| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
26 Nov 2008 : Column 1816W—continued
Palestinians: Overseas Aid
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. [239318]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time before prorogation.
Public Opinion
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year since 1997-98; how much he estimates will be spent on each category in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [239050]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time before prorogation.
Sierra Leone: Water
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the water, sanitation and hygiene programme in Sierra Leone. [239324]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) launched a £32 million nationwide Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programme for Sierra Leone in February this year. The programme is a joint effort with the Government of Sierra Leone, UNICEF and a number of NGOs. DFID is required to carry out annual assessments on all its support programmes over £1 million. In line with requirements, a comprehensive Annual Review of progress against the objectives of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programme will be carried out in February 2009.
DFID has been monitoring the use of funds disbursed to date, to key partners including UNICEF for programme activities. Our support has so far provided training and logistical support to staff in the Ministry of Health to monitor community-led total sanitation (CLTS)
programmes, as well as improving hygiene, sanitation and water supplies in districts like Port Loko in the Northern Region, Kenema, Kailahun, Kono in the Eastern Region and in the western area of Freetown.
South America: Research
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2008, Official Report, column 570W, on South America: research, which companies have been contracted to work on the scoping study; in which country each company is based; and what the value is of each contract worth over £20,000 to work on the study. [238758]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development has co-funded with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) scoping studies related to Climate Change Adaptation research in Asia and Latin America.
Fundacion Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA) led the scoping work related to Latin America and the Caribbean. FFLA sub-contracted other organisations in South America to undertake different parts of the study. Contracts over £20,000 were issued to Recursos e Invetigacion para el Desarrollo Sustentable—Chile (£40,467.56), The Cropper Foundation—Trinidad and Tobago (£33,303.78) and the Latin American Centre for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development—Costa Rica (£27,818.80).
Other contracts issued by FFLA less than £20,000 in value related to the scoping study are listed in the following table.
| Country | |
|
Regional Committee for Hydraulic Resources In Central America, CRRH | |
|
Network for Social Studies on Disaster Prevention in Latin America. LARED | |
South East Asia: Primary Education
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of progress towards increasing levels of primary school enrolment in South East Asia. [239321]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time before Prorogation.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Infant Mortality
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008, Official Report, columns 115-6W, on Sub-Saharan Africa: infant mortality, on what projects the £6 billion allocated to health systems and services between 2008 and 2015 will be spent; and how much of that money will be spent in Sub-Saharan Africa. [238761]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: DFID has laid out how it will support work on health in its strategy ‘Working together for better health’, which was published last year, and how we will tackle HIV and AIDS in this year's updated AIDS strategy ‘Achieving Universal Access’. Both strategies are on the DFID website
DFID's overall country allocations for the next three years were presented in its annual report 2008, published in May. The annual report also sets out our commitment to spend £3 billion of development assistance in Africa by 2010-11. Individual country allocations for health and HIV and AIDS will be determined through discussions with other donors, partner governments and other stakeholders to ensure DFID aid is delivered in the most efficient way.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008, Official Report, column 116W, on Sub-Saharan Africa: poverty, what his assessment is of the progress which has been made towards meeting the first Millennium Development Goal in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2015. [238762]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Sub Saharan Africa has made progress towards meeting the millennium development goals (MDGs): headcount poverty fell from 55.7 per cent. in 1990 to 50.3 per cent. in 2005. However, this rate of progress is not fast enough to halve poverty by 2015.
Detailed assessments are provided by the United Nations, which monitors progress towards the MDGs and reports yearly. The 2008 report is available at
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008, Official Report, columns 115-6W, on Sub-Saharan Africa: infant mortality, which countries are planned to receive the 20 million insecticide-treated bed nets in the next three years; and how many will go to each country. [238763]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We expect that the countries that will receive the 20 million insecticide treated bed nets over the next three years will include Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique. The actual number for each country will be determined by country needs and take into account the role of other partners such as the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
Sudan: Peace Negotiations
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan is upheld during the run up to the Sudanese elections in 2009. [232161]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Support to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is at the heart of UK Government engagement in Sudan.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is working closely with the British embassy to support implementation of the CPA in the run up to the elections. Elements of our support are highlighted as follows:
We support the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC)—the body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the CPA. A senior UK ambassador—Sir Derek Plumbly—is now the chair of the AEC. The UK chairs the Security Working Group of the AEC and has a large programme in support of implementation of CPA security protocols, including security sector reform.
