§ Tom CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance, health and medical advice is being given to Kenya to combat HIV/AIDS; and if he will make a statement. [185018]
§ Hilary BennDFID is planning to spend £7.1 million during the next financial year to tackle HIV/AIDS. Most of this is to support the Government of Kenya's National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS. This strategy will work alongside non-governmental agencies to ensure that HIV/AIDS concerns are considered in all relevant Government activity. Among other initiatives, DFID is supporting the equitable delivery of Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART), including a communication strategy to reduce misuse, and Home Based Care especially for orphans. Alongside the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), DFID is also funding the social marketing of condoms, especially in rural areas.
In education, DFID has been training teachers to teach children about HIV/AIDS. This programme was found to delay the age at which both girls and boys have sex and increased the use of condoms by girls. DFID is therefore increasing this activity and expects to cover 5,000 schools over the next year.
§ Tom CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance is being given to Kenya; and for which projects. [185019]
§ Hilary BennLast year, DFID's development assistance to Kenya was £29 million. This year our allocation has increased to £37 million. DFID's Country Assistance Plan makes provision to increase our development assistance to £50 million by 2005–06, but final decisions will depend on progress on the Kenyan Government's Economic Recovery Strategy, including its efforts to tackling corruption.
The following is a list of projects in Kenya that have approved funding for this year through bilateral assistance. There are a number of additional programmes that an, being developed.
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£million Project description Allocation Forecast spend 2004–05 ABLH Smallholder Marketing 2,819,000 406,423 Smallholder Dairy Project 2,007,000 322,968 Farm Africa—Goat Project II 1,453,000 355,892 Farming Systems Kenya 433,000 86,008 Sustainable Rural Livelihoods 120,000 34,385 Support to Kenya Land Reform 472,000 114,150 Sabatia Food Security Project 462,289 33,801 Kwale Rural Support 2,100,000 300,000 Assistance Road Sector Reform 400,000 54,439 Financial Sector deepening 11,370,000 2,035,914 Approtech Micro-Irrigation 1,700,000 192,796 Business Partnerships Programme 2,000,000 146,889 Enabling Environment 2,900,000 620,000 Business Services Market Dev 2,700,000 600,000 Support for Private Sector Dev 400,000 150,000 Strengthening Govt Finance 1,030,000 110,935 Assist, to Population Census 2,140,050 624,537 Political Empowerment Project 7,340,000 825,000 Legal Sector Reform 3,000,000 1,712,591 Monitoring and Evaluation 150,000 75,091 Environmental Governance Prog. 2,200,000 816,868 Poverty Reduction (PROLOGS) 6,600,000 1,271,945 Public Expenditure Mgmt 950,000 350,000 CBS Statistical Data 250,000 450,000 Ndhiwa Health Education 908,785 44,582 WaterAid Dev 725,971 66,551 ASAL Water 1,000,000 113,189 CARE Garissa Water 405,693 127,253 Kitui Sand Dams 353,059 50,739 Education for Employment 450,000 44,090 SPReD III Prim. Education 4,390,000 690,902 HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Ph 3 34,895,419 6,000,000 Safe Motherhood 2,054,000 197,376 Anti-Malarial Treatment 573,081 100,000 Malaria Control in Kenya 6,163,820 2,502,773 Decentralisation of Health Sery 3,500,000 1,011,260 Social Marketing of Bednets 27,800,000 5,800,000 Social Marketing of Condoms 8,636,000 1,100,000 Oxfam Programme Partnership Agreement 425,000 425,000 ActionAid Programme Partnership Agreement 3,000,000 1,100,000 Reduction of Conflict 250,000 250,000 Turkana Emergency Relief Programme 653,000 653,000 Total 31,957,347
§ Mr. Gregory CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the progress being made to assist Kenya in the provision of(a) the roads network and (b) water distribution in the North West of the country. [185122]
§ Hilary BennDFID supports development work in North West Kenya through partners such as Oxfam and Water Aid Kenya (locally known as Maji na Ufanisi). This work includes long-term development and short-term humanitarian assistance carried out in close collaboration with the Kenya authorities and with local communities. The long-term development approach involves strengthening local organisations to press the Government to provide basic services, including roads and water, and at the same time building community capacity to provide services such as bore hole maintenance at local level.
Part of Oxfam's current work in response to the famine in the North West (which is supported by DFID) is the provision of water for domestic use (construction and rehabilitation of bore holes and pan/dams, well protection and other water points) for both domestic and livestock use. As a result of this, the pressure on water in the North West has been reduced even during this period of drought and famine.
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§ Mr. TynanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement about the accounting, auditing and anti-corruption safeguards in place in respect of schemes run by his Department in Kenya. [185666]
§ Hilary BennDFID's programme in Kenya is subject to the same rigorous safeguards as all our development assistance. These are intended to ensure that funds are spent sensibly, in line with our objectives and with minimal risk of fraud or misappropriation. For this reason, DFID is unable at present to provide poverty reduction budget support to the Kenyan Government, since we are not yet convinced that the Government are seriously committed to fighting corruption and are making good progress on their overall reform programme. However, we can make progress on the Millennium Development Goals by supporting specific sectors and projects.
DFID is also supporting the central Government systems that are intended to ensure that public financial resources are monitored and used more effectively.
DFID, alongside other donors, are also working to strengthen key institutions that are directly involved in fighting corruption. There is to be increased support to the Director of Public Prosecution, Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission and civil society organisations, such as Transparency International, that work to improve the transparency of public resources.
In continued dialogue with the Government, the UK has made clear to the Kenyan Government that allegations about unsatisfactory tendering and contracting procedures are serious and need to be fully investigated. DFID has remained categorical that firm action should be taken against those found to have acted corruptly. DFID has continued to press the Government to pass important legislation including the Public Procurement Bill, the Public Financial Management Bill, and the appointment of a credible Head of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority.
§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to suspend aid to the Kenyan Government. [185852]
§ Hilary BennI am keeping the situation under close review, but have no plans to suspend our assistance to Kenya. Our assistance is designed to support long term change in Kenya that will lead to improved governance, and to help Kenya to make sustainable progress towards the MDGs. The faster the pace of reform, and the more conducive the environment, the faster progress we will make.
DFID's Country Assistance Plan (CAP), launched with the Government of Kenya last month, makes clear that we want to support the implementation of Kenya's Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS). Tackling corruption is a major priority of the ERS. DFID's CAP makes provision to increase our development assistance to £50 million by 2005-06, but final decisions will depend on ERS progress, including tackling corruption.