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11 Jun 2008 : Column 357W—continued
Global Plan to Stop TB
9. Mr. Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards achieving the target outlined in the Global Plan to Stop TB, 2006-15; and how much of the US$56 billion required to implement the Global Plan has been spent. [210001]
Gillian Merron: Prevalence and mortality rates for TB are falling, and just over six out of 10 cases are now detected. Spending is increasing from $2 billion in 2006 to $2.7 billion this year and we will continue to support expenditure against the Global Plan.
Tibet
10. Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to provide humanitarian assistance to the indigenous population of occupied Tibet. [210002]
Mr. Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not plan to provide humanitarian assistance in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Together with our colleagues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we are keeping the situation under review, but there does not at this time appear to be any reason for us to provide such assistance. We continue to provide £500,000 per year to support Save the Children's work in Tibet. This is continuing to run smoothly despite the recent unrest. The work is not considered politically sensitive either by the Chinese authorities or by the Tibetan population, and is welcomed by both.
Palestine
11. Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to support the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan. [210003]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: A capable, responsive and accountable Palestinian Authority (PA) is essential for a viable Palestinian state. The Palestinian Reform and Development Plan (PDRP) sets out the PA's spending plans and reforms to strengthen its capacity and accountability. DFID-funded technical assistance enabled the PA to prepare a credible PRDP that formed the basis for the pledges at the Paris donor conference. The UK pledged up to £243 million over the next three years. In 2008 we have provided £36 million in support of the PRDP, for services such as health and education and for ongoing technical assistance to the PA in taking forward reforms.
Burma
12. Mr. Mackay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Burma. [210004]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: I refer the right hon. Member to my response to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) earlier today (UIN Number 2099945) during International Development oral questions.
Park for Women: Lashkar Gah
13. Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has for the funding and operation of the Park for Women in Lashkar Gah, Helmand province in the next 12 months. [210005]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Government of Iraq has responsibility for the funding and operation of the Bolan Park in Lashkar Gah. To that end, the Department for International Development has no plans for further support to the park.
Afghanistan
14. Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of co-operation between his Department and British armed forces in Afghanistan. [210006]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Since UK expansion into Helmand province in June 2006, the effectiveness of co-operation between UK armed forces, the Department for International Development (DFID) and other UK civilian departments has been regularly assessed by officials and Ministers from DFID, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Co-operation has improved over the last two years, as the UK-led, joint civilian-military provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Helmand has developed. Military and civilian are located in the PRT, working closely with the local Afghan government, undertaking joint planning, and making joint decisions on funding reconstruction projects. DFID's development advisor in the PRT has helped to ensure that development in Helmand is co-ordinated with the UK military's work and with DFID's nationwide development programmes.
An example of effective co-operation is the joint planning for the military operation in Musa Qala in December 2007, which resulted in more immediate and effective stabilisation after the military operation had concluded. Discussions are also underway on using military resources to make roads to market more secure, which will support the Department for International Development's (DFID) livelihoods and development programmes in the province.
The recently agreed Helmand Road Map is an operational guide for UK engagement in Helmand over the next two years and provides the key measures for assessing the future effectiveness of civil/military co-operation.
Maghreb
15. Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department is giving to building capacity for third-sector organisations in the countries of the Maghreb. [210007]
Mr. Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have bilateral programmes in the Maghreb countries but provides support through significant multilateral contributions. The UK is contributing about €200 million towards the European Commission's €1.2 billion programme of support for Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco over the period 2007-10 and DFID works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to encourage the European Commission to engage Civil Society in its policies and programmes.
Belize: Overseas Aid
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid the UK gave to Belize in each year since 2000. [209224]
Mr. Malik: Details on UK aid to Belize since 2000 are laid out in the following tables.
| Table 1: UK total bilateral gross public expenditure (GPEX), 2000-01 to 2006-0 7, Belize | |
| £000 | |
The reduction in GPEX after 2002-03 equates to the last contributions from other official UK sources, principally CDC.
| Table 2: Imputed DFID share of multilateral official development assistance (ODA), 2000-01 to 2006-07, Belize | |
| £000 | |
Burma: Storms
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) equipment and (b) supplies for those in Burma affected by Cyclone Nargis are on board HMS Westminster. [209367]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: As the closest British ship to the area, the HMS Westminster was initially sent to waters off the coast of Burma. She had on board a helicopter, rigid inflatable boats, water jerry cans and 6,000 litres of bottled water. She was replaced by HMS Edinburgh on 25 May. Both vessels have now returned to normal duties and remain in the region.
