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22 July 2008 : Column 985W—continued
(2) which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2002; [221566]
(3) which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2003; [221567]
(4) which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2004; [221568]
(5) which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2005; [221569]
(6) which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2006; [221570]
(7) which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2007; [221571]
(8) which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in January 2008. [221572]
Sir Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has retained most original hard copies of donation returns from regulated donees from 2001 onwards and all original hard copies of donation returns from regulated donees from 2007 onwards. On the basis of available returns, a copy of the information sought by the hon. Member has been placed in the Library and has been made available on the Commission's website:
International Development
Afghanistan: Reconstruction
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of the Government's new reconstruction unit are based in Helmand province. [220404]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Stabilisation Unit staff are currently located in Helmand. For security reasons, Stabilisation Unit does not publish exact details of the number and location of its staff in Afghanistan.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the foundation stone for the new mosque in Musa Qala will be laid; and if he will make a statement. [220405]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Work has already begun on the new mosque in Musa Qala. DFID is providing support through the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.
The Governor of Helmand province will lay the foundation stone when he next visits. The exact date for the visit is still to be confirmed.
Africa: Children
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase the protection of vulnerable children in Africa. [219985]
Gillian Merron: The UK Government remain firmly committed to tackling child vulnerability in Africa, including those affected by HIV/AIDS. Over the last three years the Department for International Development (DFID) has provided over £120 million for support of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Africa. This includes supporting National Plans of Action for OVC and expanding support for the needs of the most vulnerable children in health, education, social protection and HIV prevention and treatment programmes.
Over the next three years, the UK Government will expand their social protection programmes and increase spending to over £200 million. DFID will work in at least eight African countries to develop social protection policies and programmes, with Governments and NGOs that provide effective predictable support for the most vulnerable households—ensuring access to social services and protection from abuse. DFID will also work with others to provide better diagnostics and treatment of children infected with HIV and living with AIDS. 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 DFID website:
DFID’s broader health sector initiatives all benefit vulnerable children, particularly in Africa. These include support (£30 million for 2006-8) to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), a long-term (20 year) £1.38 billion commitment to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), $485 million in support of drug development incentives by the pilot Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) for pneumococcal vaccines and support of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) where DFID has made an unprecedented long-term commitment, subject to performance, of up to £1 billion between 2008-15.
Departmental Alcoholic Drinks
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes. [219596]
Mr. Malik: All entertainment and hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money. Financial control is managed through delegation to Heads of Department who are responsible for their respective budgets. Further controls are exercised through sample spot checks of expenditure undertaken by DFID's Accounts Group.
Departmental Home Working
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department’s work force worked from home in whole or in part in the most recent period for which figures are available. [220786]
Gillian Merron: DFID does not keep central records of the number of home workers, or the proportion of working time that is carried out from home. Arrangements for home working are agreed informally between line managers and individuals. 1,798 of our 2,467 employees (73 per cent.) have been issued with laptop computers rather than a desk-top computer. This allows them to work from home on a regular or ad hoc basis.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the change in the number of employees in his Department has been since July 2006. [217072]
Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) submits quarterly returns on our Home Civil Service (HCS) staffing numbers, to the Office for National Statistics.
DFID also employs staff appointed in country (SAIC) recruited locally to work in our network of over 50 offices overseas on local terms and conditions of service.
Details of our HCS and SAIC staff numbers, showing the separate and overall comparisons between the end of June 2006 and end of June 2008, are shown in the following table:
Departmental Pay
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of staff of his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years. [Official Report, 22 January 2009, Vol. 486, c. 9MC.] [217417]
Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) operates two separate bonus schemes.
The first is an established bonus scheme for members of the senior civil service (SCS). Bonuses are awarded at three different levels (high, medium or no bonus award). The proportion of SCS members who did not receive the high level (or maximum) bonus in each of the last two years was as follows:
| SCS staff not receiving a maximum bonus | ||
| Number | Percentage | |
The second performance bonus scheme is for home civil service staff (HCS) below the SCS. The HCS bonus scheme was introduced under the 2007 pay deal for HCS staff and will come into effect in the 2008-09 performance appraisal year.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what training courses were (a) available to and (b) taken up by civil servants in his Department in the last 12 months. [210580]
Mr. Malik: Reporting which training courses were (a) available to and (b) taken by civil servants in the Department for International Department in the last 12 months would incur disproportionate cost, since the majority of training activity is arranged by sub-departments and overseas offices.
Courses which have been provided centrally include Leadership and Management Development, Negotiating and Influencing, Working with Ministers, Induction and Health and Safety.
Developing Countries: Food
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of long-term trends in food prices; and what assessment he has made of their effects on the developing world. [218505]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The UK Government have been working closely with the major international organisations (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, UN agencies and International Food Policy Research Institute) in order to assess future price trends and cereal production. Increased cereal production and the removal of export bans have brought about a calming of markets, and prices have fallen back from the very high levels seen earlier this year. But the consensus remains that the underlying demand for food remains strong, and this is likely to keep prices high for some years yet, with the trend price for grains stabilising at around 10-25 per cent. higher than 2001 levels.
Many countries have experienced serious social and economic consequences of the recent surge in food prices, aggravated by similar movement in fuel prices. The macroeconomic impact on developing countries varies according to the degree of dependency on food and fuel imports. Some countries (e.g. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Mozambique) are experiencing significant food price rises; some (e.g. Kenya and Zanzibar) are experiencing clear food shortages; countries in West Africa (e.g. Nigeria and Niger) are heavily affected due to their reliance on imports from international markets; some (Malawi and Zambia) are relatively insulated from global price movements, while others (e.g. Vietnam) are benefiting. The poorest are hardest hit, with some families spending up to 90 per cent. of their income on food. The UK Government are pressing for a global partnership to address both the short term impact of surging food prices, and the longer term challenges of promoting food security for the 850 million people who continue to face hunger.
Developing Countries: HIV Infection
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans there are to meet the global target of universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention. [219986]
Gillian Merron: I refer my hon. Friend to the written parliamentary statement made on 2 June 2008, Official Report, columns 42-44WS.
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:
Disabled
Mr. Harper:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what proportion of staff in his Department are disabled; and what the average salary in his Department is of (a)
full-time disabled staff, (b) full-time non-disabled staff, (c) part-time disabled staff and (d) part-time non-disabled staff. [220184]
Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) employed 1,653 Home Civil Service (HCS) staff at the end of June 2008. Of these 58 have declared a disability. This represents 3.5 per cent. of the total. Average salaries are shown in the following table:
| Category | Number of DFID HCS staff in post | Average salary (£) |
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