Iraq (Hansard, 12 May 2004)

§ 9. Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development, what support is being provided for the rebuilding of Iraq. [172243]

§ Hilary Benn
At the Madrid Donors' Conference in October last year, the Government announced a total UK pledge of £544 million towards the reconstruction effort in Iraq from April 2003 to March 2006.
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DFID has now committed over £278 million for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Iraq. This includes £70 million for the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, managed by the World Bank and the United Nations. We are also supporting Iraqi government policies and reforms that benefit the poor, and, in the south of Iraq, helping to restore infrastructure and develop the region's links with central government in Baghdad.

§ Mr. Keetch
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on current levels of(a) power generation, (b) water provision and (c) infrastructure construction in Iraq; and what steps have been taken to maintain provision of these services when contractors leave the country prematurely. [171420]

§ Hilary Benn
The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) reports that average electricity production is in the region of 4,000 megawatts (MW), approximately the same level as before the 2003 conflict. A number of generating units are undergoing maintenance and should be back in service by the summer peak demand period. The CPA's power generation target for 1 June is 6,000 MW.
It is estimated that immediately after the 2003 conflict coverage of water services was 60 per cent. of the urban and 30 per cent. of the rural populations. Considerable work has taken place since then to improve the quantity, quality and reliability of water services to the population. There are no complete statistics on current coverage, but informal estimates suggest that, in the south, supply has increased by 10 to 15 per cent. since May 2003. By the summer of 2004, water quality and volume in Basra is expected to have exceeded preconflict levels.
A total of US$32 billion was pledged for the reconstruction of Iraq at the Madrid Donors' Conference in October 2003. Very significant sums are now being committed to specific projects for the reconstruction of power and water infrastructure and in a wide range of other sectors including health, education, transport, irrigation, telecommunications, housing and oil production.
The maintenance of essential services is to a very large extent undertaken by Iraqis rather than by foreign contractors. However, it is clear that some reconstruction projects may be delayed as a result of restrictions imposed by the present security situation on the ability of contractors and development agencies to operate normally throughout the country.