§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times his Department has discussed the two Whitehall budgets for conflict prevention, referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in a speech to the Royal College of Defence Studies on Thursday 25 April, with(a) the Ministry of Defence and (b) the Department for International Development; when these discussions took place; and what (i) spending commitment and (ii) countries were discussed on each occasion. [54142]
§ Mr. StrawI (and my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook)), have met colleagues in the Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development to discuss the global pool on 30 November 2000, 15 March 2001 and 25 February 2002. We decided priority regions and themes for the pool as well as discussing administrative procedures for the pool. The current priorities for the global pool are Afghanistan, the Balkans, Belize/Guatemala, Indonesia/East Timor, central and eastern Europe, Russia/FSU, middle east, South Asia, small arms and light weapons, UN reform, OSCE/Council of Europe reform, and EU civilian crisis management.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development, who chairs the Africa Pool Ministerial Group, has met colleagues on 25 October 2000, 7 December 2000, 27 February 2001, 23 July 2001, 22 October 2001, 10 December 2001 and 4 February 2002. These meetings considered country and thematic 149W priorities as well as management arrangements for the Africa pool. The country priorities agreed by Ministers are Sierra Leone, DRC and the Great Lakes, Sudan, Nigeria and Angola. Thematic priorities are building African peacekeeping capacity and tackling the economic causes of conflict.
In addition officials meet on a regular basis.
§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the two Whitehall budgets for conflict prevention, referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in a speech to the Royal College of Defence Studies on Thursday 25 April 2002, have been spent on(a) by date and (b) by spending commitment. [54143]
§ Mr. StrawA report on the activities of the pools in their first year will be published later in 2002 and will describe the programmes funded by the pools.
§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have benefited from the two Whitehall budgets for conflict prevention, referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in a speech to the Royal College of Defence Studies on Thursday 25 April; and in what ways. [54144]
§ Mr. StrawMost of the funds allocated to the global pool have been divided among a set of geographical and thematic priority areas:
- The Balkans
- Central and Eastern Europe
- Russia and the Former Soviet Union
- Indonesia and East Timor
- The Middle East and North Africa
- Afghanistan
- Belize/Guatemala
- South Asia
- Small Arms and Light Weapons
- Strengthening the UN
- EU Civilian Crisis Management
- The OSCE and Council of Europe.
The thematic priorities are of potential benefit to countries in both pools.
The Sub-Saharan Africa pool has prioritised the following areas and themes:
- Sierra Leone
- Nigeria
- DRC and the Great Lakes
- Sudan
- Angola
- Building African Peacekeeping capacity
- Tackling the economic causes of conflict.
§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which existing funds the money for the two Whitehall budgets for conflict prevention, referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in a speech to the Royal College of Defence Studies on Thursday 25 April, was taken. [54141]
§ Mr. StrawThe money for the Sub-Saharan Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pools came from relevant existing funds held by the Ministry of Defence, the150W Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office plus an additional contribution from HM Treasury.
§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to spend the two Whitehall budgets for conflict prevention, referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in a speech to the Royal College of Defence Studies on Thursday 25 April. [54140]
§ Mr. StrawSpending under the Sub-Saharan Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pools is well under way. The PSA target of the pools is improved effectiveness of the UK contribution to conflict prevention and management as demonstrated by a reduction in the number of people whose lives are affected by violent conflicts and a reduction in potential sources of future conflict, where the UK can make a significant contribution. Activities funded by the pools are tailored to meet this target.
§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) size and (b) nature is of the two Whitehall budgets for conflict prevention, referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in a speech to the Royal College of Defence Studies on Thursday 25 April. [54145]
§ Mr. StrawFollowing a review of the Government's conflict prevention and resolution activities, the FCO, Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development agreed to pool relevant existing funds to allow for a more co-ordinated approach to conflict prevention and resolution activities. Two conflict prevention pools were established on 1 April 2001: Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa pool) and another for the rest of the world (global pool). The Africa pool has been allocated £50 million per annum from 2001–04 to spend on conflict prevention programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa. The global pool budget will be £60 million for 2001–02, £68 million for 2002–03 and £78 million for 2003–04.
In addition, the pools contribute to the additional costs of the UK assessed and non-assessed contributions to support UN and other peacekeeping and peace-enforcement operations. In 2001–02 these included commitments in Sierra Leone, DRC, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Macedonia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and the Iraqi no fly zones.