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Women and Equality

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many (a) letters and (b) e-mails received by the Government Equalities Office had not been responded to as at 15 December 2008. [244720]

Maria Eagle: At 15 December 2008, 30 letters from Members of Parliament to Government Equalities Office Ministers and 38 Treat Official and e-mail inquiries had not yet been responded to.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much has been spent by the Government Equalities Office on staff reward and recognition schemes since its inception. [248724]

Maria Eagle: Since its creation on 12 October 2007, the Government Equalities Office has not spent any money on staff reward and recognition schemes.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Manpower

Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many permanent staff within the Equality and Human Rights Commission are (a) staff without posts, (b) part of a people action team, (c) pre-surplus, (d) priority movers and (e) otherwise do not have a formal permanent position. [250499]

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was established in October 2007. Jobs within the EHRC were available to staff from the
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commissions the EHRC replaced (the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Disability Rights Commission and the Commission for Racial Equality). Six permanent staff from a complement of 525 currently employed within the EHRC are yet to be matched to roles following their transfer from one of the former Commissions. These six are being helped to find suitable job matches within the EHRC. Five of the six are actively engaged on priority EHRC projects, and the other is currently on maternity leave. EHRC do not have any individuals who are part of a ‘people action team’, are ‘pre-surplus’, or are ‘priority movers’.

Prime Minister

Sir Fred Goodwin

Gregory Barker: To ask the Prime Minister (1) on which dates and at which venues he has met Sir Fred Goodwin in his capacity as (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Prime Minister since 1997; [250966]

(2) how many times he had discussions with Sir Fred Goodwin in connection with his membership of the International Business Advisory Council; and when and for what reasons Sir Fred Goodwin ceased to be a member of the Council. [251174]

The Prime Minister: Sir Fred Goodwin was a member of the High-Level Group on the City. The meetings of the group are a matter of public record. My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

House of Commons Commission

Political Levy

Mr. Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what information the House of Commons authorities provide to Commons staff on workers’ rights to opt out of the trades union political levy. [250351]

Nick Harvey: The House Service does not provide staff with information on their right to opt out of the trades union political levy. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform advises that individual unions must immediately inform their members if they wish to set up a political fund and give them the right to “contract out” of paying the levy if they wish to do so.

International Development

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost to the public purse has been of the Afghan Social Outreach programme; and how its performance is assessed. [246708]

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.


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The UK has agreed to provide $590,000 to fund the roll-out of the Afghan Social Outreach Programme pilots in the Helmand province districts of Nad-e-ali, Garmsir, Gereshk and Musa Qaleh until 31 March 2009. The programme will be monitored throughout its implementation and will be regularly evaluated including immediately after the completion of each phase of the roll-out. We will carry out monitoring and evaluation in conjunction with the government of Afghanistan, other international donors, the Afghan Independent Directorate of Local Governance, and local Provincial and District councils.

Departmental Pay

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008; and what was spent on such bonuses in each of those years. [249856]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 21 January 2008, Official Report, columns 1512-13, to the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr. Mitchell).

Departmental Press

Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many copies of the Morning Star publication his Department receives on subscription each week; and at what cost. [250513]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not subscribe to the Morning Star publication.

Departmental Written Questions

Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700. [249138]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not record this information.

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department is providing to the Ogaden area of Ethiopia in 2008-09. [249659]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not target funding specifically to the Ogaden area of the Somali region of Ethiopia.

In 2008-09, DFID will spend £17.4 million in the Somali region of Ethiopia: £11.9 million through the United Nations and NGOs in response to the humanitarian crisis; and £5.5 million to help improve education, health, water and sanitation, agriculture and roads in the region.


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Sub-Saharan Africa: Malaria

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress his Department has made in sub-Saharan Africa towards meeting targets on the provision of bed nets by World Malaria Day in 2010. [250924]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Progress on halting and reversing the spread of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa has not been sufficient and there is a high risk that the target under Millennium Development Goal 6 will be missed. However, there has been some significant progress in some African countries. In Eritrea, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe, deaths from malaria have been halved by following the recommended measures, including providing bed nets. Of the 647 million people at risk in Africa, the percentage protected by bed nets rose from 3 per cent. in 2001 to 26 per cent. in 2006.

