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9 Mar 2009 : Column 15W—continued
Roads and Railways: Construction
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees of (a) the Highways Agency and (b) external contractors he expects to work on (i) the motorways and major trunk roads scheme, (ii) electrification of the Midland Mainline and Great Western lines and (iii) High Speed Two in (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11 and (C) 2011-12. [261556]
Paul Clark [holding answer 6 March 2009]: The Highways Agency cannot provide the information in the form sought, particularly in relation to contractors. However, the Major Projects Directorate of the Agency, whose job it is to oversee the preparation, design and construction of motorway and trunk road schemes, comprises 357 staff.
Staff from Network Operations Directorate are also engaged in scheme delivery and a large proportion of its circa 800 staff members are involved in scheme delivery of renewal, improvement or maintenance schemes. This number excludes the Traffic Officer Service.
“Britain's Transport Infrastructure: High Speed Two”, published in January 2009, said that High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd would draw on resources from Network Rail and the Department for Transport. It is expected this will number up to about 25 people, plus consultancy resources as necessary. The process for recruitment of these resources is a matter for the company. Future resource requirements at High Speed Two are dependent upon ministerial decisions following HS2's report at the end of this year.
The Secretary of State for Transport confirmed in January that a decision on the electrification of Midland Main Line and Great Western Main Line would be announced later this year. Should a positive decision be made, it will be for Network Rail to manage the delivery of any electrification scheme and to appoint appropriate contractors.
Rolling Stock: Procurement
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which country the (a) design and development work and (b) construction of the initial batch of engines and carriages for the new Intercity Express programme trains will take place. [261552]
Paul Clark [holding answer 6 March 2009]: The design and development work associated with the Super Express contract will be split between the UK and Japan. Agility estimates that 50 UK-based design jobs will be created shortly as a result of their Super Express proposals. Construction of the first 70 of the total 1,400 Super Express vehicles will be done in Japan.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the compatibility with EU competition law of the undertaking given by Hitachi and its partners that 70 per cent. of the contract value for the new Intercity Express programme train will be spent in the UK. [261555]
Paul Clark [holding answer 6 March 2009]: In Agility Trains' press release of 12 February, the consortium committed to spending 70 per cent. of the Super Express contract value in the UK. This commitment did not form part of Agility's bid and it was not a factor in the Department for Transport's evaluation of the proposals. It is for Agility to source suppliers in order to deliver the Department's specification and it is for the consortium to tender the work as appropriate and to honour any relevant EU competition laws.
Transport: Schools
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his Department's publication “Travelling to School: An Action Plan”, whether his Department has estimated the number of cars on the school run on urban roads in the morning peak traffic period during term time. [261543]
Paul Clark: Data on the number of cars on the school run are not available centrally. However, figures on the proportion of car trips in the morning peak period in urban areas which were taking children to school are published in “National Travel Survey: 2006”. This publication is available on the Department for Transport’s website at:
International Development
Departmental Absenteeism
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on (a) 2 February 2009 and (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days. [260576]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Information on how many staff in the Department for International Development (DFID) were recorded absent due to non-medical reasons on (a) 2 February 2009 and (b) 3 February 2009; plus (i) the associated cost of such absence, and (ii) the number of working hours lost due to such absence cannot be provided because the information is not held centrally.
It is for individual staff to agree holidays or time off from work or alternative arrangements to work from home with their line managers.
On 2 February 2009, guidance was issued stating that given the severe disruption to transport and schools we were not expecting most London-based staff to be able to get to work. Staff were advised to do whatever work they could from home, otherwise the absence would not be treated as a day of leave. London-based staff who were able to get in were advised to leave work in good time to get home because of the transport disruption and the expectation that the snow would get worse.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department were disciplined for (a) bullying and (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years. [254083]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) has disciplined less than five employees for (a) bullying and (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years. Due to the small number of cases, a detailed breakdown is not made public on the grounds of confidentiality.
Departmental Personnel
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) dates of employment, (b) salary and (c) other costs of employment were of the interim HR Manager provided by Penna Consulting Plc to his Department in 2008, reference number 200808430. [259462]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) contracted Penna Interim to provide an interim HR director (contract title: interim HR manager) from 7 April to 31 October 2008. The overall contract cost was £200,920.28 which includes management service, fees, and travel and expenses.
DFID cannot comment on salary and other employment costs because the interim HR director was not an employee of DFID.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of his reply to the letter of 12 February 2009 from the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore) on his Department’s Spring Supplementary Estimates. [261562]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The letter sent to the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk on the Department’s spring supplementary estimates will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 100-01WS, on departmental expenditure limits, what the (a) nature and (b) location of the work undertaken by locally-engaged staff in Iraq in respect of which his Department plans to transfer £300,000 to the Ministry of Defence was. [261671]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Locally engaged staff, referred to in the written ministerial statement of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 100-01WS, were employed to support the delivery of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) programmes in Iraq. Work included project administration and translation. The staff were located at DFID’s offices in Baghdad and Basra.
