§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the contributions made by(a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) the European Union to the manning and resources of UNMIK. [112905]
§ Mr. VazThe UK and its EU partners continue to make a major contribution to the international effort in Kosovo. The main elements of the UK's bilateral contribution include
- 60 officers for the international police presence, a contribution we are now going to double;
- 40 police officers training the future Kosovo Police Service;
- 30 civilian secondees working on human rights/rule of law, democratisation, media development, elections and administration;
- DFID has 50 staff working on the ground in Kosovo.
UK pays 6.25 per cent. of UNMIK assessed contributions. Our contribution for June 1999-June 2000 is £15.7 million. We pledged $13 million in the second half of 1999 on activities in support of UNMIK:
$4.8 million for upgrading Pristina airport.$1 million for salary costs for utility workers.$1 million on prisons and the use of an Emergency Engineering Unit to help repair prison facilities.$3 million for activities related to the transformation of the Kosovo Liberation Army and $1 million for socially valuable projects to be carried out by the Kosovo Protection Corps.$2.9 million on other support including the UN Mine Action and Co-ordination Centre, the provision of a health management team for Pristina Hospital and providing experts to the UNMIK Civil Administration pillar.In November 1999, we pledged a further $10 million in budgetary support to UNMIK.
A UK Scenes of Crime team (up to 20 personnel) carried out forensic investigations in Kosovo last year. Work will be resumed in the spring.EU has agreed to provide 360 meuro to Kosovo in 2000 most of it for reconstruction and in budgetary support to UNMIK, with around 50 meuro in humanitarian aid. The EU is providing emergency budget support to UNMIK through accelerated procedures.
The EU Task Force (which has been strengthened to become the EU Reconstruction Agency) is responsible for the delivery of EU assistance. Since starting work in July 1999, it has disbursed over 52 million euros.
§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress that UNMIK has made in(a) the establishment and consolidation of its authority, (b) the creation of interim UNMIK-managed structures, (c) setting up the administration of social services and utilities and (d) the consolidation of the rule of law in Kosovo. [112093]
§ Mr. VazI refer the hon. Lady to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 2 March 2000,Official Report, column 400W.