380737 Hc 65 Ii Text

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

380737 Hc 65 Ii Text House of Commons International Development Committee Reconstructing Afghanistan Fourth Report of Session 2007–08 Volume II Oral and written evidence Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 5 February 2008 HC 65-II [Incorporating HC 1097-i, Session 2006-07] Published on 14 February 2008 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £16.50 International Development Committee The International Development Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for International Development and its associated public bodies. Current membership Malcolm Bruce MP (Liberal Democrat, Gordon) (Chairman) John Battle MP (Labour, Leeds West) Hugh Bayley MP (Labour, City of York) John Bercow MP (Conservative, Buckingham) Richard Burden MP (Labour, Birmingham Northfield) Mr Stephen Crabb MP (Conservative, Preseli Pembrokeshire) James Duddridge MP (Conservative, Rochford and Southend East) Ann McKechin MP (Labour, Glasgow North) Jim Sheridan MP (Labour, Paisley and Renfrewshire North) Mr Marsha Singh MP (Labour, Bradford West) Sir Robert Smith MP (Liberal Democrat, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at www.parliament.uk/indcom Committee staff The staff of the Committee are: Carol Oxborough (Clerk), Matthew Hedges (Second Clerk), Anna Dickson (Committee Specialist), Chlöe Challender (Committee Specialist), Ian Hook (Committee Assistant), Jennifer Steele (Secretary), Alex Paterson (Media Officer) and James Bowman (Senior Office Clerk). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the International Development Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 1223; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] Footnotes In the footnotes for this Report, references to oral evidence are indicated by ‘Q’ followed by the question number. References to written evidence are indicated by the page number as in ‘Ev 12’ Witnesses Tuesday 23 October 2007 Page Mr Jim Drummond, Director, South Asia Division, Ms Lindy Cameron, former Head of DFID Afghanistan, Department for International Development and Mr Peter Holland, Head, Afghan Drugs Inter-Departmental Unit, Foreign & Commonwealth Office Ev 1 Thursday 15 November 2007 Mr David Mansfield, Independent Consultant Ev 14 Mr David Page, Chair of Trustees, Afghanaid, Mr Mudasser Hussain Siddiqui, Policy, Research and Advocacy Co-ordinator, ActionAid Afghanistan and Ms Elizabeth Winter, Special Adviser, Policy and Advocacy, British & Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) Ev 21 Thursday 17 January 2008 Rt Hon. Douglas Alexander, MP, Secretary of State, Mr Marshall Elliott, Head of DFID Afghanistan, Department for International Development and Ms Philippa Rogers, Deputy Head of Afghan Drugs Inter-Departmental Unit, Ev 31 Foreign & Commonwealth Office List of written evidence Department for International Development Ev 50; 60; 61 ActionAid Ev 62 Afghanaid Ev 68; 72 British Council Ev 74 British & Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) Ev 75:Ev 90 Christian Aid Ev 95 David Elliot, Independent Consultant Ev 101 Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS UK) Ev 102 Institute for State Effectiveness Ev 107 Médecins du Monde UK Ev 110 Merlin Ev 111 Oxfam International, Afghanistan Ev 114 The Senlis Council Ev 127 Stop The Traffik Ev 129 WOMANKIND Worldwide Ev 131 List of unprinted written evidence The following written evidence has been reported to the House, but to save printing costs it has not been printed and copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library, where they may be inspected by Members. Other copies are in the Parliamentary Archives, and are available to the public for inspection. Requests for inspection should be addressed to The Parliamentary Archives, Houses of Parliament, London SW1A 0PW (tel. 020 7219 3074). Opening hours are from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm on Mondays to Fridays. Independent Directorate for Local Governance of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: • Strategy Paper, September 2007 • Strategic Framework • Communities Self-Defense Programme Processed: 08-02-2008 19:43:26 Page Layout: COENEW [SO] PPSysB Job: 380737 Unit: PAG1 International Development Committee: Evidence Ev 1 Oral evidence Taken before the International Development Committee on Tuesday 23 October 2007 Members present: Malcolm Bruce, in the Chair Richard Burden Mr Marsha Singh James Duddridge Sir Robert Smith Ann McKechin Witnesses: Mr Jim Drummond, Director, South Asia Division, Ms Lindy Cameron, former Head of Department for International Development (DFID) Afghanistan, and Mr Peter Holland, Head, Afghan Drugs Inter-Departmental Unit (joint DFID-FCO unit), DFID, gave evidence. Q1 Chairman: Good morning and thank you for extremity of poverty in Afghanistan is being taken coming to give evidence in our first session on into account in setting the level of aid that the development assistance in insecure environments country receives? with the emphasis on Afghanistan for which you Mr Drummond: Perhaps I may start with a little have particular DFID responsibilities. Mr background to that question. The development Drummond, perhaps for the record you would first challenge in Afghanistan is still huge. We started introduce the members of your team and their from an extremely low base in development terms in particular areas of expertise and responsibility. 