Written Statement of 10 May 2004

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Race Equality Monitoring
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Fiona Mactaggart)
  I have today placed in the Library copies of the 2003 annual report on the Home Secretary's race equality employment targets and the 2002–03 employment monitoring report under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Humanitarian Mine Action
  The Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn)
  Following an internal review by the Department for International Development, I am announcing today a revision to the Department's management of its support to Humanitarian Mine Action. The review team consulted a wide range of stakeholders including the United Nations, Civil Society, mine action organisations and other Government Departments.

  In 2000 DFID decided to channel the majority of its funds for mine action through the United Nations. The objectives of the review were to assess whether DFID's policy objectives of channelling most of its funds in this way were being met, and to consider DFID's resourcing of mine action and to look at future options.

  The review concluded that the overall policy approach should remain unchanged. The four existing main pillars of support remain valid. These are to: support humanitarian mine action focused on the poorest countries; improve the effectiveness of the international mine action system to mine pollution; develop new technologies to improve mine clearance; and promote the globalisation of the mine can convention. Additionally DFID's commitment to spend at least £10 million per annum on humanitarian mine action will continue.

  The policy in 2000 established Partnership arrangements with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). This support has contributed to improved coordination in the international system. These partnerships will continue but with revised overall funding levels. UNMAS and UNDP will continue to receive similar levels of funding to assist in strengthening their capacity but will receive
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  less towards country programme activity. Support to UNMAS will primarily be for its co-ordination role rather than its mine clearance operations, except in cases requiring short-term emergency response. In the case of UNICEF, DFID's ongoing three-year partnership for support to mine risk education will continue.

  As a result of these changes, DFID will now consider other funding options including bilateral funding via non-Government organisations (NGOs) and commercial companies. NGOs have an important role to play in advocating and implementing mine action. The revised policy reflects this by ensuring that more bilateral resources will be available to fund mine clearance by NGOs. Within DFID, the conflict and humanitarian affairs Department (CHAD) will continue to be the central point for humanitarian mine action policy. However in view of the increasing mainstreaming of mine action into development programmes, DFID regional desks/offices also have an important role where mine action features in DFID country assistance plans. This creates an additional potential source of funding from within DFID.

  DFID will continue to fund research and technology and the generation of knowledge. The Department expects to commit approximately 10 per cent. of its mine action funding in this area.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Planning Out Crime
  The Minister for Housing and Planning (Keith Hill)
  This statement is to bring to the attention of the House the launch of good practice guidance on Wednesday 28 April, prepared jointly by The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Office, on how the planning system may play its part in tackling crime. This guide will support the updated policy advice on planning out crime, which is set out in the draft planning policy statement 1 "General policy and principles".

  Through the sustainable communities plan the Government reaffirmed its commitment to delivering good quality villages towns and cities. Safety and security are essential to achieving his. Such places are well-designed, attractive environments where freedom from crime, and the fear of crime, improves the quality of life. Yet once a development has been completed the main opportunity to incorporate crime prevention measures will have been lost. The Government recognises that there are far too many examples of poor quality development because of insufficient attention to crime issues at the outset of the planning process.

  The Government considers that this guide will help to provide practical advice as to effective methods of implementing crime prevention measures and securing community safety through the planning system. It challenges all those who influence the design and layout of developments, to think holistically about each development. In doing so the Government recognizes

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  that there is no one solution that applies to every situation. That is why this guide stresses the importance of understanding the context and unique nature of the locality, and the importance of close co-operation between the many professional disciplines, if planning is to lay an effective role in preventing crime and the fear of crime.
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  The Government intends that those who read this guide will be inspired to use its suggestions and help to deliver the high quality and safe development that we all wish to see and from which all can benefit.

  Copies of the document will be made available in the Libraries of the House.

  Humanitarian Mine Action
  The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development has made the following Statement.

  Following an internal review by the Department for International Development, I am announcing today a revision to the department's management of its support to Humanitarian Mine Action. The review team consulted a wide range of stakeholders including the United Nations, civil society, mine action organisations and other government departments.

  In 2000 DfID decided to channel the majority of its funds for mine action through the United Nations. The objectives of the review were to assess whether DfID's policy objectives of channelling most of its funds in this way were being met, and to consider DfID's resourcing of mine action and to look at future options.

  The review concluded that the overall policy approach should remain unchanged. The four existing main pillars of support remain valid. These are to: support humanitarian mine action focused on the poorest countries; improve the effectiveness of the international mine action system to mine pollution; develop new technologies to improve mine clearance; and promote the globalisation of the mine ban convention. Additionally DfID's commitment to spend at least £10 million per annum on humanitarian mine action will continue.