Between 2005 and 2008, we contributed £49.6 million to the two Multi-donor Trust Funds (National and Southern Sudan). These Funds are the primary mechanisms for donor support for the priority reconstruction and development needs of war affected regions in Sudan. We have pledged a further £63 million to these Funds for the second half of the interim period, 2008 to 2011.
We have worked intensively to resolve crisis points in the CPA. For example, following the conflict in Abyei in June 2008, we worked with the international community to establish the Abyei road map. DFID funding will support construction of the new Abyei administration and the police headquarters.
We provide support to address the underlying drivers of conflict in Sudan. For example, we plan to set up a Peace Building Fund for the conflict sensitive areas along the disputed border (£750,000 in 2008) and piloted innovative approaches to community security and arms control in Jongiei state in Southern Sudan (£1.7 million in 2008).
We provide support to ensure that the key CPA milestones are met. In 2008, DFID provided £3.1 million in support of Census preparations and monitoring. In 2007-08, we provided technical assistance to the National Constitutional Review Committee (NCRC) to revise the electoral law. We have also supported the establishment of the National Elections Commission (NEC) through UNDP.
Turks and Caicos Islands: Hurricanes and Tornadoes
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress his Department has made on a financial aid package to help the Turks and Caicos Islands deal with the effects of Hurricane Ike. [238370]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID), jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has indicated a willingness to provide up to £5 million to support post-Hurricane Ike priority reconstruction needs.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial aid his Department has given to the Turks and Caicos Islands since Hurricane Ike in September 2008. [238371]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The Department for International Development (DFID) provided £200,000 in post-hurricane humanitarian relief, comprising £110,000 through the International Red Cross for the Turks and Caicos Red
Cross Society to supply emergency shelter, sanitation and general relief, and £90,000 to the Pan-American Health Organisation for emergency health and water systems.
Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Protracted Relief Programme in Zimbabwe. [239323]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time before prorogation.
Children, Schools and Families
Academies: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the operation of the academies programme in the London Borough of Bexley. [225925]
Jim Knight: There are currently two open academies in Bexley.
The Bexley Business Academy opened in 2002. It was formally assessed by Ofsted in March 2007 when inspectors judged it provided a satisfactory standard of education and was an improving school. Achievement overall was judged to be satisfactory. Its leadership and management were judged to be good, as were governance, pupils’ care, guidance and support, personal development and well-being.
The second academy, Harris Academy Falconwood, opened this September, and a third is due to open in September 2009, sponsored by the Haberdashers’ Federation and Temple Grove Trust.
Academies: Truancy
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of levels of truancy in academies in each of the last three years, broken down by age group. [237657]
Jim Knight: The Department does not maintain records of “truancy”. Information is collected on unauthorised absence.
Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established, and truancy.
Comparable information showing the number and percentage of unauthorised absence in academies in each of the last three years, broken down by age group, cannot be provided within the timeframe required by Parliament. The requested information will be placed in the House of Commons Library within 10 working days.
A-Levels
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the (a) percentage and (b) percentage point change was in the number of people studying for AS or A-level qualifications was in each parental income decile in each of the last five years. [226043]
Jim Knight: The information required is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information on the number of students in schools and their achievement by IDACI (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices) decile in 2006/07 can be found in the following Statistical First Release (SFR):
“DCSF: National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2006/07”
Children in Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children who had ever been in care while at their present school were in their school's gifted and talented cohort in each of the last five years. [235582]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |