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20 Apr 2009 : Column 487W—continued
EU Aid
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will make it its policy in EU negotiations to ensure that aid conditionality with particular reference to acceptance of (a) International Criminal Court and (b) Cotonou provisions does not prevent aid reaching those for whom it was intended; and if he will make a statement. [269323]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Cotonou agreement is the legal basis by which European development funds (EDF) are provided to Africa, Caribbean and Pacific partner countries. The Cotonou agreement has clear references to the adoption of the International Criminal Court and has other conditions which must be adhered to by all parties. The UK Government believe that all countries receiving EDF support must be signatories of the Cotonou agreement. This is fundamental to the partnership between these countries and the European Union, and should be upheld.
When situations arise where partner country governments do not meet the conditions outlined in the Cotonou agreement, then the UK will explore options with the European Commission to find alternative sources of aid funding to reach those in need.
Fines
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether any administrative financial penalties may be levied by his Department. [253591]
Mr. Michael Foster: I can confirm that the Department for International Development does not apply administrative financial penalties as a remedy for non performance of a service contract or aid agreement.
Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the level of his Department's funding for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. [267909]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
Since January 2009, the Department for International Development (DFID) has received representations, in the form of correspondence and parliamentary questions, from Members of Parliament on the level of UK funding to support the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. This was in the lead up to the Stop AIDS Campaign: Day of Action held on 24
March and the Global Fund Mid-Term Review of the Second Voluntary Replenishment Meeting in Spain between the 30 March-1 April.
I attended the Student Stop AIDS Campaign meeting on 24 March and held a question and answer session. The audience spoke passionately about the anticipated funding needs that the Global Fund would help respond to.
DFID has already made an unprecedented pledge to the fund of up to £1 billion between 2008 and 2015. Last year we set out in a memorandum of understanding with the Secretariat how we will commit £330 million for the current period, 2008-10. We also set out that we will commit an additional amount of £30 million in 2010 dependent on performance and results. The Prime Minister also announced in September last year a further £40 million in support to the Affordable Medicines Facility for Malaria (AMFM) which will be hosted by the fund as part of its existing business.
Montserrat: Overseas Aid
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much budgetary aid the UK gave to Montserrat in each of the last five years. [269781]
Mr. Michael Foster: The information requested is as follows:
| UK budgetary aid to Montserrat, 2003-04 to 2007-08 | |
| DFID bilateral expenditure (£000) | |
Further information on the UK's expenditure on aid to Montserrat is contained in the Department for International Development's (DFID) publication ‘Statistics on International Development’. This is available in the Library of the House and online at:
Details on DFID's expenditure in 2008-09 are not yet available but will be published in its 2009 annual report in July.
Overseas Aid: Fossil Fuels
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the provision of (a) loans and (b) loan guarantees by multilateral development banks to fossil fuel projects overseas; and if he will make a statement. [265215]
Mr. Thomas: In October 2008 the Governors of the World Bank agreed a new strategic framework for climate change and development that will integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation into its core activities. The framework sets out a series of considerations that will govern decisions on financing for new coal power projects. Details of these are available on the World Bank's web-site:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/ENVIRONMENT/EXTCC/0,,contentMDK:21876999 ~menuPK:4849391~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSite PK:407864.00.html
The UK worked with the Bank in developing the Framework and led calls for its adoption. The Department for International Development (DFID) is continuing work with the World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) to develop these criteria further and identify how they should be applied to fossil fuel projects across the MDBs.
The clean energy investment framework agreed by the Gleneagles G8 in 2005, has led to an increase in low carbon energy investments by the MDBs representing $117.7 billion of leveraged investment. Our £800 million contribution to the climate investment funds will help provide some of the additional resources needed to help support this.
Poverty
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the estimated cost of the regional consultation on his Department's White Paper on eliminating world poverty is; and if he will make a statement. [268055]
Mr. Michael Foster: The estimated cost of the regional consultation is £205,000. 12 events are planned in total, covering the nine English regions, together with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Poverty: Conferences
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which (a) hon. Members and (b) Members of the House of Lords (i) were invited and (ii) attended his Department’s Conference on Eliminating World Poverty. [268014]
Mr. Thomas: The information is as follows.
(a) The following participated as guest speakers or session chairs: Right hon. Gordon Brown MP; right hon. Douglas Alexander MP; right hon. David Miliband MP; right hon. Ed Miliband MP; right hon. Malcolm Bruce, Chair of the Commons Select Committee on International Development; Gareth Thomas MP and Ivan Lewis MP.
The following Members accepted invitations to attend the “Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future” conference:
Right hon. John Battle MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development;
David Borrow MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS and acting Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Debt, Aid and Trade;
Christine McCafferty MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health;
Richard Ottaway MP, contributor to All-Party Parliamentary Group hearings on population growth.
Mike Gapes MP, Chair of the House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, was unable to attend and declined the invitation.
