| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
9 Feb 2010 : Column 837W—continued
Yemen: Embassies
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional steps he has taken to ensure the safety and security of (a) the British Embassy in Yemen and (b) Embassy staff since the closure of the Embassy in January 2010. [315919]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The safety and security of British Nationals overseas is one of the Government's key concerns. This includes the safety of our staff.
The security situation in Yemen is of concern and we judge that there is a high threat from terrorism.
Our embassy is currently open and staff are back at work. However, both the security posture of our embassy and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s Travel Advice are regularly reviewed. Decisions are taken based on the latest intelligence and local information.
For operational security reasons, I cannot go into detail on the measures in place at the embassy. The physical security of our embassies is also regularly reviewed by FCO expert staff.
Yemen: Hostages
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Yemeni counterpart on the release of the hostage Anthony S. [315920]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: UK officials and Ministers, both in London and in Sana'a, regularly discuss the kidnap, with a range of senior Yemeni officials.
I raised the case most recently raised during my visit to Yemen on 2-4 February 2010. I met a number of senior Yemeni Ministers and officials, including President Saleh, Prime Minister Mujuwar and Deputy Prime Minister for Security Dr. Al Alimi.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary follows the case closely and has raised it in his meetings with Yemeni Ministers.
International Development
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's role was in the commissioning and delivery of the turbine delivered to the Kajaki Dam in September 2008; whether his Department had lead responsibility for commissioning that project; and if he will make a statement. [314476]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
I am answering on behalf of the Secretary of State for International Development. The Kajaki Dam project in Helmand is financed by the United States Agency for International Development (US AID) and managed from their Office of Infrastructure, Engineering and Energy at the US embassy in Kabul. Further details can be found at USAID's website
The Department for International Development had no role in the commissioning or delivery of the turbine delivered to the Kajaki Dam in September 2008 and has no responsibility for commissioning the project.
Departmental Chief Scientific Adviser
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development by what means the vacancy for the post of Departmental Chief Scientific Adviser was advertised following the departure of Professor Gordon Conway; and how many people from outside the Civil Service (a) applied and (b) were interviewed for the post. [315888]
Mr. Michael Foster: When Professor Gordon Conway left the Department for International Development (DFID) in June 2009, the post of Departmental Chief Scientific Adviser was merged with the Head of Research post to become the Chief Scientific Adviser and Director Research and Evidence.
When the posts merged, and having sought advice from the Civil Service Commissioners, Professor Chris Whitty who had previously held the post of Head of Research, was confirmed in the new role.
Departmental Written Questions
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2010, Official Report, column 1085W, on departmental written questions, by what mechanism his Department monitors its responses to parliamentary questions; what the target time for responses is; and how success against that target is measured. [316506]
Mr. Michael Foster:
The Department for International Development (DFID) uses an internal database to monitor the progress of parliamentary questions. DFID endeavours to answer all parliamentary questions within the deadlines set by Parliament, that is to answer all ordinary written questions within five days and all named day questions on the date specified. In the last
reporting period of January 2010 DFID answered 100 per cent. of ordinary written and 94 per cent. of named day questions on time.
Haiti: Earthquakes
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the US administration on relief efforts for Haiti. [315930]
Mr. Michael Foster: In the early stages of the relief effort the Secretary of State for International Development held regular discussions with Dr. Rajiv Shah, the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Administrator. At Dr. Rajiv Shah's request we deployed a liaison officer to the US Response Management Team based in USAID, Washington.
Officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) are in regular contact with their US counterparts about all aspects of the humanitarian operation in Haiti. The Permanent Secretary has held discussions on the humanitarian response in Haiti with acting USAID Administrator Alonzo Fulgham. A humanitarian team of six people from DFID is also on the ground working closely with US, United Nations and European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) representatives.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has had discussions with the Government of Haiti on the protection of children orphaned as a result of the recent earthquake. [315959]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Secretary of State for International Development has not held discussions with the Government of Haiti on the protection of children orphaned as a result of the recent earthquake. The lead agency working for child protection in Haiti is the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The wellbeing of children, including orphaned children, is a primary concern of The Department for International Development (DFID) and our field team have met with UNICEF to discuss the issue of child protection. The UN in Haiti is working in coordination with the Haitian Government on all aspects of the relief effort.
Research
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's research budget was in each year since 2005-06; and if he will make a statement. [315886]
Mr. Michael Foster: The annual centrally held research budget for the Department for International Development (DFID) for each since 2005-06 is presented in the following table:
| Central research budget (£ million) | |
Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of progress in the release and resettlement of Tamil internally displaced persons by the Sri Lankan government; and if he will make a statement. [316203]
Mr. Michael Foster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 8 February 2010, Official Report, column 724W, on Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons.
Sudan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) multi-donor trust funds and (b) other multilateral mechanisms for distributing aid in Sudan. [316355]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) recently conducted a country programme evaluation which addressed these questions. A copy of this evaluation will be placed in the Library as soon as it is published.
