Wednesday Volume 494 24 June 2009 No. 98 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 24 June 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; Tel: 0044 (0) 208876344; e-mail: [email protected] 777 24 JUNE 2009 778 rightly made the case. I hope she will understand when I House of Commons point her to the work of the World Bank and other international financial institutions on infrastructure in Wednesday 24 June 2009 Ukraine and other countries. We will continue to watch the regional economic needs of Ukraine through our involvement with those institutions. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Mr. Gary Streeter (South-West Devon) (Con): Given PRAYERS the strategic significance of Ukraine as a political buffer zone between the EU and Russia, does the Minister not think that it was perhaps an error of judgment to close [MR.SPEAKER in the Chair] the DFID programme in Ukraine last year? It would be an utter tragedy if Ukraine’s democracy should fail, so BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS should we not at the very least be running significant capacity-building programmes to support it? SPOLIATION ADVISORY PANEL Resolved, Mr. Thomas: We are running capacity-building programmes on democracy and good governance through That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, That she will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Indeed, the before this House a Return of The Report from the Right European Commission is also running such programmes. Honourable Sir David Hirst, Chairman of the Spoliation As I indicated in answer to my right hon. Friend the Advisory Panel, dated 24 June 2009, in respect of eight drawings Member for Stirling (Mrs. McGuire), we continue to now in the possession of the Samuel Courtauld Trust.—(Kerry make the case for further involvement from donors to McCarthy.) Ukraine. Substantial donor programmes are available through international financial institutions, and we are closely involved in the decisions that they take. Given Oral Answers to Questions our need to focus on the poorest countries, I believe that that is the right way forward. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Hugh Bayley (City of York) (Lab): Last weekend the World Bank published its global economic outlook, The Secretary of State was asked— which predicted that developing countries will lose $1 trillion as a result of the economic downturn. What is the Ukraine Minister’s Department doing to identify the countries that will be most badly hit and to ensure that development 1. Mrs. Anne McGuire (Stirling) (Lab): What assessment aid is provided to enable them to deal with the downturn? he has made of the effect of the global economic downturn on Ukraine’s need for development aid from Mr. Thomas: I know that my hon. Friend takes a his Department. [281790] particular interest in economic growth through his work on the Select Committee on International Development. The Minister of State, Department for International He will know from the leadership of the Prime Minister Development (Mr. Gareth Thomas): On a personal note, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State that we Mr. Speaker, may I add my congratulations to those of led work at April’s G20 summit to secure additional others on your election as Speaker? resources for the IMF and the World Bank to focus on The World Bank expects Ukraine to experience a the needs of the poorest people in countries that have significant recession in 2009. To counter the impact of been most devastated by the impact of the global recession. the recession, the International Monetary Fund has We will look to ensure that that support, having been agreed a package with the Ukrainian Government worth committed, is delivered to those international financial $16.4 billion. Other international institutions are standing institutions. by if needed. Mrs. McGuire: I thank my hon. Friend for his response. Afghanistan He will be aware that western Ukraine has often been referred to as the bread basket of the country, yet it 2. Mr. Mark Harper (Forest of Dean) (Con): What appears to lack the basic storage and transport steps he is taking to assess the effectiveness of his infrastructure needed to improve efficiency, eliminate Department’s programmes in Afghanistan. [281791] poverty and even out some of the inequalities between itself and other regions. Given Ukraine’s ambition to join or draw closer to the EU, does my hon. Friend not The Secretary of State for International Development agree that there remains a need for the UK to give (Mr. Douglas Alexander): DFID’s work in Afghanistan assistance, principally through his Department? from 2001 to date was independently evaluated in 2008. All DFID projects have clear, measurable benchmarks Mr. Thomas: I commend my right hon. Friend’s to ensure accurate and reliable monitoring in accordance interest in Ukraine and I recognise her description of with DFID procedures. The office in Kabul has established the regional needs of the part of the country to which a dedicated results team to monitor the effectiveness of she refers. She will recognise that there are significant our work. We are also planning an independent assessment costs involved in the infrastructure for which she has of DFID’s ongoing work in Helmand province. 779 Oral Answers24 JUNE 2009 Oral Answers 780 Mr. Harper: I am grateful to the Secretary of State along with the development partnership agreement that for that answer. NATO’s Secretary-General said that we have for Pakistan, there has been a significant the problem in Afghanistan was not too much Taliban, rebalancing of our programme in recent months towards but too little good governance. Over the next four years, the needs of education, in particular, in Pakistan. I will nearly half the Department’s funding to Afghanistan be happy to write to the hon. Gentleman on this matter. will be channelled through that country’s Government. What steps will the Secretary of State take to ensure Mr. Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield) (Con): that corruption in that country is tackled effectively? Congratulations on your election, Mr. Speaker. Your interest in international development is well known, Mr. Alexander: There are two dimensions to the hon. and is very welcome. Gentleman’s question. First, he is right to recognise the At the last DFID questions, the Secretary of State significance of governance, which is one of the four claimed that his Department withdrew funding to the identified priorities for the approximately £510 million United Nations development programme—UNDP— that we will spend between 2009 and 2013. I concur Afghanistan counter-narcotics trust fund as soon as with the view that it is not the strength of the Taliban serious weaknesses became apparent. However, I have but the weakness of the Government that poses one of obtained an internal DFID memo that reveals that the the significant challenges—along with others—that NATO Secretary of State’s predecessor was clearly warned and the Afghan people face in the years ahead. about anticipated problems with the fund before Ministers The hon. Gentleman also asked about corruption, signed off £20 million for it. Will the Secretary of State which we are approaching in a number of ways. First, in explain why Ministers ignored those warnings? relation to UK funds, we are working through the Afghan reconstruction trust fund, which is independently Mr. Alexander: It will not come as a surprise to the audited by recognised accountants from outside the House that I am unfamiliar with the memo the hon. country. We have a degree of confidence in those systems. Gentleman describes. I can assure hon. Members that We are also supporting efforts to strengthen the capacity the UNDP’s internal evaluation unit recently evaluated of the Government, because corruption is a consequence operations in Afghanistan, and it was on that basis that and a cause of the poverty affecting Afghanistan. ministerial decisions were reached. Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley) (Lab): As my right hon. Mr. Mitchell: Let me read to the Secretary of State Friend knows, abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad from the memo, which Ministers received before signing caused untold damage to the coalition at the time. Now, off that money. It warned that, in Afghanistan, the allegations have been made by the BBC about the abuse UNDP’s reporting is “poor”, and that it suffers from a of detainees at Bagram air base in Afghanistan. Will he “lack of experienced people” who tell me what action he proposes to take? “only do the minimum in terms of their contractual obligations”. Yet, so far this year, the Secretary of State has signed off Mr. Alexander: Not least because I heard the allegations another £40 million for the UNDP in Afghanistan. Will on the radio only this morning, I am not in a position to he pledge today to launch an urgent investigation into give my right hon. Friend the detailed answer her question whether UK funds have been misused, and to instigate deserves, but I will endeavour to speak to my colleagues a full review of the taxpayers’ money given to the in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and ensure UNDP in Afghanistan? that an answer is forthcoming. Mr. Alexander: We are always seeking to ensure that Mr. Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and UK taxpayers’ money is used effectively and properly, Selkirk) (LD): Mr.