Between 2000 and 2007 the Department for International Development (DFID) funded approximately 40 million bed nets worldwide (mostly for sub-Saharan Africa) and we estimate that these will have saved 660,000 lives. Over the course of 2008-11 we will provide at least 20 million bed nets in sub-Saharan Africa and it is estimated that these should save 330,000 lives.

Our support towards the provision of bed nets is usually part of a larger package of measures to improve health and to combat malaria, through a number of programmes and health sector approaches which include the purchase and distribution of bed nets. It is therefore difficult to disaggregate the costs of the bed nets alone. For example, we contribute to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) who estimate that they financed 120 million bed nets between 2001 and 2006, during which period we provided approximately 8.7 per cent. of GFATM financing.

Sudan: Humanitarian Situation

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions he has visited Darfur to assess the humanitarian situation in the region in the last 12 months. [250925]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State for International Development (DFID) last visited Darfur in July 2007. DFID officials visit Darfur regularly to monitor the humanitarian situation, and provide monthly humanitarian updates to Ministers.

Leader of the House

Debates: Tourism

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Leader of the House if she will make it her policy to provide for an annual debate on tourism on the floor of the House. [250663]

Chris Bryant: Although the Government have no immediate plans to do so, the topic of future debates is kept under constant review.


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Members: Allowances

John Mann: To ask the Leader of the House what discussions she has had with members of the 1922 Committee on the exemption of hon. Members from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in respect of their expenses. [250758]

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend has frequent private discussions with Members from all parts of the House on a range of issues relating to her ministerial responsibilities.

Ministerial Statements

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Leader of the House what guidance she gives to Ministers on making statements on Government policy to the House. [250657]

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend has regular discussions with ministerial colleagues when deciding whether an oral statement should be made to announce Government policy. This is done against the general principle set out in the Ministerial Code that when Parliament is in Session, all important announcements of Government policy should be made in Parliament, in the first instance.

Right of Search

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Leader of the House what meetings she has attended with Mr Speaker on the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford and the search of his office; what was discussed; if she will place in the Library a copy of records held by her Department of such meetings; and whether she has received a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from the hon. Member for North Essex for this information. [250885]

Chris Bryant: The Leader of the House has regular meetings with Mr. Speaker on a variety of subjects.

Work and Pensions

Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission: Debts

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1368W, on the Child Support Agency, if he will place in the Library a copy of the overview of the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission's policy on negotiating the recovery of debt. [246631]

Kitty Ussher: The Commission's current policy in negotiating arrears settlements with non-resident parents has been placed in the Library. However, it is worth noting that this guidance is under constant review and Members having future queries should refer this to the Commission.

Children: Maintenance

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what value of child support arrears has
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been categorised as (a) collectable, (b) possibly uncollectable and (c) probably uncollectable by the Child Support Agency, broken down by the smallest possible geographic area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [249314]

Kitty Ussher: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 21W.

Departmental Advertising

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints about advertisements sponsored or funded by his Department were made to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in each year from 1997 to 2008; and how many of these were upheld by the ASA in each year. [246656]

Jonathan Shaw: Between 1 January 1997 to 21 December 2008, 164 complaints about 122 cases were raised with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about advertisements sponsored or funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. None of these complaints was upheld.

This information was provided by the ASA.

Broadcast advertising complaints only became the responsibility of the ASA in 2004. Complaints prior to that date were handled by the Public Affairs team at Ofcom. These figures exclude data on broadcast advertising between November 2004 and May 2006. Changes in the ASA database systems in this period mean that extracting this information would incur disproportionate cost.

The ASA has stated that breaking the figures down into yearly totals would incur disproportionate cost.

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