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding will be allocated to each aid sector in Sudan in 2010. [316356]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) aims to respond flexibly to the evolving political and humanitarian situation in Sudan so many of our projects cover multiple sectors. We do, however, expect to spend approximately £48 million on humanitarian assistance and £92 million on longer term development assistance during the financial year 2010-11. In line with the UK's commitments on education for all and water and sanitation, we aim to spend £15 million on education and £5 million on water projects in Sudan in the same financial year.
Sudan: Peace Negotiations
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has discussed with his international counterparts extending the mandate of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission monitoring the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan. [316434]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC) is mandated to monitor the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) until the end of the interim period of the CPA in July 2011. No decision on the future of the AEC beyond this period has yet been taken. During their respective visits to Sudan in October 2009 and January 2010, the Minister of State, Mr. Thomas, and Baroness Kinnock raised a number of issues related to the end of the interim period. Baroness Kinnock also raised these issues with the UN, African Union (AU) and international partners at the recent AU Summit in Addis Ababa (31 January-2 February). We will continue to engage closely with international partners and the Sudanese as the matter arises.
Western Sahara: Overseas Aid
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the oral answer from the Prime Minister of 13 January 2010, Official Report, column 688, on engagements, to which organisations the increased aid to the Western Sahara will be granted. [316572]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports Western Sahara through its share of the budget of the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO).
Transport
Aviation: Industrial Industries
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the level of industrial injuries incurred by manual handling workers in the aviation industry. [316112]
Paul Clark: Primary responsibility for occupational safety matters rests with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Department or Transport fully supports the efforts of HSE colleagues to develop measures to ensure that manual handling at UK airports is carried out in a way which does not adversely impact on the health and safety of handlers.
Blaydon
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Blaydon constituency, the effects on Blaydon of his Department's policies and actions since 2000. [315299]
Mr. Khan: The Transport Act 2000, as amended by the Local Transport Act 2008, has provided a new policy framework benefiting all local transport authorities. The framework gives greater certainty of funding, while encouraging more strategic transport planning with local consultation, and increasing local flexibility and discretion over resources. It was accompanied by a significant increase in capital funding: support from the Department for transport investment in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, within which transport authority Blaydon falls, has more than doubled over the last decade.
Investment in Tyne and Wear's Joint Local Transport Plan, to which Gateshead Council is a partner authority, has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2005 and 2008, bus patronage per head of population increased by 8 per cent, and the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 22 per cent. in the period 2001-07.
In 2005, the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority, Nexus, submitted a successful bid to the Department for 'Kickstart' revenue funding of the 639 Gateshead Orbital bus service, operated by Go North-East. The £336,256 award facilitated the doubling of the
daytime and early-evening frequency of the service from hourly to half-hourly. The improved service, featuring fully accessible vehicles, has significantly improved links between the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and areas of western Gateshead, including Blaydon.
The £17 million Centrelink scheme was completed in 2005, providing enhanced public transport links between Gateshead town centre and the MetroCentre. The project included the construction of an £8.4 million busway and the reorganisation of the public transport interchange in Gateshead town centre to facilitate interchange between bus and Metro services. The project has had the complementary effect of removing large numbers of buses from shopping streets, thereby reducing congestion and improving the environment for pedestrians and shoppers.
In July 2007, Gateshead council completed a £1 million upgrade to the A184 Felling bypass. The project included the widening of the road to a three-lane carriageway to provide space for a dedicated bus priority lane. The scheme has provided bus passengers with greater journey time reliability and forms part of Tyne and Wear's 'Superoute' network of Quality Bus Corridors, which generated patronage growth of 14 per cent. between 2002 and 2007.
On 3 February 2010 the Department announced that it would provide around £580 million to the Tyne and Wear Metro for ongoing operating support and major infrastructure renewals to 2021.
Bridges: Accidents
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department or Transport what information his Department holds on (a) the number of bridge strikes in other EU countries where metric height and width restriction signs are required and (b) the number of such strikes involving UK lorry drivers in the last 12 months. [316208]
Mr. Khan [holding answer 8 February 2010]: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Bus Services: Concessions
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in Hemsworth who were in receipt of concessionary bus travel fares in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available. [316610]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
Hemsworth is part of the West Yorkshire concessionary travel scheme. The last information held by the Department was that as of 12 January 2010, the West Yorkshire scheme had issued 443,642 smartcard concessionary passes. This includes passes issued to disabled people as well as those aged 60 and over. The Department holds no data about passes issued before the English National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme was introduced in 2008.
Alan Keen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many pensioners in Feltham and Heston were in receipt of concessionary bus travel fares (a) in 1997 and (b) in the latest period for which figures are available. [316685]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
Feltham and Heston are part of the London boroughs concessionary travel scheme. The last information held by the Department was that as of 1 April 2009, the London boroughs had issued approximately 1.188 million smartcard concessionary passes. This includes passes issued to disabled people as well as those aged 60 and over. The Department holds no data about passes issued prior to this date.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |