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10 Sep 2008 : Column 1831W—continued
International Development
Africa: Conflict Prevention
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost is of programmes operated under the Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pool in 2008-09; what the programmes are and which countries they operate in; and how many of his Department’s staff are working on the Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pool. [220381]
Mr. Thomas:
The Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pools merged in April 2008. The combined Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) has a budget of £112 million for 2008-09. There are eight programmes aimed at reducing
the incidence and impact of violent conflict around the world. Six regional programmes cover 49 countries in Africa (£62.5 million), South Asia (£8.4 million), the Americas (£1.75 million), the Balkans (£7.85 million), the Middle East and North Africa (£4.9 million) and Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (£4.5 million). There are also two thematic programmes on security and small arms control (£9.5 million) and building the capacity of the international system to respond to conflict (£7.1 million).
The CPP is controlled jointly by the Department for International Development (DFID), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Each Department contributes staff, although most individuals spend only a small fraction of their time on pool business. The total number of UK-based and locally engaged staff who spend any proportion of their time working on CPP is 455, of which only 23 work full time as conflict advisers, programme managers and the secretariat. Staff numbers by Department are 96 for DFID, 178 for FCO, and 181 for MOD.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool in 2007-08; and what programmes that funding will support. [220417]
Gillian Merron: In 2007-08 £64.5 million was allocated to the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP). The ACPP overall approach to conflict prevention in Africa is focused on three broad objectives:
To support the building of African conflict management capacity.
To assist with conflict prevention, management and post-conflict reconstruction in a number of priority sub-regions and country conflicts.
To support pan-African initiatives for security sector reform, small arms control and to address the economic and financial causes of conflict.
The following table shows a breakdown of sector of activities supported in 2007-08 and how much of the budget was spent on each:
Ninety four projects were implemented by ACPP in 2007-08. Detailed information will be available in the forthcoming annual report which will be published in August 2008. Highlights from ACPP work in 2007/8 include:
Supporting Kofi Annan to lead African mediation efforts to end the post-election violence in Kenya following the disputed presidential elections of December 2007.
Training some 12,000 African peacekeepers since 2004-05.
Enabling the demobilisation of almost 300,000 combatants in the past five years in seven Central African countries(1) through support to the World Bank led Multi-country Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme.
Assisting the peace processes in Northern Uganda, Eastern DRC and Burundi which have helped lead to significant reduction in conflict in the region.
Fighting against sexual violence by working with the Rwandan armed forces to provide channels for reporting and acting on incidents.
Ensuring that rural voters had access to independent information on electoral choices in the March 2008 parliamentary and presidential elections in Zimbabwe.
Supporting the South African National Defence Force to open a peace mission training centre, providing a facility for both civilian and military personnel deploying on peace support missions.
Providing professional advice to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army to enable transformation from a guerrilla army into a professional, disciplined armed force operating under democratic civil control.
Successfully mounting a highly visible ‘Red Band’ campaign against electoral violence around elections in Nigeria in April 2007.
Helping to ensure a safe and peaceful electoral process in Sierra Leone in 2007 by supporting the armed forces in remaining apolitical throughout the election process.
(1 )Angola, Burundi, CAR, DRC, Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda
Burma: Politics and Government
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response his Department has made to the humanitarian situation in Chin state, western Burma; what recent reports he has received on the (a) number of villages facing food shortages and (b) the number and proportion of the population of Chin state in need of food aid; and if he will make a statement. [220914]
Mr. Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) is contributing £4 million over four years to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Initiative, which is meeting needs across Burma, including in Chin State. Other projects underway in the State to address food security and rural livelihoods include a World Food Programme (WFP) food-for-work programme, which has been expanded in response to the rat infestation, and EC-funded NGO agriculture projects to work with communities to improve food security.
DFID has also kept in close touch with UNDP and WFP, as well as with non- governmental organisations including the Chin Human Rights Organisation and the Women’s League of Chinland, about food shortages in Chin State brought about by this year’s rat infestation. In July, a staff member from DFID’s office in New Delhi visited Mizoram State, met Chin groups and
other non-governmental organisations and collected information on needs in Chin State. WFP, UNDP and international and national NGOs working in the State are now urgently developing a response plan to provide affected communities with emergency rice supplies and agricultural inputs. DFID is ready to support such a plan when the details are finalised.
