies I am unable to provide the information for the year ended 2003.
| Full- time equivalent staff numbers in Argyle and Bute offices by year | ||||
| As at 31 March each year | ||||
| Office | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
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