HC Deb 12 February 2004 vol 417 cc1577-8W
Mr. Gardiner

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what progress has been made by his Department in implementing the recommendations of the 2002 Wildlife and Poverty Study; [153150]

(2) if he will discuss wildlife and bushmeat issues with the Governments of (a) Ghana and (b) Cameroon; [153153]

(3) if he will make a statement about the recent policy papers produced by Dr. David Brown of the Overseas Development Institute concerning issues of bushmeat and livelihoods; [153206]

(4) what assessment his Department's country offices in (a) Ghana and (b) Cameroon have made of the implementation of the recommendations of the 2002 Wildlife and Poverty Study; [153209]

(5) what assessment he has made of his Department's response to the recommendations of the 2002 Wildlife and Poverty Study; and what impact these recommendations have had on the work of his Department. [153267]

Mr. Gareth Thomas

The DFID Wildlife and Poverty Study estimated that 150 million very poor people are significantly dependent on wildlife for their food and livelihoods, and that bushmeat is one important part of this. The study drew out implications for donors, governments, the private sector and civil society, but did not make any explicit recommendations to DFID. We have however disseminated the findings of the study widely.

DFID responds directly to the priorities of our partner countries as set out in their own development agendas, known as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs).

I am unable to comment on the 'recent policy papers' produced by Dr. David Brown of the Overseas Development Institute concerning issues of bushmeat and livelihoods, as I am not sure precisely which policy papers are being referred to. I am, however, aware of the work that Dr. Brown has been doing for the CITES Bushmeat Working Group, with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), with whom DFID works closely on bushmeat and livelihoods issues. DFID supports the view that any actions to address bushmeat should take the livelihoods of poor people fully into account, and that blanket bans on bushmeat harvesting would not be effective and would hit the poor the hardest.

At the ministerial segment of the Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (AFLEG) Conference, held in Cameroon in October 2003, I discussed bushmeat and forest management issues with Ministers from Ghana, Cameroon and other countries. We would expect to continue discussing these issues in the context of AFLEG implementation, as part of DFID's regular dialogue with the Governments of Ghana and Cameroon.

Mr. Gardiner

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to discuss with the governments of(a) Cameroon and (b) Ghana their poverty reduction strategies in the next 12 months. [153211]

Hilary Benn

In Ghana the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy is discussed with Ministries and Agencies of the Government, and I expect to take forward these discussions when I visit Ghana shortly. There will be an opportunity to take a look at progress when the second annual Monitoring and Evaluation report of the Poverty Reduction Strategy is published in April.

In Cameroon our support for the Poverty Reduction Strategy will focus on forestry reform within the framework of the Forestry and Environment Sector Programme. My officials will be participating in an in-country appraisal of this programme in March.