§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what investigation she has made into the funding provided by(a) the United Nations Population Fund and (b) the International Planned Parenthood Federation to China's population control authorities: and if she will make a statement. [22102]
§ Clare ShortThe United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) programme in China is one of the most scrutinised of their global portfolio. UNFPA Executive Board members including the United Kingdom, United States, European Union and developing countries, have reviewed the programme with the UNFPA representatives in Beijing and visited programme counties on five occasions since December 1997. My Department, including the DFID Health Adviser in Beijing, closely monitors the development of the programme.
My Department also receives periodic reports from the International Planned Parenthood Federation on its work to promote awareness and implementation of international standards in reproductive health and greater respect for 746W of the impact the trade in bushmeat has on the environment in West and Central Africa. [20562]
§ Clare ShortWe have not made any specific assessments of the impact the bushmeat trade per se has had on the environment in West and Central Africa. However, we are conscious that the unsustainable escalation in the commercial bushmeat trade is a growing problem that is in large part a result of poverty and is facilitated by the expansion of the forestry and mining industries into natural forest areas.
We are aware of the dangers posed to eco-systems by the unregulated expansion of these industries in west and central africa and are concerned to ensure that the long-term interests of poor people in sustainable natural resource management are addressed. DFID is currently working closely with DEFRA and other international, National and Civil Society bodies to address this issue. To this end we are involved in various initiatives that contribute to the conservation of wild animals and their habitats (see Annex 1).
reproductive rights through its affiliate the China Family Planning Association (CFPA). The work of the CFPA was the subject of an independent review in 1996 led by Professor John Hobcraft of the London School of Economics who concluded that the IPPF was playing an effective and valuable role in influencing the work of the CFPA.