2001 when the Taliban regime fell. From the Mr Drummond: My name is Jim Drummond and I statistics we have, in 2004 life expectancy in am the director for South Asia in DFID. I started Afghanistan was 46 years and adult literacy was 28% compared with the average in Least Developed this job at the beginning of the month and so I am a Countries of 52.4 years and 63%. One in five Afghan relative new-comer. On my right is Lindy Cameron children dies before its fifth birthday. That is an who in September finished a period of 18 months or Y improvement from one in four dying at the end of so as head of the DFID o ce in Afghanistan based the Taliban regime, but it is still a very serious state in Kabul. On my left is Peter Holland who is head of of aVairs. Half the population lives on less than $1 a the Afghan Drugs Inter-Departmental Unit, day and about one third of the population eats less generally known as ADIDU. Mr Holland has been than the minimum daily calorie requirement. in his job for a while and therefore also has Afghanistan will miss the Millennium Development considerable expertise on the subject. ADIDU is Goals but it has a target for meeting them by 2020. responsible for the counter-narcotics eVort but is Set against that, there have been some pretty also the lead on policing and justice issues and so Mr remarkable achievements in the past five years. We Holland will help with questions that you may have now have 5.4 million children in school, one third of on those subjects. them girls. As you know, the Taliban excluded girls from school. Nearly five million refugees have returned to Afghanistan. There have been improvements in infant mortality rates and the Q2 Chairman: When the international compact for immunisation of children. It is estimated that Afghanistan was signed in London in January 2006 immunisation against measles has saved about the Committee had the opportunity to meet 35,000 lives annually. Attendance at school and informally a number of the Afghan representatives. access to basic healthcare have improved. There is a Obviously, that was a significant development and mixed picture of achievements from a very low base there were high hopes as to where it would lead. By but which often go unreported. It varies around the any standards Afghanistan is a very poor country country as you will know. In terms of the resources and presumably would always be a priority for that DFID puts into Afghanistan, Ministers made a funding by DFID regardless of the current situation commitment to provide¨ 330 million over a three- and recent history. Can you give an indication of year period. The last year of that is the next financial how that country fares in terms of the aid it receives year. We expect to meet that commitment. If you compared with other post-conflict countries in look at the resource allocation model from which DFID starts its process—obviously, resource recent times and to what extent the scale of the allocations are political decisions but they are based poverty in Afghanistan is being taken fully into on evidence of poverty—Afghanistan would get account? In some of the written evidence we have about one third of what it gets now. We have made received from a variety of sources a number of extra provision for Afghanistan. people have commented that the resources being made available are inadequate for the scale. Can you Q3 Chairman: I completely accept the statistics you provide an indication of what resources per capita have given us and the scale of improvement, which are being made available and to what extent the is welcome. I also accept your answer in terms of Processed: 08-02-2008 19:43:26 Page Layout: COENEW [E] PPSysB Job: 380737 Unit: PAG1 Ev 2 International Development Committee: Evidence 23 October 2007 Mr Jim Drummond, Ms Lindy Cameron and Mr Peter Holland DFID’s particular commitment, but, to put that in Development Bank about the need to maintain the context, the International Crisis Group—I accept higher levels of post-conflict assistance that they this is historical—says that in the first two years after have been delivering to Afghanistan.
Recommended publications
  • Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
    Wednesday Volume 501 25 November 2009 No. 5 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 25 November 2009 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2009 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 513 25 NOVEMBER 2009 514 my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and House of Commons Arran (Ms Clark). In a letter I received from Ofcom, the regulator states: Wednesday 25 November 2009 “Ofcom does not have the power to mandate ISPs”— internet service providers. Surely that power is overdue, because otherwise, many of my constituents, along with The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock those of my colleagues, will continue to receive a poor broadband service. PRAYERS Mr. Murphy: My hon. Friend makes some very important points about the decision-making powers and architecture [MR.SPEAKER in the Chair] that will ensure we achieve 90 per cent. broadband penetration. We are trying to ensure that the market provides most of that, and we expect that up to two thirds—60 to 70 per cent.—of homes will be able to Oral Answers to Questions access super-fast broadband through the market. However, the Government will have to do additional things, and my hon. Friend can make the case for giving Ofcom SCOTLAND additional powers; but, again, we are absolutely determined that no one be excluded for reasons of geography or income.
