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19 May 2009 : Column 1306W—continued
| Table 2: Number of new pension credit claims from men aged 60 to 64 each year 2003 - 08 | |
| Number of claims | |
| Notes: 1. The on flow data used represent the total number of spells on this benefit that commenced within the month/year listed. They do not include flows where people have moved out of one area into another while remaining on the benefit. 2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003. 4. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study | |
International Development
Afghanistan: Females
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress his Department has made in implementing the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in UK and international development programmes in Afghanistan in the last 12 months. [275864]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has made the following provisions to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in its development programmes in Afghanistan:
Drawing on the findings of the research DFID commissioned at the end of last year, titled ‘Understanding Afghanistan’, we have developed a detailed Gender Equality Action plan for Afghanistan. This plan supports the 10-year National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan (NAPWA) by ensuring gender equality is an integral part of our programme.
The UK Government are working closely with the Afghan Government to ensure that gender equality is integrated into their own policies to ensure long-term, sustainable improvements. We have provided an adviser to the Afghanistan Government to ensure the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS), which lays out its development plan over the next five years, has integrated cross-cutting issues such as gender equality into sector plans. DFID also provides funding to Womankind and UNIFEM who are both working to support women's rights in Afghanistan.
In addition, DFID has committed almost £11 million (2008-09) to support elections in Afghanistan. At present women hold 68 out of 249 seats in the Lower House and 23 out of 102 seats in the Upper House. Our funding will raise awareness and understanding of the electoral process and empower women's political participation.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to take account of the needs of women and girls in its work on reconstruction and assistance to Afghanistan since its response to the International Development Select Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2007-08 on Reconstructing Afghanistan. [275865]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has drawn on the findings of the research commissioned last year, titled ‘Understanding Afghanistan’, to develop a detailed Gender Equality Action Plan for Afghanistan. This plan supports the 10-year National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan (NAPWA) by ensuring gender equality is an integral part of our programme.
The UK Government are working closely with the Afghan Government to ensure that gender equality is integrated into its own policies. We have provided an adviser to the Afghan Government to ensure the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) has integrated cross-cutting issues such as gender equality into sector plans. We invested £60 million (2008-09) through the Government of Afghanistan's Reconstruction
Trust Fund (ARTF): this helps pay the salaries of over 165,000 teachers. 28 per cent. of teachers are now women and this has helped to ensure the number of girls enrolled in school continues to grow. 35 per cent. of all enrolled students are now girls, up from virtually none under the Taliban.
In addition, the Department for International Development (DFID) is providing funding to Womankind and UNIFEM and £40 million of support over five years to the Micro-Finance Investment Support Facility in Afghanistan, which provides small loans to poor individuals to invest in businesses. Nearly 65 per cent. of those receiving loans are women.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that girls from communities in Afghanistan where they are prevented from attending school receive adequate nutrition. [275866]
Mr. Michael Foster: Food insecurity remains the most pressing humanitarian concern for Afghanistan. Over the last year chronic food insecurity has been driven by high food prices and drought. The UN World Food Programme's (WFP) emergency response—to which the Department for International Development (DFID) contributed £17 million from January 2008—reached 8.7 million of Afghanistan's most vulnerable. This programme distributes food to families in the most food vulnerable parts of Afghanistan based on a WFP and Government of Afghanistan needs assessment, regardless of whether girls are attending school.
Afghanistan: Overseas Investment
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the work of the Afghanistan Investment Climate Facility. [276102]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Afghanistan Investment Climate Facility (AICF) has made good progress since its launch in June 2008 having already approved four proposals for funding, including a project with the Afghanistan National Standards Authority to help Afghan producers to obtain higher prices for their goods. A further five proposals are under development. The Department for International Development (DFID) will carry out a full review of the programme in due course.
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether (a) CDC and (b) the Business Linkages Challenge Fund operate in Afghanistan. [276104]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: CDC Group plc has not invested in any funds at present which invest in Afghanistan.
The Business Linkages Challenge Fund (BLCF) is now closed. While operational, the BLCF supported one project in Afghanistan. Information about this project is available on the BLCF website at:
Departmental Billing
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in March 2009. [271852]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development paid 60 per cent. of payments to suppliers in March within 10 days of receipt.
Departmental ICT
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the operation of ICT systems in his Department under the Greening Government ICT Strategy. [273565]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID), in line with all other Chief Information Officers (CIOs) on the Cabinet Office CIO Council, has produced a “CIO Green ICT Roadmap” which we will be following to deliver against the 18 target improvement areas outlined in the Greening Government IT Strategy.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Jenny Willott) on 27 April 2009, Official Report, column 1014W.
