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3 Mar 2009 : Column 1574W—continued
Young People’s Learning Agency
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) responsibilities and (b) powers the Young People’s Learning Agency will have with regard to academies. [259091]
Jim Knight: Provisions in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill give the Secretary of State powers to ask the YPLA to carry out certain functions relating to academies. These will include the funding, performance management and support of open academies. The YPLA will carry out these functions on behalf of, and at the request of, the Secretary of State, to whom it will be answerable in relation to this role.
International Development
Afghanistan
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the average annual cost, including salary, of the posting of a civil servant in his Department in (a) Kabul and (b) Helmand province. [251700]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: In 2009 the average unit cost of a UK member of staff based in Kabul is estimated to be £270,000 and the average unit cost of a UK member of staff based in Helmand is estimated to be £460,000. This constitutes salaries, allowances, administrative costs, accommodation, running costs and security, with the latter constituting the largest proportion.
The additional cost of deploying a member of staff to Helmand mainly relates to providing security for civilian staff to relieve this burden from the military, and covering a fair share of costs in the use of military assets for transport.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to increase the assistance it provides to (a) disarmament, (b) demobilisation, (c) repatriation, (d) reintegration and (e) rehabilitation programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [258689]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK Government are firmly committed to assisting disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation, reintegration and rehabilitation programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We have provided $35 million (around £19 million) to the World Bank-led seven year multi-country demobilisation and reintegration programme (MDRP). The MDRP has invested more than $200 million in the first phase of demobilisation and reintegration in the DRC. The UK Government have also recently granted an additional £1 million to the World Bank emergency trust fund focusing on reintegration of combatants, including children associated with armed forces, in Eastern Congo, and an additional $450,000 to the UN mission in DRC (MONUC) to support the repatriation of Rwandese combatants to their country of origin.
Departmental Broadcasting
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) television and (b) radio programmes his Department has funded over the last 12 months; and at what cost. [256599]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) funds a scheme with the commonwealth broadcasting association which grants (up to £10,000 maximum) for travel bursaries and programme development costs to help develop programmes focused on the developing world.
DFID has used radio and television programmes as a way to get messages to a wide audience in developing countries across country programmes and policy areas,
however, it would incur disproportionate cost to disaggregate this expenditure from overall development programme spend.
Departmental ICT
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent on the implementation of Quest for (a) additional fees to consultants and (b) staff overtime. [246885]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information is as follows.
(a) Several consultants worked on the Electronic Document and Records Management (EDRM) System project in addition to the main supplier contract. They provided expertise in project management, procurement, benefits management, knowledge and information management, training and support. The following table sets out the costs of additional consultants taken on during the project, in addition to the systems integrators (Logica) who delivered the system, provided some change management advice and training support and now continue to support the ongoing operations of Quest.
| Consultancy costs | |
These costs include travel expenses for visits by consultants and trainers to the Department for International Development’s (DFID) offices in the UK and over 60 overseas offices.
(b) We do not hold figures for the cost of the small amount of DFID staff overtime during the project and providing them would incur disproportionate costs.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will publish a copy of his Department’s website accessibility plan. [257220]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development has published its accessibility plan on its website:
The accessibility section appears in the footer of the website.