    [Show full text]
  • DFID Annual Report 2008
    House of Commons International Development Committee DFID Annual Report 2008 Second Report of Session 2008–09 Volume II Oral and written evidence Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 10 February 2009 HC 220-II [Incorporating HC 945-i, -ii and -iii of Session 2007-08 Published on 19 February 2009 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £0.00 International Development Committee The International Development Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for International Development and its associated public bodies. Current membership Malcolm Bruce MP (Liberal Democrat, Gordon) (Chairman) John Battle MP (Labour, Leeds West) Hugh Bayley MP (Labour, City of York) John Bercow MP (Conservative, Buckingham) Richard Burden MP (Labour, Birmingham Northfield) Mr Stephen Crabb MP (Conservative, Preseli Pembrokeshire) Mr Mark Hendrick MP (Labour Co-op, Preston) Daniel Kawczynski MP (Conservative, Shrewsbury and Atcham) Jim Sheridan MP (Labour, Paisley and Renfrewshire North) Mr Marsha Singh MP (Labour, Bradford West) Andrew Stunell (Liberal Democrat, Hazel Grove) Ann McKechin (Labour, Glasgow North) and Sir Robert Smith (Liberal Democrat, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) were also members of the Committee during this inquiry. Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk.
    [Show full text]
  • Z675928x Margaret Hodge Mp 06/10/2011 Z9080283 Lorely
    Z675928X MARGARET HODGE MP 06/10/2011 Z9080283 LORELY BURT MP 08/10/2011 Z5702798 PAUL FARRELLY MP 09/10/2011 Z5651644 NORMAN LAMB 09/10/2011 Z236177X ROBERT HALFON MP 11/10/2011 Z2326282 MARCUS JONES MP 11/10/2011 Z2409343 CHARLOTTE LESLIE 12/10/2011 Z2415104 CATHERINE MCKINNELL 14/10/2011 Z2416602 STEPHEN MOSLEY 18/10/2011 Z5957328 JOAN RUDDOCK MP 18/10/2011 Z2375838 ROBIN WALKER MP 19/10/2011 Z1907445 ANNE MCINTOSH MP 20/10/2011 Z2408027 IAN LAVERY MP 21/10/2011 Z1951398 ROGER WILLIAMS 21/10/2011 Z7209413 ALISTAIR CARMICHAEL 24/10/2011 Z2423448 NIGEL MILLS MP 24/10/2011 Z2423360 BEN GUMMER MP 25/10/2011 Z2423633 MIKE WEATHERLEY MP 25/10/2011 Z5092044 GERAINT DAVIES MP 26/10/2011 Z2425526 KARL TURNER MP 27/10/2011 Z242877X DAVID MORRIS MP 28/10/2011 Z2414680 JAMES MORRIS MP 28/10/2011 Z2428399 PHILLIP LEE MP 31/10/2011 Z2429528 IAN MEARNS MP 31/10/2011 Z2329673 DR EILIDH WHITEFORD MP 31/10/2011 Z9252691 MADELEINE MOON MP 01/11/2011 Z2431014 GAVIN WILLIAMSON MP 01/11/2011 Z2414601 DAVID MOWAT MP 02/11/2011 Z2384782 CHRISTOPHER LESLIE MP 04/11/2011 Z7322798 ANDREW SLAUGHTER 05/11/2011 Z9265248 IAN AUSTIN MP 08/11/2011 Z2424608 AMBER RUDD MP 09/11/2011 Z241465X SIMON KIRBY MP 10/11/2011 Z2422243 PAUL MAYNARD MP 10/11/2011 Z2261940 TESSA MUNT MP 10/11/2011 Z5928278 VERNON RODNEY COAKER MP 11/11/2011 Z5402015 STEPHEN TIMMS MP 11/11/2011 Z1889879 BRIAN BINLEY MP 12/11/2011 Z5564713 ANDY BURNHAM MP 12/11/2011 Z4665783 EDWARD GARNIER QC MP 12/11/2011 Z907501X DANIEL KAWCZYNSKI MP 12/11/2011 Z728149X JOHN ROBERTSON MP 12/11/2011 Z5611939 CHRIS
    [Show full text]
  • Women Mps in Westminster Photographs Taken May 21St, June 3Rd, June 4Th, 2008
    “The House of Commons Works of Art Collection documents significant moments in Parliamentary history. We are delighted to have added this unique photographic record of women MPs of today, to mark the 90th anniversary of women first being able to take their seats in this House” – Hugo Swire, Chairman, The Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. “The day the Carlton Club accepted women” – 90 years after women first got the vote aim to ensure that a more enduring image of On May 21st 2008 over half of all women women's participation in the political process Members of Parliament in Westminster survives. gathered party by party to have group photographs taken to mark the anniversary of Each party gave its permission for the 90 years since women first got the vote (in photographs to be taken. For the Labour February 1918 women over 30 were first Party, Barbara Follett MP, the then Deputy granted the vote). Minister for Women and Equality, and Barbara Keeley MP, who was Chair of the Labour Party Women’s Committee and The four new composite Caroline Adams, who works for the photographs taken party by Parliamentary Labour Party helped ensure that all but 12 of the Labour women party aim to ensure that a attended. more enduring image of For the Conservative women's participation in the Party, The Shadow Leader of the House of political process survives Commons and Shadow Minister for Until now the most often used photographic Women, Theresa May image of women MPs had been the so called MP and the Chairman “Blair Babes” picture taken on 7th May 1997 of the Conservative shortly after 101 Labour women were elected Party, Caroline to Westminster as a result of positive action by Spelman MP, enlisted the Labour Party.