Sudan: Politics and Government
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Abyei in Sudan. [275312]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK Government continue to monitor the humanitarian situation in Abyei and Southern Kordofan closely. The population of Abyei (and surrounding areas) is fewer than 50,000, most living in displaced camps in Agok, with 650 in Southern Kordofan. United Nations (UN) sources indicate that the humanitarian system is stable, although the situation remains tense, with the coming rains posing an increased risk of disease and logistical challenges in the delivery of assistance. We are also expecting the results of a recent joint UN/Government assessment of the NGO expulsions impact on the transitional areas, which should provide a more comprehensive picture of any gaps in the humanitarian response and impact on future recovery programmes.
The UK Government provide humanitarian and early recovery support primarily through the UN-managed Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), which contributed $10.1 million for Southern Kordofan, and an additional $3.3 million for Abyei in 2008. Our 2008 share of the CHF was around 50 per cent. at £40 million. For 2009, we have provided a further £36 million. In addition, the UK Government are supporting recovery in the police (Abyei) and education sectors (up to £5.7 million), and through the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) which has provided $28.67 million in funding for Southern Kordofan.
Uzbekistan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid the Government gave to Uzbekistan in the last 12 months; and whether any funding from his Department is targeted on reducing that country’s reliance on the employment of children in the cotton industry. [275792]
Mr. Michael Foster: The UK Government closed their bilateral aid programme to Uzbekistan in March 2006. However, the Department for International Development (DFID) funds a Central Asia Regional HIV/AIDS Programme, which operates in Uzbekistan, totalling £7.4 million over four years. DFID has also committed £1 million to a World Bank led Central Asia HIV Control Project and continues to monitor and support the work of multilateral institutions in Uzbekistan. No UK Government funding goes through the Government of Uzbekistan.
Zimbabwe: Economic Situation
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with officials from the African Development Bank on a financial rescue package for Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [275318]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Ministers from the Department for International Development (DFID) have met with Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), on a number of occasions over recent months. Most recently the Secretary of State met him on 2 April 2009 at the G20 summit in London. DFID staff have also held regular meetings at senior level with African Development Bank officials, including most recently at the AfDB annual meetings in Senegal on May 13-14.
In all of these meetings we have emphasised the importance of a strong AfDB role and country presence to provide early technical support to key institutions in the new Inclusive Government, to help co-ordinate donor engagement and, generally, to help build and maintain momentum for much needed reform efforts in Zimbabwe. However, further major support from the AfDB, from other institutions such as the IMF and World Bank and from the wider donor community will only be made available when we begin to see evidence of a commitment to political and economic reform. Establishing a track record on strong and competent fiscal management and tackling debt arrears will be key issues for the Inclusive Government in building confidence with the international community to support recovery.
Justice
Ashwell Prison
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have been transferred out of HM Prison Ashwell since 12 April 2009. [275529]
Mr. Straw: Between 12 April 2009 and 13 May 2009, 20 prisoners have been transferred out of HMP Ashwell.
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the prison population at HM Prison Ashwell was in each of the last six months. [275535]
Mr. Straw: The following table gives the numbers of prisoners held in HMP Ashwell on the last day of each month between October 2008 to March 2008 (latest available).
| Prison population within HMP Ashwell, October 2008 to March 2009 | |
| Number | |
This information is available from the following website, which is updated monthly:
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Council Tax: Non-payment
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many successful prosecutions there were in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point for non-payment of council tax in each of the last five years. [276108]
Maria Eagle: Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under regulation 56 of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 form part of a miscellaneous group on the Ministry of Justice Court proceedings database which cannot be separately identified.
Debt Collection
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many court orders were obtained by each local authority in England in 2007-08; and how many of these related to (a) council tax, (b) housing benefit and (c) parking penalties; [276205]
(2) how many warrants to authorise bailiff action were issued at the request of each local authority in England in 2007-08; [276206]
(3) what the (a) actual and (b) percentage change in the number of (i) court orders and (ii) warrants to authorise bailiff action secured by each local authority (A) relating to council tax, (B) relating to housing benefit, (C) relating to parking penalties and (D) overall in England was between (1) 1997-98 and 2002-03 and (2) 1997-98 and 2007-08; [276207]
(4) how many bailiff warrants were issued in each region in respect of (a) council tax, (b) magistrates court fines, (c) consumer credit debts, (d) parking penalties and congestion charges, (e) child support and maintenance, (f) television licences and (g) other matters in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 2002-03 and (iii) 2007-08; [276208]
(5) how many mortgage and landlord repossession orders were granted by each county court in (a) 1990, (b) 2000 and (c) 2007-08. [276209]
Bridget Prentice: Statistics on mortgage repossession orders granted by each county court from 1987 to 2008 and on landlord repossession orders granted by each county court from 1999 to 2008 are available via the Ministry of Justice website at:
However, landlord repossession order data are not held prior to 1999.
These figures do not indicate how many homes have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made while not all court orders result in repossession.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold statistical counts of:
court orders obtained by local authorities;
warrants to authorise bailiff action issued at the request of local authorities;
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