  The policy in 2000 established partnership arrangements with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). This support has contributed to improved co-ordination in the international system. These partnerships will continue but with revised overall funding levels. UNMAS and UNDP will continue to receive similar levels of funding to assist in strengthening their capacity but will receive less towards country programme activity. Support to UNMAS will primarily be for its co-ordination role rather than its mine clearance operations, except in cases requiring short-term emergency response. In the case of UNICEF, DfID's ongoing three-year partnership for support to mine risk education will continue.

  As a result of these changes, DfID will now consider other funding options including bilateral funding via non-government organisations (NGOs) and commercial companies. NGOs have an important role to play in advocating and implementing mine action. The revised
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  policy reflects this by ensuring that more bilateral resources will be available to fund mine clearance by NGOs.

  Within DfID, the Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs Department (CHAD) will continue to be the central point for humanitarian mine action policy. However in view of the increasing mainstreaming of mine action into development programmes, DfID regional desks/offices also have an important role where mine action features in DfID country assistance plans. This creates an additional potential source of funding from within DfID.

  DfID will continue to fund research and technology and the generation of knowledge. The department expects to commit approximately 10 per cent of its mine action funding in this area.

  Anti-structures Munition
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
  My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Defence (Mr Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  The Ministry of Defence has selected two systems offered by Dynamit Nobel and Saab Bofors Dynamics to proceed into a competitive assessment phase for the antistructures munition programme. This follows a successful and comprehensive evaluation as part of the concept phase. The cost of the assessment phase is likely to be approximately £7 million.

  The ASM programme is intended to produce a man-portable, shoulder-launched, precision weapon for use against fixed structures and other emplacements at a range of around 200m utilising enhanced blast warhead technology. A decision on whether to commit to demonstration and manufacture of the system will occur at main gate.

  The Strategic Defence Review new chapter placed increased emphasis on the need for precision in the lace of force and ASM has the potential to provide the Armed Forces with a significant advancement in capability in this area, particularly for expeditionary operations in urban and mountainous terrain. It is designed to minimise casualties and will be fully in accordance with our obligations under international humanitarian law.

  Defence Analytical Services Agency: Key Targets 2004–05
  Lord Bach
  My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Defence (Mr Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  Key targets have been set for the chief executive of the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) for the financial year 2004–05, and are as follows:

  Delivering Services to Meet Customer Needs

  To meet at least 95 per cent of the timeliness and quality targets in the 36 service level agreements with

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  customers for ongoing work, and project agreements for surveys, modelling and other one-off projects.

  To publish the five key defence national statistics on time, with no major errors and with no breaches of the pre-release access arrangements, and to meet 95 per cent of the timeliness and quality targets for other defence national statistics publications.

  To have at least 90 per cent of customers saying, in the annual customer satisfaction survey, that they are satisfied with the overall service they receive from DASA.

  Investing in Quality

  To conduct a national statistics quality review of DASA's service pensioners statistics, and recommend improvements in their quality and scope.

  To implement 75 per cent of the 2004–05 targets in the implementation plan for the defence finance and economic statistics national statistics quality review conducted in 2002–03.

  Developing People

  To have at least 85 per cent of staff saying, in the annual staff opinion survey, that they are satisfied with working in DASA.

  Efficiency

  To make sufficient efficiency gains to provide the necessary resources for a) key target 5 to be addressed, b) a scoping study to be conducted into DASA's taking on responsibility for the collection and presentation of deployment statistics, and c) an expanded investment appraisal advice service established.

  Defence Transport and Movement Agency: Key Targets 2004–05
  Lord Bach
  My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Defence (Mr Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  Key targets have been set for the chief executive of DMTA for the financial year 2004–05. The targets are as follows:

  Key Target 1

  To achieve at least a "Satisfactory" rating in the provision of planning and delivery of transport and movements support to emerging operations, an increase in the tempo of existing operations or other requirements.

  Key Target 2

  To achieve at least a "Satisfactory" rating in the planning and delivery of transport and movements support to enduring operations.

  Key Target 3

  To provide roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel capability at the readiness states required.

  Key Target 4

  To meet customers' requirements as negotiated and agreed in customer supplier agreements (CSAs) to deliver:

  97 per cent or more of agency transactions and services, however provided, to be within agreed time, quantity, quality and cost (TQQC) criteria.

  At least 92 per cent of transactions against each service to be within agreed TQQC criteria.

  Key Target 5

  To reduce the average unit cost of output by 2 per cent in real terms.