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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1413W—continued
Regional Planning and Development: North West
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes to green belt designation the most recent version of the North West Regional Spatial Strategy proposes. [198873]
Mr. Dhanda: The most recent version of the North West Regional Spatial Strategy is the Secretary of State's Proposed Changes to the Draft RSS "The North West Plan". These proposed changes are the subject of a consultation exercise which runs from 20 March until 23 May 2008.
The proposed policy on green belts, RDF4, states that overall the general extent of the green belt will be maintained.
The policy allows local development frameworks to provide for detailed changes in green belt boundaries to accommodate the expansion of Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport; and to provide for an inter-modal freight terminal at Newton-le-Willows. The policy also requires that, subject to the agreement of the North West Regional Assembly, any other local detailed boundary changes should be examined through the local development framework process.
Unitary Councils
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for each of the new unitary councils to become operational. [198890]
John Healey: The Structural Change Orders, which were recently approved by both Houses, provide for the establishment of unitary authorities for Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire on 1 April 2009.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding from the public purse is being provided to each of the new unitary councils to assist their restructuring. [198891]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 3 September 2007, Official Report, column 1684W.
Valuation Office: Council Tax
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the Valuation Office Agency's Council Tax Revaluation Programme Board for the CTR2007 project. [183223]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 27 April 2006, Official Report, column 1285W. These minutes relate to internal discussion and advice to Ministers on the formulation and development of Government policy.
Zurich Financial Services
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department paid to Zurich Financial Services in each year since 1997; and what these payments were for. [199660]
Mr. Dhanda: Only one payment has been made to Zurich Risk Services (which is part of the Zurich Financial services Group) since the Department (as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) was formed in 2002. Information prior to this date could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The amount paid was £3,612,40 excl. VAT in February 2008. This was the first payment made in respect of a contract for six monthly inspections of Fire and Rescue Service equipment to be used for mass decontamination of people and urban search and rescue.
International Development
Africa: Health Education
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage programmes promoting sex education and providing contraceptives in Africa. [197281]
Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) works with partner governments to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services and commodities through DFID funded country programmes.
DFID is helping nine developing countries—including South Africa, Uganda and Kenya to strengthening curricula for gender education, including sex education, by funding a £35 million programme called ‘transitions to adulthood’. DFID also supports the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in encouraging the development of life skills programmes for school children and out of school youth, which cover issues relating to safe sex and responsible sexual behaviour.
DFID has recently announced £100 million over five years to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) to improve access to family planning and reproductive health supplies. DFID is also one of the largest supporters of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), providing £100 million in 2007. GFATM supports both sex education and condom distribution as part of its broader strategy to fight AIDS.
Africa: Overseas Aid
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which UK bilateral aid programmes are underway in (a) Mozambique, (b) Sudan, (c) Ethiopia and (d) Rwanda; and what the (i) duration and (ii) cost is of each. [198893]
Gillian Merron: The following tables show all the UK bilateral aid programmes with a value of £500,000 or more currently under way in Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
| (a) Mozambique | ||||
| Commitment | ||||
| Sector | Programme | £ million | From | To |
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