Previous Section Back to Table of Contents Lords Hansard Home Page


15 Dec 1997 : Column WA61

Written Answers

Monday, 15th December 1997.

Health and Population Projects: Funding

Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:

    What was the level of Department for International Development/Overseas Development Administration spending on the Joint Financing Programme with Non-Governmental Organisations allocated to--
    (a) family planning and reproductive health;
    (b) preventive health care and
    (c) the provision of primary health centres,

    specifying in each case the distribution of spending between:
    (i) sub-Saharan Africa;
    (ii) the Middle East;
    (iii) South America;
    (iv) Central America;
    (v) South Asia;
    (vi) South-East Asia;
    (vii) the Caribbean; and
    (viii) the Pacific

    in each case for the financial years 1993-94; 1994-95; 1995-96; and 1996-97.

Lord Whitty: The following table provides details of the Department for International Development's spending through the Joint Funding Scheme on UK NGOs' health and population/family planning projects by continent. The figures provided do not include spending on integrated development projects which may have health/population/family planning components.

As information is not held centrally in the subject/geographical format requested, a full answer to

15 Dec 1997 : Column WA62

the question could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Joint Funding Scheme Expenditure (£)

Continent1993-941994-951995-961996-97
Health
Asia1,344,8641,574,4261,873,0052,465,074
Africa2,710,1432,834,6062,889,8132,714,121
Americas723,699834,010953,018236,107
Oceania46,34911,23153,56795,097
Population/Family Planning
Asia393,951521,963896,624871,916
Africa97,862355,858557,436887,453
Americas34,344223,939520,134472,040
Oceania0000

Overseas Spending on Education

Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:

    What was the level of DFID/ODA spending on education for the areas of
    (a) sub-Saharan Africa;
    (b) the Middle East;
    (c) South America;
    (d) Central America;
    (e) South Asia;
    (f) South-East Asia
    (g) the Caribbean; and
    (h) the Pacific,

    in each case for the financial years 1993-94; 1994-95; 1995-96; and 1996-97.

Lord Whitty: The information the noble Lord requests is given in the table below. I regret that we do not differentiate between South and South-East Asia. The total expenditure shown includes expenditure on scholarships and other activities which are not recorded against individual countries or regions.

15 Dec 1997 : Column WA61

1993-941994-951995-961996-97
Total Education Spending (£ million)112.4113.7106.8108.4
of which:
Africa: South of Sahara31.328.225.525.5
Asia: Middle East1.91.31.01.8
America: South1.31.41.41.3
America: Central0.50.50.50.3
Asia: South13.310.514.515.9
America: Caribbean4.84.62.43.4
Pacific2.02.61.62.2

15 Dec 1997 : Column WA61

Overseas Spending on Water and Forestry Projects

Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:

    What was the level of DFID/ODA funding on the Joint Funding Programme with Non-Government Organisations on--(a) forestry projects; (b) water projects; and (c) refuse management and disposal programmes, specifying in each case the distribution of funding between: (i) sub-Saharan Africa; (ii) the Middle East; (iii) South America; (iv) central America; (v) south Asia; (vi) south-east Asia;

15 Dec 1997 : Column WA62

    (vii) the Caribbean; and (viii) the Pacific, in each case for the financial years 1993-94; 1994-95; 1995-96; and 1996-97.

Lord Whitty: The attached table provides details of the Department for International Development's spending through the Joint Funding Scheme on UK NGOs' water and forestry projects by continent. The figures provided do not include integrated development projects which may have water or forestry components.

As information is not held centrally in the subject/geographical format requested, a full answer to the question could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

15 Dec 1997 : Column WA63

Joint Funding Scheme Expenditure (£)

Continent1993-941994-951995-961996-97
Water
Asia511,374506,745508,276509,399
Africa1,025,1271,733,1671,619,9831,832,033
Americas111,52089,83185,50268,127
Oceania0000
Forestry
Asia50,000101,732122,070106,443
Africa489,430463,775550,259618,649
Americas6,32985,405116,00070,000
Oceania67,707034,11021,000

UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture

Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:

    What response they will make to the request of the United Nations General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights for contributions to the Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): We contributed £30,750 to the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture earlier this year and intend to make a further contribution in 1998.

