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17 Dec 2008 : Column 867W—continued
Police: Training
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate she has made of the average cost of (a) employing, (b) training and (c) developing a probationary police constable in the last 12 months for which figures are available; [243277]
(2) what the average cost of employing a police officer in each police authority area was in the last 12 months for which figures are available; what the equivalent figure was in each of the last five years; and what the figures are expected to be in each of the next five years. [243519]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.
Speed Limits: Cameras
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to collect information on the (a) number of and (b) circumstances in which speed cameras are damaged; and if she will make a statement. [243085]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Deliberately causing damage to a speed camera is not a specific offence, but an example of criminal damage. It would be impractical to require the collection and submission to central Government of detailed information on every type of criminal damage and every instance of its occurrence.
Speed cameras are a road safety tool of proven effectiveness. Those who damage them are wilfully putting people’s lives at increased risk. Individual chief officers of police will collect information as they consider appropriate and necessary to deal effectively with any problems that occur in their areas.
Thames Valley Police
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much each basic command unit in the Thames Valley police force area cost in each of the last 10 years; and what the performance indicators for each basic command unit are. [244430]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is not held centrally. Details of the performance indicators used by individual basic command units are matters for Thames Valley police.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Textiles: Manpower
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people are employed in the (a) weaving, (b) spinning, (c) dyeing, (d) finishing and making-up and (e) silk industry sectors of the clothing and textiles industry. [242414]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many people were employed in the (a) weaving, (b) spinning, (c) dyeing, (d) finishing and making-up and (e) silk industry sectors of the clothing and textiles industry. (242414)
Table 1 attached, shows the number of employee jobs in the weaving, spinning, finishing and making-up, and silk industries in Great Britain in 2006.
Estimates of employment are usually provided using the Labour Force Survey. However because of the interest in industrial sector, your question has been answered using the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), which provides estimates at the 4-digit Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC03) level.
The ABI is a business survey which provides estimates of employment according to the number of jobs. The estimates exclude people who are self-employed workers in the industry sectors requested. Please note that dyeing employment estimates cannot be provided separately using 4-digit SIC03, and estimates for the silk industry are also included under weaving and spinning.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the Annual Business Inquiry are subject to margins of uncertainty.
| Table 1: Number of employee jobs in selected clothing and textile industries( 1) , 200 6 Great Britain | |
| Thousand | |
| (1) Using four-digit Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC03) (2) The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1721-1725 (which includes weaving of silk) (3 )The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1711-1717 (which includes spinning of silk) (4 )The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1740-1830 (5) The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1715 and 1724 Source: Annual Business Inquiry | |
International Development
West Bank
5. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's priorities are for assisting Palestinians in the West Bank. [244089]
Mr. Michael Foster:
In the west bank, as in Gaza, my Department aims to help create the conditions for sustainable peace and to improve the lives of Palestinians.
Our priorities are to help the Palestinian Authority to deliver essential services, support efforts to reduce restrictions on movement and access, work with the US and others to improve security, support development of the Palestinian private sector, and provide Palestinian refugees the assistance they need.
Zimbabwe
7. Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian assistance the Government is providing to the people of Zimbabwe. [244091]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe continues to get worse. Thousands have been hit by cholera and hundreds have died. Basic services have collapsed. The health services can only respond because of the help we and others are giving. Five million people need food aid, and more disease outbreaks could be on the way.
Mugabe has led his country to this humanitarian catastrophe and now denies it exists. We are doing everything we can to save lives, but fundamental change is now required to give power back to the Zimbabwean people and bring this crisis to an end.
11. Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contingency plans he has to provide emergency relief for Zimbabwe. [244095]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Zimbabwe is facing a growing humanitarian crisis now compounded by a cholera epidemic. The Department for International Development will spend £47 million this year in humanitarian assistance to save the lives and livelihoods of the poorest, most vulnerable Zimbabweans. This assistance will provide immediate assistance for the cholera response, seeds and fertiliser, food aid, medicines, HIV/AIDS treatment and maternal and newborn services. UK support goes to UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Tuberculosis
8. Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking globally to prevent the spread of tuberculosis. [244092]
Mr. Thomas: DFID aims to prevent the spread of TB through our support to international organisations and partnerships, direct support to countries, and research. DFID supports the World Health Organisation, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and UNITAID, the drug purchase facility. DFID works on TB programmes in a number of countries, in addition to strengthening health systems which combats all diseases including TB. We also fund research including development of new drugs.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
9. Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to deal with the humanitarian situation in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo. [244093]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: I recently made available an additional £5 million for the crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), bringing the total UK spend for humanitarian needs in DRC in 2008 to £42 million.
DFID is one of the largest humanitarian donors in the DRC and has been at the forefront of the humanitarian effort to date. The bulk of UK funds (£30 million) are provided to the UN-managed Pooled Fund, with the remainder going to NGOs and the Red Cross. UK funds are providing much needed shelter, health, water and sanitation, food and nutrition to over four million Congolese throughout DRC.
12. Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Democratic Republic of Congo. [244096]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is dire. Currently, the main needs assessed by my Department are security, health, food, water, sanitation and shelter for the over 1 million displaced and the communities affected by the conflict.
The humanitarian community has responded well to the crisis and there are no significant humanitarian gaps at present. The UK is one of the largest humanitarian donors to the DRC with £42 million in 2008 and UK funds have been in action since day one of the crisis. UK funds are helping to reach over 4 million Congolese each year across DRC.
Zimbabwe: Cholera
10. Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government plans to provide to deal with the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [244094]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate. The cholera epidemic is the biggest in Zimbabwe's history and has led to thousands of cases so far and hundreds of deaths. The UN is predicting that as many as 60,000 could be affected in the coming weeks. DFID is funding a £10 million package to help fight the cholera outbreak and support life-saving health services.
Palestine
13. Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government aid to Palestinians. [244097]
Mr. Douglas Alexander:
All UK development aid is carefully monitored for effectiveness. The World Bank confirms that our support to the Palestinian Authority has helped it deliver essential services to the Palestinian people. Our funding to the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency supports health, education and other services for over 4 million Palestinian refugees, including in Gaza, where aid agencies operate within severe Israeli controls. Palestinians and the Israeli authorities are increasingly confident in the Palestinian security forces,
which we are helping to reform. Our support to private sector development has helped to secure $725 million worth of investment deals for Palestinian businesses.
14. Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government aid to Palestinians; and if he will make a statement. [244098]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: All UK development aid is carefully monitored for effectiveness. The World Bank confirms that our support to the Palestinian Authority has helped it deliver essential services to the Palestinian people. Our funding to the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency supports health, education and other services for over 4 million Palestinian refugees, including in Gaza, where aid agencies operate within severe Israeli controls. Palestinians and the Israeli authorities are increasingly confident in the Palestinian security forces, which we are helping to reform. Our support to private sector development has helped to secure $725 million worth of investment deals for Palestinian businesses.
Afghanistan: International Assistance
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator on a new humanitarian action plan for Afghanistan. [242721]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: On October 2, 2008, I wrote to the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator regarding a new Humanitarian Action Plan for Afghanistan. I was encouraged by the recent visit of UN OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) officials to assist with the development and strengthening of the Humanitarian Action Plan.
OCHA will be sharing their findings with the Department for International Development (DFID)in the New Year.
Chagos Islands: Overseas Aid
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will consider providing increased assistance to the former Chagos Islanders. [244085]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development has no programme for assistance to Chagossians. There is no permanent resident population in the British Indian Ocean Territory. Following the House of Lords judgment on 22 October, the Government’s policy will remain that no one has the right of abode in the Territory or the right to enter unless authorised. While in no way justifying the regrettable decisions that were made in the 1960s and the 1970s, earlier court rulings found that the compensation already paid in full and final settlement of claims was fair.
Departmental Data Protection
Paul Holmes:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended
and (c) dismissed for (i) losing and (ii) deliberately disclosing (A) data stored on departmental equipment and (B) confidential information in each year since 1997. [242915]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not retain records of the number of civil servants investigated for losing or deliberately disclosing data or confidential information who were neither dismissed nor suspended. No DFID civil servants have been dismissed or suspended for being responsible for losing or deliberately disclosing data or confidential information in this period.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on ministerial hospitality in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08, expressed in current prices. [241246]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: It is not possible to provide the requested information without incurring disproportionate cost.
All spending on official entertainment is made in accordance with the principles set out in Managing Public Money. This document is available on HM Treasury's web-site:
Languages
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what external language training providers his Department has used in the last 12 months. [242719]
Mr. Michael Foster: Requirements for language training are assessed by each office based upon business priorities and securing value for money in the local market. The Department for International Development (DFID) consists of approximately 100 sub-departments and overseas offices with devolved authority for financing and arranging such training. It is not possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to provide details of all the language providers used in the last 12 months. However, from the data we do hold centrally, we can report that for 2007-08 the two major providers used to provide language training are Communicaid Global Communications and Linguerama.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department’s staff are undergoing of language training, broken down by the language in which training is being provided. [242720]
Mr. Michael Foster: Reporting how many Department for International Development (DFID) staff are in receipt of language training, broken down by the language in which training is being provided cannot be achieved without incurring disproportionate cost.
Requirements for language training are assessed by each office based upon business priorities and securing value for money in the local market.
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