§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the underlying cause of the 50 per cent. rise in basic service prices in South Africa; and what is being done to remedy this. [150344]
§ Hilary BennIt is difficult to make an overall assessment of the rise in prices of basic services in South Africa. The latest consumer price index figures published by Statistics South Africa suggest that overall inflation was 4.8 per cent. for the year to November 2003, while the price of fuel and power in urban areas rose over the same period by 6.8 per cent.
The Government of South Africa is committed to providing free basic services to the poor. The Free Basic Water policy entitles poor households to 6,000 litres of water each month, and the Free Basic Electricity policy to 50 kilowatt hours of electricity each month, free of charge. Poor households must pay for their use of services above these thresholds.
§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has provided to South Africa broken down by(a)programme type, (b)programme name and (c) funding provided in each of the last six years. [151286]
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§ Hilary BennDFID's assistance to South Africa over the last six financial years has totalled:
000s Financial Year Number 1997–98 25,549 1998–99 28,858 1999–2000 29,557 2000–01 30,115 2001–02 25,485 2002–03 36,435 I will write to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington with a list of the programmes which make up this total.
§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research his Department have(a) conducted and (b) commissioned into numbers of (i) pharmacists, (ii) doctors and (iii) nurses in South Africa; and what assessment he has made of South Africa's ability to implement its plan to distribute anti-retroviral AIDS drugs to its HIV-positive citizens. [151284]
§ Hilary BennDFID have not commissioned or conducted any such research. The South African Government's plan for the comprehensive care, management and treatment of HIV/AIDS envisages that anti-retroviral drugs will be introduced progressively, with all who need them having access within five years. The plan takes into account the need to train additional health professionals. DFID are in discussion with the Government of South Africa about how the UK can best support the implementation of the plan.
§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has provided to fighting HIV/AIDS in South Africa broken down by(a) programme type, (b) programme name and (c) funding provided in each of the last six years. [151285]
§ Hilary BennDFID's assistance for HIV/AIDS in South Africa over the last six financial years has totalled:
000s Financial Year Number 1997–98 1,925 1998–99 3,056 1999–2000 3,088 2000–01 4,345 2001–02 4,442 2002–03 8,758 I will write to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington with a list of the programmes which make up this total.