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Police Constables
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to the experience, briefing and training of police constables on the beat. [151]
Mr. Maclean: The way in which beat patrol officers are used is an operational matter for chief constables. The scope and content of the probationer training curriculum is currently being reviewed to ensure that new recruits are equipped with the necessary skills and abilities to undertake this key role.
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Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the co-ordinated police initiatives on a United Kingdom or Wales basis intended to combat violence against homosexuals. [605]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 20 November 1995]: The prevention and detection of crime are operational responsibilities of chief officer of police. Forces co-operate with others where circumstances indicate that to be an effective approach to reducing crime of whatever form.
Late Payment
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Lord President of the Council how his Department publicises payment practices other than as percentages of invoices paid late.
Mr. Newton: Consideration is being given to the inclusion of a statement on payment practices in my Department's next annual report.
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Lord President of the Council what is the average length of time it takes for his Department to pay invoices.
Mr. Newton: The practice of the Privy Council Office is to pay all invoices within 30 days.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Charter Mark Scheme
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on British Gas's decision to withdraw from the charter mark award scheme.
Mr. Freeman: Charter mark assessors were looking into standards of service at British Gas when the company relinquished its award earlier this month. This pre-empted any recommendation the assessors might have reached as a result of their investigation into standards of service at the company.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Aid Budget
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what increases to the total overseas aid budget would be required in each of the next three years to preserve the real value of the bilateral aid programme. [1592]
Mr. Hanley: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Gapes) on 8 November Official Report, columns 902-903.
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Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the general agreement on tariffs and trade on overseas aid to (a) sub-Saharan Africa, (b) Latin America and the Caribbean, (c) south and central Asia, (d) middle east and north Africa, (e) other Asia and Oceania and (f) eastern Europe. [1541]
Mr. Hanley:
There is no direct linkage between trade liberalisation and the volume of overseas aid. However, many developing countries have taken advantage of successive general agreements on tariffs and trade to achieve export-led growth and so have reduced their need for aid.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of a shift from bilateral aid to multilateral aid on nations which receive overseas aid from the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [1549]
Mr. Hanley:
As the share of multilateral aid, particularly that through the EC, rises it is all the more important to work to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of multilateral aid; to focus bilateral aid on activities where the United Kingdom has a comparative advantage; and to pursue the greatest possible complementarity between both forms of aid. Action is in hand on all these points.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to change the level of expenditure on overseas aid and development. [1545]
Mr. Hanley:
We shall maintain an effective and substantial programme focused on the poorest countries. Future levels of aid will be announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement on 28 November.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has had from business interests with regard to distribution of the overseas aid programme. [1539]
Mr. Hanley:
None. But my noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has regular discussions with the business community about the aid programme with the twin aims of explaining developments in aid policy, and exploring with them how expenditure through the aid programme can, as a secondary objective, lead to future United Kingdom commercial relations. The question of the distribution of the aid programme is one topic occasionally referred to.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and decisions taken, indicating any votes, at the EU Development Council in Brussels on 13 November. [1556]
Ms Quin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Development Council on 13 November. [1204]
21 Nov 1995 : Column: 90
Mr. Hanley:
The EU Development Council has been rescheduled to 20 December.
Ms Glenda Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the overseas aid budget is allocated to immunisation programmes; and if this percentage will be increased over the next five years. [222]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 20 November 1995]: Immunisation against infectious diseases is one of the most cost-effective means available for improving human health. During 1994, the ODA contributed around £250 million, or at least 10 per cent. of the aid budget, directly to health and population aid. A further sum was provided indirectly, through British contributions to the European Commission, World bank and UNICEF.
Funds were used to improve the effectiveness of health services in developing countries and countries in transition; to promote improved reproductive health including safer maternity; to reduce suffering due to communicable diseases, especially tuberculosis, malaria and HIV; and to improve access to essential health care in emergencies. In all these circumstances, United Kingdom funding contributes to improved population coverage with effective vaccines. Funds are routed through the ODA's bilateral country, emergency and technology development and research programmes, grants to UNICEF and WHO, and joint funding of non-governmental organisations like Save the Children Fund, Oxfam and MERLIN.
Separate figures are not available for UK spending on immunisation work within these broader programmes.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Governments of (a) Vietnam, (b) Cambodia, (c) Mozambique and (d) other developing countries regarding the results of British research into the control and destruction of land mines. [108]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 20 November 1995]: None.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what public funds have been expended on research into the control and destruction of land mines for each of the past five years. [109]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 20 November 1995]: The Ministry of defence supports a programme of generic research into battlefield engineering, part of which is directed towards studies into the control and destruction of land mines. It is estimated that expenditure on such work in this financial year will be more than £150,000. Figures for preceding years are not readily available but are understood to be comparable for the past three years and lower prior to that.
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