Written Answers of 15 November 2002

TREASURY

  Pre-Budget Report
  Mr. Ivan Henderson
  To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to deliver his pre-Budget Report to the House. [81481]

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  On Wednesday 27 November

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  EU Enlargement
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what(a) bilateral, and (b) multilateral aid she will continue to provide to EU candidate countries after accession; how much aid will be given; to which countries; and through which bodies. [78670]

  Clare Short
  My Department will not have any further responsibility for supporting newly acceding countries to the European Union after accession, either bilaterally or multilaterally

  Food Aid (Africa)
  Tony Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the level of food security is in (a) Mozambique, (b) Angola, (c)Zambia, (d) Zimbabwe, (e) Malawi and (f) Swaziland; and if she will make a statement. [74614]

  Clare Short
  National Early Warning Units have estimated cereal requirements in all these countries, except Angola, for the marketing year April 2002 to March 2003. The World Food Programme (WFP) has provided estimates on import progress to 21 October 2002. National figures are detailed in the table.

  Metric tones

  Domestic cereal gap April 2002 to March 2003

  Commercial and Government imports

  Food aid delivered

  Remaining cereal gap at 21 October 2002

  Mozambique

  380,000

  233,000

  63,000

  84,000

  Zambia

  684,000

  0

  18,770

  665,230

  Zimbabwe

  1,654,000

  410,000

  84,853

  1,159,147

  Malawi

  277,000

  194,000

  149,008

  +66,008

  Swaziland

  121,000

  28,000

  4,000

  88,200

  2W
  Additional planned imports and pledged food aid will reduce the cereal gap further, but timing of these deliveries remains uncertain. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is beginning a further series of vulnerability assessments, which will provide revised figures for humanitarian assistance needs to the end of March 2003. These assessments will be available in mid-December. WFP's emergency operation for the southern Africa humanitarian crisis is now 50 per cent. funded, ensuring that its food pipeline to the most vulnerable populations is secure at least until the end of 2002. We continue to press other donors to respond effectively to the crisis, so that the food aid pipeline can be sustained until the next harvest in April 2003.

  The humanitarian situation in Angola is also very serious. Since the ceasefire, aid agencies have been able to reach many thousands more severely malnourished people, and WFP's caseload is expected to reach at least 1.9 million people by the end of the year. WFP's maize stocks for Angola are expected to run out in December unless donors act quickly to replenish the food pipeline. We are working closely with other donors and implementing partners to develop a consensus view on future needs in Angola, and remain at the forefront of diplomatic and political efforts to ensure that adequate levels of humanitarian assistance continue to be delivered.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is being done to build food distribution networks in(a) Malawi, (b) Mozambique, (c) Zimbabwe, (d) Zambia, (e) Lesotho and (f) Swaziland. [66178]

  Clare Short
  WFP has a major role in the regional humanitarian assistance effort. In addition to supporting food procurement, transport and in-country distribution costs within our £18.25 million support for the new regional appeal, DFID has funded logistical experts in the WFP regional office in Johannesburg, and in Zimbabwe and Lesotho national offices to strengthen capacity to plan and manage supply and transport issues

  DFID is active in each country to promote effective co-ordination between international, bilateral and non-governmental organisations to tackle operational constraints. Jointly with other donors, we have urged SADC and regional governments to reduce regulatory and administrative obstacles to food supply for humanitarian and private sector actors alike

  Adam Smith Institute
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts her Department has had with the Adam Smith Institute over the last three years; and if she will break them down by(a) subject and (b) value. [72773]

  Clare Short
  The information requested is in the following table
  3W

  Project title

  Value (£)

  Country

  Support for capacity building in the Ministry of Finance and Central bank

  1,229,655

  Afghanistan

  Trade training for DFID staff(Bangkok

  32,328

  United Kingdom

  Trade training for DFID staff

  20,075

  United Kingdom

  Consultants for Standards, Technical Regulatory Barriers Programme

  43,99

  Global2

  Pilot training and capacity building in international waterhouse law

  131,174

  Kyrgyz Republic

  Trade enabling agreement

  10

  Global2

  Communications film for Department of Disinvestments

  89,500

  India

  Support for public sector undertaking reforms and social safety net in Madhya Pradesh

  80,000

  India

  PSRC: water privatisation and regulatory study tour

  54,924

  Tanzania

  Conference on Disinvestment

  70,000

  India

  Russia trade policy project

  1,199,041

  Russia

  Lead adviser to Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC)

  195,690

  Tanzania

  Seminar on Export Credits and Developing Countries

  101,035

  United Kingdom

  Rehabilitation of cyclone damaged lift irrigation points in Orissa

  622,736

  India

  Initial support to the budgetary processes of the Government of Macedonia

  13,630

  Macedonia

  Medium term programme of Capacity Building for Public Utilities Regulatory Commission

  636,900

  Ghana

  UK-Ireland privatisation and regulation study tour

  11,145

  Tanzania

  Additional support to the Privatisation Board

  106,241

  Bangladesh

  Assistance to the Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department

  1,482,776

  West Bank and Gaza

  Technical assistance for public enterprise reform in Orissa

  2,061,365

  India

  Privatisation Agency support project consultancy

  308,47

  Zimbabwe

  1This is an enabling agreement only, which allows small contracts for individual pieces of work to be set up as and when required. It therefore has no overall commitment.

  2Non Project specific

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  EU Aid
  Mr. Baron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts regarding the distribution of the EU overseas aid package [77191]

  Clare Short
  I have been asked to reply

  I discussed the performance of the EC development programmes with EU Development Ministers at the 30 May Development Council. We agreed that recent reforms had been welcome but that further significant improvement was needed to implement the agreed, poverty-focused Development Policy adopted by Ministers in November 2000. Since then the Development council has been abolished. I will meet EU Development Ministers again at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) on 18–19 November
  4W

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Assets Recovery Agency
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much has been seized in Northern Ireland by the Assets Recovery Agency since its formation; [79422]

  (2) how many people are employed by the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland; [79423]

  (3) what the funding is for financial year 2002–03 of the Northern Ireland arm of the Assets Recovery Agency [79427]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  I have been asked to reply.

  I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.