Departmental Transport
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when his Department’s green transport plan was introduced; and if he will place in the Library a copy of this plan. [209248]
Mr. Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) first introduced its green transport plans in 2000. There are in fact two plans, one for each of our two UK offices. The plans were updated in 2004, and we are currently in the process of updating them again. A copy of the last version has been placed in the Library of the House.
Developing Countries: Food
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government has taken to address food shortages in developing countries. [209716]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) is very concerned about food shortages in developing countries. There are already 850 million people who do not have enough to eat and high food prices have the potential to push a further 100 million into hunger. I attended the Rome Food summit and called for all donors, other international organisations, the private sector and civil society to double their efforts to tackle global hunger and food security under an International Partnership for Agriculture and Food.
The UK Government have announced a £538 million package. This includes both short-term and long-term measures: £400 million for agricultural research over five years; £30 million to the World Food Programme; £22 million for the Ethiopia safety net; £8 million for nutrition monitoring; £38 million for road building in Democratic Republic of Congo, £32 million for social protection in Mozambique and Bangladesh and £6.5 million for food aid and agricultural inputs for Afghanistan. In addition, new commitments for budget support were announced for Ghana, Uganda and Malawi totalling £217 million.
Developing Countries: HIV Infection
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps the Government has taken to reduce the spread of AIDS in developing countries. [209714]
Gillian Merron: On 2 June, the UK Government launched their updated AIDS strategy “Achieving Universal Access - the UK’s strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world”. The strategy sets out the UK’s response to tackling HIV and AIDS in developing countries to 2015. A copy of the updated strategy and supporting evidence paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. These are also available on the Department for International Development (DFID) website at:
The UK will continue to play a leadership role and assist developing countries to reach the goal of universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and to help achieve millennium development goal 6, to halt and reverse the spread of HIV.
Malawi: Overseas Aid
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what agricultural support his Department is providing to Malawi in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [209221]
Gillian Merron:
The UK Government are providing £20 million over four years to support the Government of Malawi's fertiliser and seed subsidy to increase
agricultural food production, support drought insurance and measures to smooth domestic maize prices and mitigate the vulnerability risk.
In 2007-08 the UK Government also provided £22 million of Poverty Reduction Budget Support to the Government of Malawi of which £5 million is estimated to have supported agriculture.
DFID also provides multilateral assistance to a range of organisations, some of which is used on agricultural activities. For example, DFID has provided over £90 million in support to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and International Fund for Agricultural Development over the period 2002-03 to 2006-07.
Somalia: Overseas Aid
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) level and (b) type of aid and assistance his Department is providing to Somalia in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [208250]
Gillian Merron: In 2006-07, the Department for International Development (DFID) provided £16.6 million for Somalia. £8.0 million was for humanitarian assistance to the worst-affected areas and £8.6 million was allocated for development assistance. DFID's development programme focuses on health, education, livelihoods, security and governance.
DFID also provides core funding to multilateral organisations such as the World Bank, the European Commission, and United Nations organisations, some of which contributes to multilateral spending in Somalia. Total multilateral spending in Somalia in 2005 was £49,608,000 of which around £5.1 million was from DFID. See table 18
Sudan: Armed Conflict
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the issue of the outstanding International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Ahmed Harun was addressed at the most recent pledging session of the Sudan Consortium in Oslo. [209458]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Ahmed Harun was not discussed at the Sudan Consortium meeting in Oslo.
Sudan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the aid committed by the UK at the recent pledging session of the Sudan consortium in Oslo is to be delivered via the Sudanese Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. [209460]
Television
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on (a) commissioning and (b) funding the production of television programmes (i) in each of the last three years and (ii) in 2008-09 to date; what programmes these were; and which companies made them. [210242]
Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not directly commission television programmes.
Through the DFID/Commonwealth Broadcasting Association Broadcast media scheme, DFID awards grants (up to £10,000 maximum) for travel bursaries and development costs in order to enable producers to develop taster tapes and research programme concepts that focus on the developing world.
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