§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions his Department has had with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees regarding Sudanese refugees in Chad. [149163]
§ Hilary BennSince the latest movement of refugees into Chad we have been in regular contact with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Geneva and their field teams in eastern Chad.
Our Humanitarian Adviser will be visiting eastern Chad in two weeks' time to assess the refugee situation there; the visit will be hosted by the UNHCR.
§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department will respond to the appeal for $11 million by the World Food Organisation for the Sudanese refugees in Chad. [149178]
§ Hilary BennI refer the hon. Member to my response of 19 January 2004 to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett),Official Report, column 929W.
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of Chad's ability to cope with the influx of refugees fleeing war in Sudan and the Central African Republic. [149217]
§ Hilary BennChad is making efforts to address this situation, but it lacks the resources properly to meet the needs of the refugees: the UN and international NGOs are therefore assisting them in this task.
We appreciate the efforts the Chad Government are making to help bring about a peaceful end to the fighting in Darfur.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what the total financial contribution made by the United Kingdom is for the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project; [148119]
(2) what assessment he has made of the quality of the auditing of the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project. [148118]
§ Hilary BennThe UK Government are not providing any direct financing for the Chad/Cameroon Oil Pipeline Project, nor is it directly engaged in other way e.g. provision of technical assistance. Our interest is indirect through the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.
DFID is confident that the World Bank's systems for monitoring and implementing this project are appropriate. In relation to the quality of auditing and fiscal accountability, Bank policy identifies two sets of appropriate auditing standards: the International standards on Auditing published by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the Auditing Standards published by the International Organisation of Supreme Audit institutions. Project arrangements provide for regular audits, on the Chad/Cameroon pipeline projects' accounts, plus independent opinions from the International Advisory Group (IAG) and the External Compliance and Monitoring Group (ECMG) who carry out regular independent supervisions of the technical and environmental aspects of the project and from the Inspection Panel who respond to requests from private individuals.
1138W
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) for what reason the external independent quality assurance and quality control audits relating to the Chad/Cameroon project have been circumvented; [148521]
(2) if he will make a statement on environmental protection measures relating to the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project; [148714]
(3) if he will make a statement on the standard of fiscal accountability and transparency measures since the commissioning of the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project; [148715]
(4) for what reason quality assurance and quality control audits of the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project have not been conducted by the World Bank; [148522]
(5) for what reason internal audits of the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project have not been conducted; [148523]
(6) for what reason bills of quantities in relation to the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project have been approved in the absence of packages for quality assurance and quality control; [148716]
(7) for what reason work on the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project continued without procedures for quality assurance and quality control; [148524]
(8) for what reason the project design change orders on the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project were negotiated and approved without plans for quality assurance and quality control; [148525]
(9) what assessment has been made by international aid agencies of the adequacy of compliance with quality assurance and quality control in relation to the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project; [148526]
(10) for what reason the World Bank has employed contractors who are not fully I.S.O. 9000 series accredited; [148527]
(11) whether project completion certificates for the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project have been approved; [148700]
(12) if he will make a statement on levels of insurance cover relating to the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project; [148713]
(13) for what reason bills of quantities for the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project have been approved without packages for front end engineering design. [148717]
§ Hilary BennDFID is not directly involved in funding or implementing this project. DFID therefore does not have first-hand information on detailed implementation issues concerning quality assurance and control audits, internal audits, quality assurance and quality control, project design change orders, accreditation of contractors, project completion certificates, levels of insurance, fiscal accountability and transparency measures, and bills of quantities.
However, DFID is confident that the World Bank's systems for the monitoring and implementation of this project, and for the investigation of any warranted complaints are appropriate.
1139WSince the project was approved in June 2000, exceptional resources have been allocated by the Bank and the International Finance Corporation, to monitor and support the project's implementation against Internationally agreed standards. This includes the establishment of the Independent Inspection Panel (HP) and the External Compliance Monitoring Group (ECMG).
In relation to the quality of auditing and fiscal accountability, Bank policy identifies two sets of appropriate auditing standards: the International Standards on Auditing published by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the Auditing Standards published by the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions. Project arrangements provide for regular audits of the Chad/Cameroon pipeline projects accounts, plus independent opinions from the International Advisory Group (IAG) and the External Compliance and Monitoring Group (ECMG), which carries out regular independent supervisions of the technical and environmental aspects of the project, and from the Inspection Panel which may investigate complaints from people who believe they have been negatively affected by a World Bank project.
The Chad/Cameroon pipeline is subject to a number of monitoring and supervision controls to ensure quality control, application of environmental regulations, design and implementation adhere to International rules and regulations. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has strict requirements and specifications, and compliance with these by all parties is spelled out in legally binding agreements. Strong remedies are provided in legal agreements with all parties in case they fail to comply with this obligation. The EMP represents an extensive analysis of the potential environmental and social impacts of the project.
The World Bank are being advised by the ECMG in monitoring the implementation of the Environmental Management Plan, and by an International Advisory Group on broader implementation issues, including those that need to be addressed to achieve the project's developmental objectives. Both the ECMG and IAG make regular site visits. These third party reviews supplement the Bank's own monitoring and supervision of the project which includes site visits, internal reporting and continual discussions with the project sponsors.
The above measures are additional to on-going monitoring by the Consortium and by the Governments of Chad and Cameroon. The Consortium provide quarterly reports which are publicly available.
DFID's interest is as a member of the Executive Board of the World Bank. We do and will continue to take our role on the Executive Board seriously, ensuring that issues identified by the Independent Inspection Panel and External Compliance Monitoring Group are raised, monitored and rectified.
The investigation reports mentioned are available in the public domain and can be found on http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ccproi/index.htm.