Developing Countries: HIV Infection
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in developing countries directly affected by HIV/AIDS; and what percentage of such people have access to HIV/AIDS treatments. [261462]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development relies on data produced by UNAIDS. The global AIDS epidemic is stabilising but at an unacceptably high level. According to the 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic, published by UNAIDS worldwide, there were an estimated 33 million (30-36 million) people living with HIV in 2007. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most heavily affected by HIV, accounting for 67 per cent. of all people living with HIV and for 75 per cent. of AIDS deaths in 2007.
By the end of 2007, antiretroviral drugs reached three million people in low and middle-income countries, representing 31 per cent. of estimated global need, and a 45 per cent. improvement over the position in 2006.
Further data available from the UNAIDS 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic are available at:
Guinea-Bissau: Overseas Aid
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much humanitarian assistance his Department has provided to Guinea-Bissau in the last financial year. [261897]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Details on the Department for International Development’s (DFID) bilateral expenditure are contained in the DFID publication ‘Statistics on International Development’. This publication is available in the Library and online at:
In 2007-08 DFID provided £1,003 of assistance to Guinea-Bissau.
Iraq and Afghanistan
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what scheme of compensation exists for his Department’s officials injured in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [261848]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) staff are covered for injury or death when working in hostile environments through the standard benefits of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. These are:
a death benefit lump sum of two or three times annual salary, depending on scheme membership;
payment of widower’s or eligible partner’s pension (depending on the pension scheme);
injury benefit to bring the employee’s income up to a guaranteed level if they are injured while on duty. It may be paid to their dependants if the employee is killed on duty.
In addition, for staff working in dangerous locations:
DFID indemnifies existing life or personal accident insurance policies to maximum limit of £300,000 for life insurance and £55,188 for personal accident;
DFID acts as its own insurer for staff with or without existing life/personal accident insurance policies, working in or visiting dangerous locations. There is no defined list of dangerous locations—DFID makes judgments on the merits of individual cases. The compensation limit is up to four times annual salary, paid as an “ex-gratia” payment.
Pakistan: Internally Displaced Persons
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to assist the work of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to provide humanitarian assistance to people displaced within Pakistan. [261899]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated, at the beginning of March, that 372,000 people had been displaced in Pakistan as a result especially of conflict and insecurity in the areas of the country bordering Afghanistan. The Department for International Development (DFID) has so far provided £1 million to the UN and a further £1 million to the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) to support their work in dealing with the humanitarian consequences of this displacement. This funding has been used in particular to provide shelter, water and sanitation, food, social protection and health care. The UN and ICRC have recently released new appeals, seeking additional funding. We are considering these carefully and expect to commit additional resources in the next few weeks.
An estimated 1.7 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan. DFID approved £1 million to UNHCR for assisted Afghan refugee repatriation in 2008.
St. Helena: Tourism
John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his estimate is of the potential annual income from tourism to St. Helena in a period of 20 years following the construction of an airport on the island. [260316]
Mr. Michael Foster: The 2005 Feasibility Study, which is in the public domain, estimated annual revenues of between £1 million and £33 million from tourism up to a period of 20 years after the opening of an airport.
Sudan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of reports of the expulsion of aid workers from Darfur. [261900]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that the recent directive by the Government of Sudan to expel 13 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) could reduce the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Darfur by 50 per cent. Over 1 million Darfuris may lose access to drinking water, 1.1 million may not receive food aid, and 1.5 million could lose access to basic health care. OCHA believes that the expulsions would
“fundamentally undermine the operational capacity of the UN”.
The UK ambassador is pressing the Government of Sudan to reverse this decision, and the UN Secretary-General and the European Commission have both made public statements to this effect. The UK is in close touch with the NGOs affected, as well as with the UN and other partners. We will continue to monitor developments closely and seek to ensure continued humanitarian assistance for the people of Darfur.
Trade Agreements: International Co-operation
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on the G20 pledge to agree the modalities of a world trade agreement by the end of 2008; what assessment he has made of the prospects for completion of the Doha round in 2009; and if he will make a statement. [251225]
Mr. Thomas: Although the Prime Minister and UK Ministers worked tirelessly in support of a successful outcome to the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, WTO director general, Pascal Lamy confirmed at the Trade Negotiating Council (TNC) on 17 December that it would no longer be possible to achieve agriculture and non-agricultural market access (industrial goods) modalities by the end of 2008.
The current negotiating texts, however, do provide a good basis for future negotiations. In 2009, our priority is to work towards ministerial agreement of modalities; we will continue to work to achieve this.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to answer Question 251225, tabled on 21 January 2009, on the Doha round of world trade talks. [261944]
Mr. Thomas: The answer to question 251225 has been issued.
Zimbabwe: Malnutrition
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of levels of malnutrition in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [261463]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The most recent nutritional assessment in Zimbabwe was conducted by UNICEF in November 2008. This highlighted the seriousness of the situation and the clear need for food aid. It also showed that there is considerable resilience in the Zimbabwe population. The proportion of children under age five who are underweight was estimated at 17 per cent., a rate that has not changed since 2003; while chronic malnutrition has slightly declined by 2 per cent. to 27 per cent. The
number of acutely malnourished children is increasing but at 4.8 per cent. remains below internationally recognised emergency levels (10 per cent.) across the country.
There are several important reasons for this resilience, notably the following:
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