(b) The following members of the House of Lords were invited and attended: Lord Crisp; Lord Hannay of Chiswick; Lord Joffe and Lord Judd. Lord Robertson of Port Ellen and Lord Stern of Brentford participated as speakers.
The following members of the House of Lords declined the invitation: Lord Browne of Madingley; Lord Desai and Lord Turner of Ecchinswell.
St. Helena: Airports
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment was made of the economic case for an airport on the island of St Helena before tenders for the construction of an airport were sought. [267933]
Mr. Michael Foster: Preliminary work was carried out by High Point Rendel in the 2001 Comparative Study of Air and Sea Access for St. Helena. This fell short of a full economic analysis.
The 2005 Feasibility Study by Atkins included outline economic appraisal of a wide range of access options, and detailed financial and economic analysis of three shortlisted options, including the proposed airport. This work was reviewed by a leading independent economist.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the preferred tenderer has spent on pre-contractual work for the construction of an airport on the island of St Helena; and what steps he plans to take to compensate the preferred tenderer in the event that the project is not proceeded with. [267936]
Mr. Michael Foster: We have no means of knowing how much the preferred tenderer has spent on pre-contractual work. Any such work is carried out at the tenderer's own risk.
Under the terms of the tender, tenderers who have submitted bids which are not taken forward to contract are entitled to reclaim up to £100,000 in costs.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have held in respect of the proposed airport on the island of Saint Helena in the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [268215]
Mr. Michael Foster: I, with departmental officials, have had meetings with the Governor of St. Helena, representatives of the St. Helena Leisure Corporation (SHELCO) and Impregilo, the preferred bidder, in respect of the proposed airport.
Discussions have also been held at official level between DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Treasury.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the proposed airport on the island of Saint Helena; and if he will make a statement. [268230]
Mr. Michael Foster:
Predecessors of the Department for International Development commissioned studies by the Civil Aviation Authority in 1973 and 1987, both of which concluded that while a runway was feasible technically the costs would be considerable. DFID commissioned High Point Rendel as part of the
Comparative Study of Air and Sea Access in 2001. This assessed costs of both forms of access indicating air access a better long-term option.
More recently, DFID commissioned Atkins to undertake the full feasibility study. This was completed in January 2005 and evaluated a wide range of options, including the proposed airport. It was on the basis of its conclusions that the Government went to tender in 2007. A full environmental impact assessment was carried out in 2005-06, following earlier studies into the St. Helena wirebird, invertebrates and lichens on the proposed airport site.
St. Helena: Politics and Government
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many consultations on (a) proposals for an airport on the island of St Helena, (b) other matters associated with an airport and (c) general matters relating to the economy of St Helena have been held in each year since 1999; and what the cost of each was. [267932]
Mr. Michael Foster: The St. Helena Government and the Department for International Development have together consulted the public on St. Helena on a wide range of issues associated with the airport and the economy over a number of years. These include the referendum on access in 2002, and subsequent consultations regarding Land Use, Private Sector Investment, Tourism and most recently Taxation. Details of consultation relating to the airport can be found in the planning statement at:
Most of the consultation work has been carried out in the course of wider preparatory work and costs are not readily disaggregated.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Defence and (b) the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the strategic importance to the UK of the island of St Helena in respect of (i) the South Atlantic and (ii) Africa in the last six months. [267934]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Secretary of State for International Development has regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what periods in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010 RMS St Helena will be out of service for programmed works; and what plans there are to ensure that the island of St Helena will receive supplies during such periods. [267935]
Mr. Thomas: The RMS St. Helena will be out of service for programmed works from 16 to 30 August 2009, from 8 March 2010 to 19 April 2010 and from 31 August to 5 October 2010.
The Government of St. Helena are planning in the same way as they plan for the RMS absences when it makes trips to the United Kingdom, as that journey is comparable to these out of service periods. The RMS
schedule is published well in advance so that arrangements can be made, through proper preparation, to ensure that essential supplies are maintained.
RMS voyage schedules information can be found on the RMS website:
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 40WS, on St. Helena, when he expects the consultation on access arrangements for the island of St. Helena to conclude; if he will publish all submissions the consultation receives; and if he will make an oral statement to the House as soon as possible after conclusion of the consultation. [267980]
Mr. Michael Foster: The consultation starts in April. The deadline for responses is 31 July. In line with the Government's ‘Code of Practice on Consultation’, we plan to publish a report within three months of the close of the consultation. This will summarise the responses received and explain how the consultation will influence policy development. The Secretary of State for International Development will make his decision once he has considered the report.
St. Helena: Travel
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what means of transport are available to visitors wishing to travel to Saint Helena; and if he will make a statement. [268216]
Mr. Michael Foster: Visitors travel to St. Helena on the RMS St. Helena, commercial cruise ships, and yachts. In addition the island is also visited by cargo ships, fuel tankers, navy ships and research ships. In 2008, five cruise ships and over 140 yachts visited St. Helena and the RMS St. Helena called on the island 30 times.
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