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8 July 2008 : Column 1566W—continued
International Development
Departmental Buildings
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how frequently his Department restates the asset values of its building estate. [213404]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development's building estate is revalued every five years. The one UK owned property, in East Kilbride, was last valued in April 2006.
Departmental ICT
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's staff have access to the Department's IT infrastructure at home. [216420]
Mr. Malik: The number of Department for International Development (DFID) staff that have access to the Department’s infrastructure from home is 1,788. This is based on the number of laptops that have been issued to staff. These laptops are capable of connecting remotely to the DFID IT infrastructure and are fully encrypted.
Departmental Waste
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years. [215890]
Mr. Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) has taken a number of steps to reduce waste in recent years. These include:
Using tap water rather than bottled water for all meetings and official business;
Reducing the number of printers in the office and ensuring that these are all set to print double-sided as default, to reduce the amount of paper used;
Replaced disposable cups in our staff restaurant in London with glasses, and reduced the use of condiments, etc., in individual sachets;
Ensured that redundant IT equipment is reused wherever possible, i.e. through donation to charitable organisations;
Increased the number of recycling containers so that paper, etc., is sorted separately.
In the last Sustainable Development in Government report (2007) published by the Sustainable Development Commission, DFID was confirmed to have reduced its waste by 9.6 per cent. in 2006-07 against the Government baseline of 2004-05, so has already met the target to reduce by 5 per cent. by 2010. We also recycled 80.9 per cent. of our waste, meeting the Government target.
Departmental Written Questions
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how long on average his Department took to answer (a) ordinary written and (b) named day questions in each of the last three years. [215463]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development is committed to responding to written parliamentary questions promptly. Since the start of the 2007-08 Session to date:
(a) 78 per cent. of 1,091 ordinary written questions have been answered within five sitting days.
(b) 87 per cent. of 217 named day questions have been answered on the day specified.
Information to the level of detail requested could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Developing Countries
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what standards are used to identify nations that qualify as poor countries under the expanded guidelines of the Export Credit Agency. [215598]
Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
In January 2008, the Export Credit Group of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) adopted a set of “Principles and Guidelines to promote Sustainable Lending Practices in the Provision of Official Export Credits to Low Income Countries”—see:
Alongside all other OECD member Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) is implementing these principles and guidelines (taking into account its own existing ‘Productive Expenditure’ guidelines), which seek to ensure that ECAs support export credits responsibly to those poor countries that are especially vulnerable to debt servicing problems.
The relevant countries are defined and listed in the OECD Principles and Guidelines. They are mainly those that have access to assistance from the International Development Association (IDA), part of the World Bank, and include most of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) as classified by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Developing Countries: HIV Infection
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary on the promotion of human rights related to HIV. [215480]
Gillian Merron: During the development of the UK's updated strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world, “Achieving Universal Access”, Department for International Development (DFID) officials consulted with officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) about the role of the FCO in promoting and protecting human rights in the context of HIV. HIV/AIDS is a cross-government priority and, as outlined in “Achieving Universal Access”, the FCO will work with DFID to ensure broad and effective UK support to international and national AIDS responses that promote and protect human rights.
A copy of the updated strategy “Achieving Universal Access—the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world” 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:
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes are organised by his Department that promote integration of HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights, as referred to in his most recent Departmental report. [217022]
Gillian Merron: The UK is strongly committed to both universal access to AIDS services and universal access to reproductive health; both commitments the UK helped to secure in 2007. The UK's updated AIDS strategy, ‘Achieving Universal Access—the UK strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world’, emphasises the importance of integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights with actions to prevent new HIV and AIDS infections.
The promotion of male and female condom use and integrating condom promotion into sexual and reproductive health and rights services have a vital role in HIV prevention, especially in concentrated epidemics, where HIV is found among recognised high risk groups. Examples of the Department for International Development's (DFID) programmes which promote integration of HIV
and sexual and reproductive health and rights services include a £52.8 million programme in Nigeria to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights for the prevention of HIV and £100 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to increase access to reproductive health commodities.