    [Show full text]
  • Download (9MB)
    A University of Sussex PhD thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details 2018 Behavioural Models for Identifying Authenticity in the Twitter Feeds of UK Members of Parliament A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF UK MPS’ TWEETS BETWEEN 2011 AND 2012; A LONGITUDINAL STUDY MARK MARGARETTEN Mark Stuart Margaretten Submitted for the degree of Doctor of PhilosoPhy at the University of Sussex June 2018 1 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................ 1 DECLARATION .................................................................................................................................. 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 5 FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................... 6 TABLES ............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Feasibility Study on Opium Licensing in Afghanistan
    FEASIBILITY STUDY ON OPIUM LICENSING IN AFGHANISTAN FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MORPHINE AND OTHER ESSENTIAL MEDICINES ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ اﻣﮑﺎﻧﺎت در ﻣﻮرد ﺟﻮاز دهﯽ ﺗﺮﻳﺎک در اﻓﻐﺎﻧﺴﺘﺎن ﺑﺮای ﺗﻮﻟﻴﺪ ﻣﻮرﻓﻴﻦ و ادوﻳﻪ ﺟﺎت ﺿﺮوری دﻳﮕﺮ Initial Findings – September 2005 Kabul, Afghanistan The British Institute of International and Comparative Law Hugo Warner • University of Calgary Peter Facchini - Jill Hagel University of Ghent Brice De Ruyver - Laurens van Puyenbroeck University of Kabul Abdul Aziz Ali Ahmad - Osman Babury Cheragh Ali Cheragh - Mohammad Yasin Mohsini University of Lisbon Vitalino Canas - Nuno Aureliano • Shruti Patel • University of Toronto Benedikt Fischer Todd Culbert - Juergen Rehm • Wageningen University Jules Bos - Suzanne Pegge • Ali Wardak • The Senlis Council Gabrielle Archer - Juan Arjona - Luke Bryant Marc Das Gupta - Furkat Elmirzaev - Guillaume Fournier Jane Francis - Thalia Ioannidou - Ernestien Jensema Manna Kamio Badiella - Jorrit Kamminga - Fabrice Pothier Emmanuel Reinert - David Spivack - Daniel Werb FEASIBILITY STUDY ON OPIUM LICENSING IN AFGHANISTAN FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MORPHINE AND OTHER ESSENTIAL MEDICINES Initial Findings – September 2005 Kabul, Afghanistan Study Commissioned by The Senlis Council Study Edited and coordinated by David Spivack Editorial team: Juan Arjona, Jane Francis, Thalia Ioannidou, Ernestien Jensema, Manna Kamio Badiella, Fabrice Pothier. Published 2005 by MF Publishing Ltd 17 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9BU, UK ISBN: 0-9550798-2-9 Printed and bound in Afghanistan by Jehoon; Printing Press Other publications
    [Show full text]
  • Devolution and the Centre Monitoring Report
    EVOLUTION ONITORING ROGRAMME 2006-08 Devolution and the Centre Monitoring Report January 2009 Robert Hazell The Constitution Unit www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit ISSN 1751-3898 The Devolution Monitoring Programme From 1999 to 2005 the Constitution Unit at University College London managed a major research project monitoring devolution across the UK through a network of research teams. 103 reports were produced during this project, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number L 219 252 016) and the Leverhulme Nations and Regions Programme. Now, with further funding from the Economic and social research council and support from several government departments, the monitoring programme is continuing for a further three years from 2006 until the end of 2008. Three times per year, the research network produces detailed reports covering developments in devolution in five areas: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Englsh Regions, and Devolution and the Centre. The overall monitoring project is managed by Professor Robert Hazell at The Constitution Unit, UCL and the team leaders are as follows: Scotland: Dr Paul