Angola: Human Rights Monitoring

Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:

    What information they have received about the investigation by the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) of the deaths in custody at Malange of 10 members of UNITA on the night of 12 November following their arrest on that date; and whether they will ask the United Nations Secretary General to publish this and all other reports by MONUA of their investigations of alleged human rights violations in Angola.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: MONUA have confirmed that up to fifty UNITA sympathisers were locked overnight in a small cell in Malange prison on 12 November. Interviews with the survivors suggest that the prisoners were kept in appalling conditions and that 10 deaths resulted from fighting between them. Information on MONUA's human rights monitoring activities is available through daily press releases and the Secretary-General's regular reports. We do not intend to request publication of all MONUA's reports.

Zimbabwe: Compulsory Acquisition of Farms

Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Whether they have obtained a copy of the list prepared by the Zimbabwean Government of farmers whose farms and land are to be confiscated; and, if

15 Dec 1997 : Column WA64

    so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: A full list of the farms identified for compulsory acquisition appeared in the Zimbabwe Government Gazette on 28 November. We shall arrange for a copy to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Whether they have discussed the full impact of land seizures in Zimbabwe with President Mugabe, including the possible effects of the loss of overseas aid and foreign investment.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave him on 10 December. We have not discussed this issue in any detail with President Mugabe. But we have on many occasions in recent weeks discussed it with Zimbabwean Ministers and officials.

General Affairs Council, 8 December

Lord Davies of Coity asked Her Majesty's Government:

    What was the outcome of the General Affairs Council held on 8 December in Brussels.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: At the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 8 December, the seven A points in document 13048/97 were approved, and the European Parliament Resolutions of 17-21 November in document 11493/97 were noted. The text of both documents will be placed in the Libraries of the House as soon as they become available.

Policy Planning Unit

1. The Council requested Coreper and the Political Committee to continue discussion on the design of the Policy Planning Unit.

OSCE: Copenhagen Ministerial

2. Denmark reported on prospects for the OSCE Ministerial meeting later this month, in particular the security charter and prospects for OSCE financial reform.

WTO: Financial Services

3. The Council discussed prospects for reaching agreement on the financial services negotiations by the 12 December deadline.

Transatlantic Relations

4. There were brief reports on the EU-US and EU-Canada Summits which took place in Washington and Ottawa on 5 and 4 December respectively.

Illegal Immigration from Iraq

5. The Council discussed measures to counter the recent rise in illegal immigration from northern Iraq, which is presenting problems for a number of EU partners. The Political Committee will assess the situation in northern Iraq. Work on practical steps to

15 Dec 1997 : Column WA65

stem the flow of illegal immigrants will be taken forward by the K4 Committee on 18 December.

Luxembourg European Council

6. The Presidency set out the agenda for the European Council on 12-13 December. There was a brief discussion.

Enlargement/Agenda 2000

7. This formed the main part of the Council's discussions. Member states broadly endorsed the Presidency's report to the Luxembourg Council. However, differences remained concerning the screening process and the creation of a new 15 plus 11 process. The UK supported by Italy, France and the Netherlands spoke against both proposals. The Swedes and Danes supported screening, Germany continued to favour the 15 plus 11 process. The Presidency concluded that it would submit the report to the European Council on its own authority.

EU/Mexico: Signature of Agreements

8. In the margins, the EU and Mexico signed two agreements which establish a framework for closer relations into the next century. The Foreign Secretary signed the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement--which covers areas of both UK and EU competence--on behalf of the UK. The Mexican Foreign and Trade Ministers attended.

ASEM II

9. The GAC adopted the following conclusions: the Council discussed preparations for ASEM II to be held in London in April 1998 and invited the appropriate instances to take forward work in advance of the next ASEM Senior Officials Meeting in London in February.

Any Other Business: EU/Japan Summit

10. As incoming Presidency, the UK informed member states of plans for the EU/Japan Summit on 12 January 1998.


Next Section Back to Table of Contents Lords Hansard Home Page