A copy of the updated strategy ‘Achieving Universal Access—the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world’ 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:
Indonesia: Environment Protection
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the objectives are for the fund his Department is establishing in Indonesia to be managed by the Indonesian Bio Diversity Foundation; when it will begin operating; when it is expected to cease operating; and whether the fund will support (a) government and (b) private sector projects. [213798]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The objectives for the fund are to reduce and eliminate illegal logging, to achieve poverty reduction through community-based forest management and to support reforms for reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation. The agreement was signed in February this year and runs until October 2010.
The fund will finance both government and civil society projects. Projects include implementing a European Union-Indonesia voluntary partnership agreement on forest law enforcement, governance and trade, legal reforms to reduce corruption, community-based forest management and strengthening local community foundations in six regions.
Overseas Aid
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to improve the UK's position in the UN Commitment to Development Index. [217028]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports the Centre for Global Developments' Commitment to Development Index (CDI) and sponsored the 2007 launch event at which I spoke. The UK is ranked 9th out of the 21 countries assessed in the index, an improvement of three places on the previous year.
DFID works across Government, through the European Union and the OECD and internationally to promote policy coherence for development (which the CDI measures). Our achievements and success are set out in DFID's 2007 Annual Report. This is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website:
An example includes the establishment of a Joint Trade Policy Unit with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to ensure coherence between our aid and trade agendas.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the European Commission's aim to co-ordinate all external policies that interwine with development objectives affect his Department's relationship with other board aid organisations, as referred to in his Department's most recent departmental report. [217041]
Mr. Thomas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave on 26 June 2008, Official Report , column 491W.
Southern Perspectives
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is providing to the Southern Perspectives project. [215595]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) contributed £83,677 in 2007-08 to the North-South Institute project on “Southern Perspectives on Reform of the International Architecture Phase II”. The project was also supported by Canada, Norway and Sweden, and is now completed. DFID also contributed £70,022 in 2005-06 to the first phase of the project, which was a “Study to Present a Developing Country Perspective on the Current Structure and Functioning of the International Development Architecture”.
Duchy of Lancaster
Cancer: Greater London
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were diagnosed with cancer in (a) Bexley and (b) London in each of the last five years. [216881]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 July 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people were diagnosed with cancer in (a) Bexley and (b) London in each of the last five years [216881]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases (incidence) of cancer are for the year 2005. Figures requested are given in the table below.
| Numbers of newly diagnosed cases of cancer( 1) registered in Bexley local authority and London government office region, 2001 to 2005 | |||||
| Persons | |||||
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
| (1 )All cancers, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, are classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10): C00-C97 excluding C44 Source: Office for National Statistics | |||||
Cost of Living
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the effects of fuel prices on the cost of living; and if he will make a statement. [215965]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 July 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the effects of fuel prices on the cost of living. (215965)
The Retail Prices Index (RPI) and the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), both measure the change in the prices of goods and services bought for the purpose of consumption by the vast majority of households in the UK.
For the RPI, petrol and oil increased by 18.4 per cent between May 2007 and May 2008. This represents a contribution of 0.7 percentage points to the overall RPI rate of 4.3 per cent. Similarly, for the CPI fuels and lubricants increased by 19.5 per cent between May 2007 and May 2008. This represents a contribution of 0.7 percentage points to the overall CPI rate of 3.3 per cent.
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what the average cost to his Department was of employing a press and media officer in 2007-08; [215197]
(2) what the average cost to the Prime Minister's Office was of employing a press and media officer in 2007-08. [215185]
Mr. Watson: The Prime Minister's Office forms part of the Cabinet Office.
As at 31 March 2008 there were 16 Press Officers in the Cabinet Office in a number of different grades. Information on the average cost to the Department of a press officer would be available only at disproportionate costs.
Press Officers usually fall within the Technical and Information Specialists pay bands (TIS grades), with senior press officers falling in Pay Band A.
Copies of the Cabinet Office pay scales have been placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many (a) employees and (b) full-time equivalent employees there are in each sub-division of (i) the Prime Minister's Office and (ii) the Cabinet Office. [215153]
Mr. Watson: The annual departmental reports for the Cabinet Office contain details of staffing within each division of the Department. Copies are available in the Library. The departmental report for 2008 is expected to be published before the summer recess.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average fully-loaded cost is of a full-time equivalent member of staff of his Department working in Whitehall. [215783]
Mr. Watson: Details of the average fully loaded cost of a full-time equivalent member of staff working in Whitehall, is not held centrally and is therefore only available at disproportionate cost.
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