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13 Dec 2007 : Column 837W—continued
Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the provision of humanitarian assistance to the country following the ACP-EU joint parliamentary meeting earlier this month. [169906]
Mr. Thomas: Recent assessments by DFID and the United Nations in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) suggest that for the moment, although the humanitarian situation is serious, most of the critical humanitarian needs are being met. However, many areas are increasingly difficult to access, both due to ongoing conflict and poor infrastructure. The recent surge in fighting between the FARDC and forces of rebel General Nkunda is a serious cause for concern. There are reports of tens of thousands of newly displaced people. Although funding is available to respond to further needs through the DRC Humanitarian Pooled Fund—to which DFID has contributed £30 Million in 2007—if large scale displacements occur, the capacity of the humanitarian community could become overstretched and may struggle to address the humanitarian needs.
On the 22 November, the ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly adopted a resolution which called on the Governments of the EU and ACP countries, the Council of the EU, the European Commission, the UN and the African Union (AU) to do everything possible to provide efficient and adequate aid to the population in the east of the DRC and to contribute to address a humanitarian disaster. As a member of the Good Humanitarian Donorship group in the DRC, DFID regularly meets with partners, including EU counterparts and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), to discuss humanitarian assistance priorities and needs. We continue to monitor the situation closely.
Departmental Consultants
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was paid in consultancy fees by his Department in each year since 1997. [171998]
Mr. Malik: Expenditure on consultancy services for the financial years 1997-98 to 2006-07 is listed in the following table. For 2000-01 onwards this includes both consultancy to deliver parts of our development programme where services are often provided to third parties such as recipient Governments, and consultancy to DFID as an organisation. For 1997-98 to 1999-2000, figures only include consultancies to deliver the development programme (as published in Statistics on International Development). Consolidated amounts for consultancy to DFID as an organisation are not available for this period.
| £ million | |||
| Consultancy spend | Of which programme budget (delivering parts of our development programmes) | Administration budget (consultancy to DFID as an organisation) | |
These figures do not include lower-value contracts issued by DFID's overseas offices, which could be obtained only by incurring disproportionate cost.
Departmental Recycling
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) volume and (b) percentage of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years. [172512]
Mr. Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) has records of data for waste arisings from our UK buildings for the last four years:
| Total waste (tonnes) | Percentage recycled /re-used (%) | |
| (1 )recycling figure based on waste contractors policy, no reports available. | ||
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department’s policy is on recycling. [174401]
Mr. Malik: The Department for International Development is strongly committed to the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets. We have an Environmental Operations Policy outlining our commitment to meeting the Government waste targets, minimising and recycling waste as far as possible. Our Waste Contractors have policies in place which guarantee they will recycle at least 75 per cent. of all our waste.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years. [174424]
Mr. Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) has records of data for waste arising from our UK buildings for the last four years:
| Total waste (tonnes) | Percentage recycled /re-used (%) | |
| (1 )recycling figure based on waste contractors policy, no reports available. | ||
Economic Agreements: Intellectual Property
Mr. Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's policy is on the inclusion of provisions on intellectual property rights in economic partnership agreements; and what assessment he has made of their likely effect on access to essential medicines. [172988]
Mr. Thomas: No intellectual property provisions have been included in the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) signed to date.
The UK has always been clear that issues other than trade in goods should only be included in EPAs if the African, Caribbean or Pacific regions wish them to be. If a region wants to negotiate intellectual property rights in its EPA, then the UK policy is that no country should be required to go beyond existing commitments under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on trade related intellectual property rights (TRIPS). This agreement includes the right for countries to improve their access to cheaper medicines by producing, exporting or importing generic medicines under a compulsory licence. The UK supports this right. The Department for International Development has financed a number of organisations to assist developing countries to make better use of their TRIPS flexibilities, including compulsory licensing.
Gaza: Health Services
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the availability of medical stocks in hospitals and clinics in Gaza; and if he will make a statement. [172532]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: DFID does not carry out its own assessments, but relies on information from other bodies including the World Health Organisation (WHO). According to WHO’s latest information from October this year, 91 out of 416 essential drugs, and 188 out of 596 essential medical supplies were out of stock due to problems faced by suppliers in delivering. Stocks of a further 114 items of medical supplies were only predicted to last one to three months.
More recently, in November the UN OCHA reported that first line paediatric antibiotics were no longer available in the Ministry of Health (MoH) because the only drug manufacturer that produces them in Gaza is unable to import the necessary chemical precursors. In addition, certain expensive drugs that are not on the essential drug list and that the MoH has no budget to procure have run out.
These shortages are the result of the closure of Gaza’s crossings. We call on all sides to assume their responsibilities in ensuring they re-open as soon as possible, and stand ready to provide appropriate assistance. I raised the closure of Gaza crossings and its humanitarian impact with the Israeli and Palestinian authorities during my visit earlier this week.
Iraq: Overseas Aid
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer of 9 October 2007, Official Report, columns 437-38W, on Iraq: Overseas Aid; (1) how much of the £744 million the Government has allocated to Iraq came from his Department; [170808]
(2) how much of the £744 million the Government has allocated to Iraq has not been used by the Iraqis. [170810]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The UK has pledged £744 million for reconstruction and development in Iraq since 2003. From 2003 to March 2007, £667 million has been disbursed, of which £489 million has been spent by DFID (including EC contributions). The DFID budget for Iraq in 2007-08 is £30 million. We expect to have spent the total HMG pledge by the end of 2008-09.
The UK has disbursed the following amounts by contributing Department:
| £ million | ||||
| DFID (including EC contribution) | FCO (Secondments and Peacekeeping Conflict Pool) | MOD (Quick Impact Projects) | Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP)—Joint DFID/FCO/MOD | |
| Note: Unofficial estimates only. | ||||
Somalia: Overseas Aid
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the distribution on food aid in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia. [172941]
Mr. Thomas: Recent reports including that of Sir John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, who visited some of the worst affected areas on 3 December, are that despite the many obstacles facing them, and the increasing seriousness of the situation, relief agencies are now distributing food and other essential supplies to the estimated 223,000 people in Lower Shabelle who were displaced from Mogadishu by this year's fighting. Supply routes via the port of Merca and by road still face obstruction where payment is demanded at checkpoints. We and others are putting pressure on the authorities to deal with this problem. However, distribution monitoring remains inadequate and the World Food Programme is taking steps to improve this by opening a base in Lower Shabelle and deploying more staff there.
DFID has provided £8.6 million to the UN agencies, NGOs and the International Committee of the Red Cross who are leading the humanitarian effort in Somalia. We are prepared to provide further support.
Sudan: Reconstruction
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the status is of the Eastern Sudan Reconstruction and Development Fund. [173249]
Mr. Thomas: The Government of National Unity have allocated the required US$100 million to the Eastern Sudan Reconstruction and Development Fund but this funding has yet to be disbursed. The structure of the Fund's governing board, which is detailed in Article 23 of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement, has been agreed. However, the executive director has not yet been appointed and as such the board is not operational. State governments, however, are preparing projects in anticipation of the receipt of funds.
Tanzania: Overseas Aid
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will review the UK aid programme to Tanzania in the light of the Silverdale case. [166006]
Mr. Thomas
[holding answer 26 November 2007]: We regularly review our aid programme to Tanzania and
take account of all aspects of the country’s performance and prospects for reducing poverty. The experiences of investors, including cases such as that of Silverdale, are considered as part of those reviews. But the most important consideration is whether we believe our assistance will effectively reduce poverty.
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