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25 Jan 2005 : Column WA145
Written Answers
Tuesday, 25 January 2005.
Law Officers: Disclosure of Advice to Government
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will provide in full the advice given by the Attorney-General on the legality of the invasion of Iraq; and whether they will make available all related documents. [HL611]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): As I made clear in my reply to the noble Lord, Lord Alexander of Weedon on 12 January 2004, (Official Report, Col. WA 65), there is a long-standing convention, observed by successive governments, that advice which the Law Officers have given to the Government is not publicly disclosed.
Iraq: Health Services
Lord Garden asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have contributed funds to the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Ministry of Health's public health surveillance activities since March 2003; if so, whether those funds have been dispensed; and what results have been achieved. [HL629]
Baroness Amos: During the existence of the Coalition Provincial Authority (CPA) in Iraq, the United Kingdom provided a total of 14 UK personnel to the CPA to work in the health sector. The total cost to HM Government of seconding these personnel was approximately £460,000.
DfID's current support to the health sector is focused on primary healthcare. Assistance has been supplied through the provision of professional advice to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Baghdad and Basra, which assisted in the development of the MoH planning guidelines for 2005. In addition, a £5 million grant has been made through the World Health Organisation (WHO). Under this grant, the WHO has rented vehicles for needs assessments and disease surveillance, procurement, operating expenses, office and data processing equipment etc. at a cost of £1.72 million.
Additional DfID support for health services in Iraq is channelled through the multi-donor trust funds managed by the United Nations and the World Bank. DfID has made an initial contribution of £70 million to these trust funds and, together with contributions from other donors, about 1 billion dollars is available for Iraqi priorities in health and other sectors. For
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example, using trust fund moneys, the WHO continues to support MoH in communicable disease surveillance programmes and assessment of primary health care centres and hospitals.
Iraq: Typhoid
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many cases of typhoid have been confirmed in (a) Baghdad, and (b) the rest of Iraq since April 2003; what are the primary causes of infection; and what action they have taken through the Iraqi Government and other channels to prevent typhoid. [HL684]
Baroness Amos: In the Health in Iraq report of September 2004, the Iraqi Ministry of Health stated that typhoid had increased since the mid-1990s because of poor sanitation and water supplies. It reported 29,000 cases of typhoid in 2003 and 5,460 in the first quarter of 2004. DfID is not aware of any recent and reliable data that show the trend of infectious diseases, including typhoid. The Ministry of Health report also states that there is no evidence of any epidemics since the end of the conflict, despite the disruption of services and interruption in programmes of immunisation. Efforts are currently being made to increase immunisation levels to halt the rise in vaccine preventable diseases, with World Health Organisation (WHO) support.
Multi-fibre Agreement
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they and other developed countries have to mitigate the adverse effects of the end of the Multi-Fibre Agreement on disaster-stricken developing countries, such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and in particular the impact on female employment. [HL637]
Baroness Amos: The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC—the successor to the GATT Multi-Fibre Arrangement—MFA) was introduced in 1995 following the Uruguay round of trade negotiations, and at the insistence of those developing countries with textile exporting industries, as a 10-year plan to fully integrate textiles and clothing into normal GATT rules and promote a more liberal, less distorted market. The most visible form of the ATC was the quota system imposed by importers (primarily the EU, US and Canada). These skewed normal trading patterns in these products to protect domestic producers, but also with the effect of enabling small developing countries to compete with more competitive countries such as China and India. These quotas have been gradually eliminated—though the majority, and all of those on the most sensitive products, were left until last—and were finally ended on 1 January. From that date 191 quotas on imports of textiles and clothing from 14 countries have disappeared.
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DfID is currently funding two projects from the Poverty Reduction Fund with the Asian Development Bank, targeted at countries among those that are likely to feel the effects of the MFA phase-out most keenly, namely Bangladesh and Cambodia. The details are:
The purpose of this project is to help the government of Bangladesh reduce unemployment risks associated with the MFA phase-out and to improve job opportunities for female garment workers. The results expected from the project are:
a report on approaches to retraining of workers, and to employment and social protection measures;
pilot projects to benefit female garment workers;
an exchange of experiences with other countries like Cambodia;
extending the assistance more widely based on the results from the pilot project.
The purpose of the project is to help the government of Cambodia in understanding and addressing poverty and gender issues related to the phase-out of MFA, including creating alternative employment opportunities and ways of protecting retrenched garment workers. Results from the project include:
a comprehensive situation analysis of the industry and workers in the sector;
the introduction of small pilot schemes;
the building of formal and informal safety nets and establishment of links with alternative employment;
help to strengthen the capacity of the government, private sector and civil society to address the risk associated with the phase-out of MFA.
While the exact impact of quota elimination is difficult to predict, we do not expect Sri Lanka to be as badly affected as Bangladesh and Cambodia.
Prime Minister: Sinn Fein Meetings
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What meetings the Prime Minister has had since 1 September 2004 with representatives of Sinn Fein; and when and where each meeting was held and who attended. [HL829]
Baroness Amos: The Prime Minister has had frequent meetings with political parties in Northern Ireland.
Africa: Defence Expenditure
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 17 November (WA 165) on compliance by southern African governments with
- the United Nations Secretary-General's request that they limit defence expenditure, whether they are aware that the report by the Secretary-General which was placed in the Library of the House makes no reference to this matter; and whether they will therefore seek the information requested from the Secretary-General. [HL203]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The United Nations Secretary-General's recommendation in 1998 to limit defence expenditure was designed to reduce the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Africa. The Secretary-General's 2004 report, which was placed in the Library of the House, measures progress on this, the overall objective, and not reductions in defence expenditure.
Dialogue about government expenditure, including the level of defence spending, is a normal part of discussions between donors and partner governments. In those countries in southern Africa where the UK has significant development programmes channelled through the government, namely Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Lesotho, the level of defence expenditure has not been a matter of concern for the UK or other donors in recent years. The Government will therefore not be pursuing this matter with the Secretary-General.
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