Departmental Manpower
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who is each person categorised as Head of Profession as referred to in his Department’s Annual Report 2008, chapter 10, point 10.7; and what (a) professional qualifications and (b) work experience each has in relation to international development. [246922]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The following gives the professional qualifications and work experience in relation to international development of the current Heads of Profession in DFID:
Head of Profession Economics: Sue Holloway
BSc Economics
5 years small business development in Latin America
10 years in Government Economic Service including 18 months in DFID as regional Economic Adviser for Latin America
Acting Head of Profession Education: Jo Bourne
MA Education and International Development Education
7 years teaching overseas
10 years experience with DFID as Education Adviser including period as acting Head of Office
Head of Profession Environment: Ian Curtis
BSc Civil Engineering
Professional Affiliations: Chartered Environmentalist, Member of Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), Member of Institute of Chartered Engineers (ICE), Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society (FRGS)
15 years development work overseas (Africa and Asia) with the private sector, an NGO, DFID and the Swiss Government (SDC)
Over 30 years professional experience on water and environmental management issues
Head of Profession Governance and Conflict: Mark Robinson
MA Agrarian Studies and PhD Comparative Politics
21 years experience as research fellow in development including with the Ford Foundation in India
Acting Head of Profession Health: John Worley
MSc Demography
10 years experience in global health with NGOs
14 years experience as Health Adviser in DFID
Head of Profession Infrastructure: Yusaf Samiullah
PhD Environmental Science and Ecotoxicology (London)
Professional affiliations: Chartered Biologist, Institute of Biology (M I Biol); Chartered Member, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM); Member, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA); Principal, Environmental Auditors Registration Association (EARA); Chartered Civil Engineer, Fellow, Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE)
29 years professional and relevant experience (7 in the private sector) in dozens of countries
10 years experience overseas for DFID in Africa, Middle East and Asia
Head of Profession Livelihoods: John Barrett
PhD in veterinary economics, MSc in agricultural economics and MSc is Pharmacology
16 years long-term experience working in developing countries
30 years professional involvement in development, including work in over 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean and the Far East
Head of Profession Private Sector Development: Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi
MPhil—Development Studies and MPhil Political Economy
2 years experience as a political economy researcher
12 years experience as Private Sector Development adviser in DFID
14 years professional development experience on economic growth issues in over 15 countries in Africa and Asia
Head of Profession Social Development: Ellen Wratten
MSc Environment Planning and professional qualification in Urban and Regional Planning
8 years experience in planning in the UK and overseas
5 years experience as lecturer in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries and working as part-time development consultant
13 years experience as Social Development Adviser with DFID
Head of Profession Statistics: Heidi Grainger
PhD Sociology
5 years work with indigenous peoples in various parts of the world
10 plus years teaching of research methodology (especially quantitative)
8 plus years teaching of colonial/post colonial issues
Written various academic papers
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase its recruitment of people with disabilities in line with targets for the Civil Service for 2008-09. [259474]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) holds the Job Centre Plus Two Ticks disability symbol which offers a guaranteed interview to applicants who declare a disability and meet the minimum standard for the post.
DFID is currently reviewing its recruitment strategy for reaching a diverse audience. Over the last two years, DFID placed adverts in the ‘Disability Now’ publication. We are in the process of analysing the results, exploring alternative opportunities and consulting with other Government Departments.
The civil service has set a target of 5 per cent. disabled staff within the senior civil service over the next five years. DFID will aspire to meet 4 per cent. by 2011. DFID continues to monitor and analyse disability through its annual diversity report. The 2008-09 report will be published in April.
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people his Department (a) sought for and (b) recruited into its general faststream in 2008; and how many of those recruited into its general faststream were undertaking first degree courses at university when they successfully applied to his Department. [259344]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: In 2008, the Department for International Development (DFID) bid for no fast streamers, but recruited six new entrants. Of the six new entrants, none were undertaking first degree courses when they successfully applied to the Department.
Departmental Video Conferencing
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2009, Official Report, column 1310W, on departmental video conferencing, where the video conferencing facilities are located (a) in the UK and (b) world-wide. [259476]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development’s (DFID) video-conferencing units in the United Kingdom are located in the Headquarters offices at 1 Palace Street, London and in East Kilbride, Glasgow. In addition, five members of the Top Management Group have small desktop video-conferencing units at their home addresses at various locations in the UK.
The world-wide units are located in the following 40 countries;
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgrade
Brazil
Burma
Cambodia
China
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Ethiopia
France
Ghana
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Kenya
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Malawi
Mozambique
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