Cairney University of Aberdeen Wales: Prof Richard Wyn Jones & Prof Roger Scully Institute of Welsh Politics, Aberystwyth University Northern Ireland: Professor Rick Wilford & Robin Wilson Queen’s University, Belfast English Regions: Prof Alan Harding & Dr James Rees IPEG, University of Manchester The Centre: Prof Robert Hazell, The Constitution Unit, UCL The Constitution Unit and the rest of the research network is grateful to all the funders of the devolution monitoring programme. All devolution monitoring reports are published at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution- unit/research/devolution/devo-monitoring-programme.html Devolution and the Centre Monitoring Report January 2009 Robert Hazell Devolution and the Centre Monitoring Report January 2009 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 5 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Affairs Brief a Daily Summary of Political Events Affecting the Jewish Community
    5 December 2012 Political Affairs Brief A daily summary of political events affecting the Jewish Community Scottish Council of Jewish Communities SCoJeC Contents Home Affairs Other Relevant Information Israel Relevant Legislation Consultations Home Affairs UK Parliamentary Questions Racism Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whether there is a link between severe austerity periods and an increase in racial abuse and attacks.[HL3749] The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): No assessment has been made of the relationship between the economy and racial abuse and attacks. Many factors influence crime rates and it is not possible to make simple links. There is no evidence from official statistics to suggest that there has been an increase in racial abuse and attacks in recent years. For example, the latest figures for the number of racist incidents (any incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race) reported to the police forces in England and Wales show a decrease of 8% between 2010-11 and 2011-12. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/121204w0001.htm#121 20463000694 Circumcision Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions have been brought against those alleged to have caused harm through the performance of home circumcisions in each of the last three years. [131239] The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service does not hold central data reporting the number of prosecutions against people alleged to have caused harm through the performance of home circumcision.
    [Show full text]
  • Statement Of
    Statement of Asa Hutchinson Administrator Drug Enforcement Administration before The House Government Reform Committee Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources October 3, 2001 Executive Summary DEA employs a global approach to attacking drug organizations that fuel the terror network. In 2000, Afghanistan produced 70 percent of the world’s opium supply and 80 percent of the opiate products destined for Europe. Unlike their counterparts in Colombia, the terrorists of Afghanistan enjoy the benefits of a trafficker-driven economy that lacks even a recognized national government. DEA intelligence confirms the presence of a linkage between Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban and international terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Although DEA has no direct evidence to confirm that Bin Laden is involved in the drug trade, it is clear that the sanctuary enjoyed by Bin Laden is based on the Taliban’s support for the drug trade, which is a primary source of income in Afghanistan. Credible DEA source information indicates ties between the Taliban and the drug trade. The Taliban directly taxes and derives financial benefits from the opium trade. They even provide receipts for their collected drug revenues. In 2001, Afghanistan produced approximately 74 metric tons of opium, a substantial reduction from the 3,656 metric tons produced in 2000. Despite this significant decrease and the Taliban’s claims of lab destructions, DEA has seen no decrease in availability, and no increase in prices of Southwest Asian Heroin in the United States and European consumer countries. This indicates that significant amounts of opiates still remain available. According to the United Nations, up to 60% of Afghanistan’s opium crop is stored for future sales.
