§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the names and positions of her Department's officials who are currently working in the external development Directorate-Generals of the EC. [44314]
§ Clare ShortMy Department currently has 10 staff on secondment to the external development directorates of the EC.
Name Directorate-General Specialism Guy Mustard DGIA Administrator Matthew Wyatt DGIA Administrator David Daniels DGIB Health Andrew Hall DGIB Economist Alex Kremer DGIB Economist Andy Roby DGIB Environment—(Forestry) Sean Conlin DGVIII Social Development Michael Parkes DGVIII Urban Development John Roberts DGVIII Economist Digby Swift DGVIII Education
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the United Kingdom Government are taking to increase access to information in Europe and recipient countries on projects funded by the European Commission's development assistance programme. [44311]
§ Clare ShortThe UK Government are committed to increasing transparency in EU decision making, including the activities of the EU institutions. During our Presidency, I have taken part in a debate at the European Parliament on development assistance and given evidence on two occasions to its Development Committee. The UK has supported the Commission's proposals on Information and Communication programmes for TACIS and Phare and the Department for Trade and Industry maintains a database of projects being funded by major multilateral agencies, including the EC.
Some progress has been made on our initiatives to improve openness in the EU. We have also begun preparatory work with the European Commission and European Parliament on implementing the openness provisions in the Amsterdam Treaty. These provisions will cover all areas of EU activity, including development assistance programmes.
447W
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to increase the number of her Department's officials working in the external development Directorate-Generals of the EC. [44315]
§ Clare ShortMy officials frequently talk to the Commission in Brussels and in delegations about the opportunities for placing secondees in the external development Directorate-Generals.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the meeting of the European development ministers on 18 May. [44313]
§ Clare ShortI refer the hon. Member to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean) of 3 June 1998,Official Report, column 236.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what is Government policy in respect of environmental impact assessments of projects within the European Commission's aid programme; [44308]
(2) what is the Government's policy on the integration of environmental and social considerations into European Commission-funded infrastructure development projects. [44306]
§ Clare ShortAs stated in the White PaperEliminating World Poverty: a Challenge for the 21 Century, this Government are committed to encouraging all multilateral developments institutions—including the European Commission—to integrate environmental and social sustainability into their projects and devote more attention to evaluating and monitoring their activities. DFID worked closely with the European Commission to develop procedural guidelines for this purpose. However, continuing efforts are required to ensure the Commission's guidance is always fully reflected in the design and implementation of projects and programmes. My Department continues to work with the Commission to seek to improve effectiveness in this area.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary to one of his previous questions on 11 May 1998, Official Report, column 24, for details of the ways my Department has been doing this.