§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how much expenditure is planned by his Department in the next three years for projects to work with young people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; [174554]
(2) if he will make a statement on the projects his Department is supporting in the Occupied Palestinian Territories specifically aimed at giving young people an alternative to violence and extremism; and at what cost in 2003–04. [174554]
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§ Hilary BennThe best way of giving young people an alternative to violence and extremism is to ensure they have a full and effective education with good prospects of future employment. DFID's support to the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) for which planned expenditure over the next three years is about £15 million per calendar year, provides substantial support to education and emergency employment creation. Over two thirds of UNRWA's annual budget is allocated for the education needs of Palestinian children in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. DFID provides project funding for UNRWA to help improve the school management by involving the local community. Planned funding is about £500,000 per year for the next two years.
DFID recently agreed a £7 million contribution to the World Bank's Public Financial Management Reform Trust Fund to support the Palestinian Authority. This will have an indirect impact on supporting young people, as the money will help maintain public services including education and keep PA employees at work by paying salaries.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the level of disruption to the schooling and vocational education of young people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories over the last five years. [174556]
§ Hilary BennDFID has not commissioned any such research but monitors the level of disruption to education through regular contact with our Palestinian and international partners including the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education, United Nations Relief Works Agency and Non Governmental Organisations. Many pupils and teachers now face difficulty in getting to school, which in effect reduces the number of full school days. There is also a reduction in the financial resources 1309W available for education as a result of the severe downturn of the Palestinian economy. The high priority given to education by Palestinian communities means that there has been no increase in the very low dropout rate, and only a small reduction in the high rate of enrolment of pupils in schools. The disruptions and violence nevertheless have a high psychological impact on students and on student achievement.