The remoteness of many of the affected areas makes it difficult to make an accurate estimate of the number of villages and people suffering food shortages because of the rat infestation. The Chin Human Rights Organisation has estimated that as many as 200 villages and 100,000 people (20 per cent. of the State’s population) have been seriously affected by the crisis. On the basis of field assessments (including on foot to areas along the Indian border) in Paletwa, Matubi and Tanhtlang townships, UNDP has identified 80 villages housing around 27,500 people (6 per cent. of the total population of the State) that have been severely or partially affected by the rodent infestation. There is a risk that rodent infestation will spread further.
Children: Employment
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the United Nations in relation to child labour and children working in (a) heavy industry, (b) aluminium factories, (c) mining and (d) textile and clothing manufacturing. [213596]
Mr. Malik: The Secretary of State has not had direct discussions with the United Nations on the subject of child labour. The Department for International Development (DFID) relies on, and provides support to, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) within the UN system to help countries implement core labour standards that include the elimination of child labour. DFID is also working with the ILO and civil society organisations to promote efforts to remove children from all hazardous labour. DFID has a £20 million partnership framework for 2006-2009 with the ILO.
DFID has no direct involvement with issues of child labour in heavy industries (a) or aluminium factories (b). With regard to mining (c), DFID supports and currently chairs the Communities and Small scale Mining (CASM) initiative. This is a network that includes mining communities and artisanal miners themselves as well as international experts. The network is based in the World Bank HQ in Washington DC and is active in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and South and Central America. As one of the four central themes of its work, Communities and Small-scale Mining (CASM) includes a focus on children working in dangerous and hazardous conditions in small-scale mining. CASM fully recognizes the extent and nature of child labour and is committed to its elimination from the mining industry.
In textile and clothing manufacturing (d), DFID is supporting the Multi Fibre Arrangement Forum which brings together private sector (multi-national corporations and domestic industries) trade unions and national governments to support developing countries to adapt and benefit from changes in global trading regimes, developing productivity and responsible competitiveness, sustaining and promoting decent work, which includes not using child labour.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) type and (b) level of support is being given to the Democratic Republic of Congo by his Department to support the (a) humanitarian action plan, (b) the 2007 International Committee of the Red Cross national appeal and (c) non-governmental organisation programmes in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [220758]
Gillian Merron:
The Department for International Development (DFID) is one of the largest humanitarian donors to the Democratic Republic of Congo with over £37.5 million provided in support of the 2007 Humanitarian Action Plan (approximately 10 per cent. of the £361
million ($686 million) Plan). DFID provided £30 million of this funding through the Humanitarian Pooled Fund, managed by the United Nations (UN), which funds priority humanitarian interventions by UN agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). In 2007, approximately 50 per cent. of the Pooled Fund was channelled directly or indirectly through NGOs. Our remaining funding under the Humanitarian Action Plan (£7.5 million) was provided as direct grants of £2 million to the 2007 International Committee of the Red Cross appeal and £5.5 million to NGOs.
In 2007, DFID provided £13.7 million of support through grants to NGO programmes working in non-humanitarian sectors in DRC. In total DFID provided £19.2 million of direct grants to NGOs in 2007.
| Type | Level of funding (2007) (£ million) | |
|
Direct grants for governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS and peace building | ||
| (1 )of which 50 per cent. went directly or indirectly to NGOs | ||
Departmental Buildings
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on which buildings occupied by his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies the lease will be due for renewal in the next four years. [214692]
Departmental Expert Groups
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what expert groups his Department set up in each year since 1999. [213268]
Mr. Malik: Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent, expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual “Public Bodies” publication. “Public Bodies” also contains some details on short-term advisory groups and task forces. Copies of “Public Bodies” dating back to 1999 can be viewed and downloaded from:
Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members.
Departmental Overtime
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many hours of overtime were worked by staff in each pay grade in his Department in each of the last 12 months. [221243]
Gillian Merron: The number of hours of overtime worked by the Department for International Development (DFID) staff in each pay grade in each of the last 12 months for which information is available is detailed in the following table.
| 2007 | ||||||
| Grade | July | August | September | October | November | December |
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