    [Show full text]
  • MEMO Is Produced by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities in Partnership with BEMIS - Empowering Scotland's Ethnic and Cultural
    30 November 2009 ISSUE 200 Minority Ethnic Matters Overview MEMO is produced by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities in partnership with BEMIS - empowering Scotland's ethnic and cultural Supported b y minority communities . It provides an overview of information of interest to minority ethnic communities in Scotland, including parliamentary Activity at Holyrood and Westminster, new publications, consultations, forthcoming conferences and news reports. Contents Immigration and Asylum Other News Race Relations Bills in Progress Equality Consultations Racism and Religious Hatred Job Opportunities Other Holyrood Events/Conferences/Training Other Westminster Useful Links New Publications Note that some weblinks, particularly of newspaper articles, are only valid for a short period of time, usually around a month. Please send information for inclusion in MEMO to [email protected] and requests to be added to circulation to [email protected] Immigration and Asylum Holyrood Parliamentary Questions First Minsiter's Questions Anne McLaughlin: Is the First Minister aware that two of my constituents, Florence Mhango and her 10-year-old daughter Precious, from Cranhill in Glasgow are currently being detained at Yarl's Wood detention centre? In the past hour, I have received news that they will shortly be joined by a family of five Glasgow children who were taken to Dungavel yesterday after school—five Muslim children, innocent of any crime, but spending Eid in prison. What progress has the Scottish Government made with the alternatives to detention pilots? Will the Scottish Government continue to support the consensus throughout Scotland that the detention of such children is morally wrong? Reply from the First Minister: I am aware of the circumstances in the first of the cases that Anne McLaughlin mentions.
    [Show full text]
  • Core 1..48 Committee (PRISM::Advent3b2 9.00)
    House of Commons CANADA Standing Committee on National Defence NDDN Ï NUMBER 018 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 39th PARLIAMENT EVIDENCE Wednesday, October 25, 2006 Chair Mr. Rick Casson Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 1 Standing Committee on National Defence Wednesday, October 25, 2006 Ï (1535) The poverty crisis we saw in Kandahar and the rest of southern [English] Afghanistan was due to three factors. This is based on our interviews of the locals in the villages and what they told us was the cause for The Chair (Mr. Rick Casson (Lethbridge, CPC)): Ladies and the refugee camps, and the problem with food and starvation. gentlemen, I'll call this meeting to order. First, there is a loss of livelihood through the U.S.-led forced This is the 18th meeting of the Standing Committee on National poppy crop eradication last spring. As I'm sure you know, the Defence under Standing Order 108(2), our study on Canadian Forces economy of Kandahar is basically a poppy-crop economy. in Afghanistan. Today we'd like to welcome the Senlis Council, Norine There is displacement of the population due to the bombing and MacDonald, president and founder, and Emmanuel Reinert, execu- the localized violence, especially in Panjwai, and it is a desert area tive director. Welcome. It's good to have you here. that has suffered from recurrent drought. It's a dust bowl now. And for those of you who are familiar with drought in the Canadian I understandt you've been briefed on the procedure to some prairies, it's very similar to what my parents described to me during degree, so we'll open it up with your comments.
    [Show full text]
  • Fact Sheet Msps Mps and Meps: Session 4 11 May 2012 Msps: Current Series
    The Scottish Parliament and Scottish Parliament I nfor mation C entre l ogo Scottish Parliament Fact sheet MSPs MPs and MEPs: Session 4 11 May 2012 MSPs: Current Series This Fact Sheet provides a list of current Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) arranged alphabetically by the constituency or region that they represent. Abbreviations used: Scottish Parliament and European Parliament Con Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Green Scottish Green Party Ind Independent Lab Scottish Labour Party LD Scottish Liberal Democrats NPA No Party Affiliation SNP Scottish National Party UK Parliament Con Conservative and Unionist Party Co-op Co-operative Party Lab Labour Party LD Liberal Democrats NPA No Party Affiliation SNP Scottish National Party Scottish Parliament and Westminster constituencies do not cover the same areas, although the names of the constituencies may be the same or similar. At the May 2005 general election, the number of Westminster constituencies was reduced from 72 to 59, which led to changes in constituency boundaries. Details of these changes can be found on the Boundary Commission’s website at www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/westminster Scottish Parliament Constituencies Constituency MSP Party Aberdeen Central Kevin Stewart SNP Aberdeen Donside Brian Adam SNP Aberdeen South and North Maureen Watt SNP Kincardine Aberdeenshire East Alex Salmond SNP Aberdeenshire West Dennis Robertson SNP Airdrie and Shotts Alex Neil SNP Almond Valley Angela
    [Show full text]