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Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have received on the estimated daily mortality rate in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [HL4314]
Baroness Amos: The International Rescue Committee's (IRC) most recent mortality survey (2004) gives a crude death rate of 2.1 deaths per 1,000, per month in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). (This figure is more than 40 per cent higher than the sub-Saharan Africa rate of 1.5 deaths per 1,000 per month.)
We are unable to provide an accurate daily mortality figure for the DRC as there is no reliable estimate for the population. However, a rough calculation would suggest between 3,000 and 4,000 people die each day in the DRC.
The IRC has estimated that this represents at least 1,200 deaths per day in DRC in excess of the sub-Saharan average.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their current assessment of the humanitarian crisis in the south-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially with regard to the numbers and well-being of street children. [HL4315]
Baroness Amos: The latest assessment of the humanitarian crisis in Kantanga province in south-eastern region of the Democratic Republic Congo from the United Nations stated that over 11,800 households have been vacated. In response the UN rapid response fund, to which the British Government are a contributor, is providing emergency humanitarian assistance to over 60,000 people.
The humanitarian assistance provided by the UN agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is targeted at all vulnerable groups including children.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What programmes they are supporting to address the condition of street children throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo. [HL4316]
Baroness Amos: The UK has recently announced that we will contribute £60 million over two years to the UN Humanitarian Action Plan for the Democratic Republic of Congo. The action plan for 2006 incorporates more than 330 projects by UN agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with a cost of $681 million. It is a strategy that meets both urgent life-saving needs and reduces vulnerability. It includes several programmes specifically aimed at protecting and providing assistance to vulnerable children.
Government Computer Systems: Northern Ireland Office
Lord Harris of Haringey asked Her Majesty's Government:
On how many occasions in each of the past two years malicious programs have compromised computer systems in the Northern Ireland Office; and for each such occasion (a) how many machines were affected; (b) how long it took to remove the programs from the system; and (c) what the impact was on the activities of the department. [HL4023]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): In the past two years there have been three minor instances of computers at the Northern Ireland being compromised by malicious programs. On two of the occasions a single personal computer was affected and on the other occasion two personal computers were affected. The malicious programs (viruses on each occasion) were removed as soon as practicable and did not have an impact on the day-to-day running of the Northern Ireland Office operations.
Housing: Tenancy Deposit Scheme
Lord Scott of Foscote asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they have taken to prepare for the introduction of a tenancy deposit scheme to protect those renting accommodation in the private rented sector. [HL4521]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Baroness Andrews): Tenancy deposit protection is scheduled to come into force in October 2006. Following a consultation that ended on 1 February 2006, the Government are preparing the secondary legislation required to commence the schemes. A competitive tendering exercise is underway to select suppliers to run the schemes and award contracts in early summer 2006.
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Insolvency: Practitioners
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why it has proved necessary to double the annual fee per member for authorisation as insolvency practitioners, as proposed in the Insolvency Practitioners and Insolvency Services Account (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/3524). [HL4510]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The maintenance fee charged to the seven bodies recognised by the Secretary of State to authorise insolvency practitioners will increase from £100 per insolvency practitioner to £150 from 15 April 2006, and to £200 from 1 April 2007 as the fee set in 2004 is not at a sufficient level to match fees to costs, as required by the Treasury's fees and charges guide. The Insolvency Service has identified that time spent on the regulation of insolvency practitioners is much greater than provided for by the original fee, and it has been decided to stage the increase over two years.
Matching fee levels between the functions making up insolvency practitioner regulation to the costs incurred will enable another fee, that payable by over indebted individuals entering into an individual voluntary arrangement, to be reduced from £35 to £15 from 1 April 2006.
Israel and Palestine: Road Map
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make representations for the prompt resumption of the Middle East peace process road map negotiations following the Israeli elections at the end of March. [HL4341]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We, along with our EU partners, will continue to call on the Palestinians, the Israelis and the international community to make progress on the road map, to which both the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Government remain committed.
Land Registry for Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the performance of the office of the Land Registry for Northern Ireland, with particular regard to the amount of time taken to process inquiries. [HL4430]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): The ministerial performance targets for Land Registers NI are reviewed annually. The targets reflect the key areas of productivity, cost and quality of service. The agency continues to achieve and improve its targets year on year. In relation to the time taken
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to process applications and inquiries, regular applications are currently being processed in 12 days against a target of 20 days. Land information services and inquiries are being processed in three days against a target of four days.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Land Registry for Northern Ireland provides value for money to both its customers and the taxpayer. [HL4431]
Lord Rooker: The Land Registers of Northern Ireland (LRNI) continues to meet and improve its annual cost and productivity targets. It is also enhancing quality and efficiency by providing services electronically to customers. A new land registry fees order will be introduced shortly and will reduce many registration fees. There is no drain on the taxpayer since LRNI covers all its costs from its fees income.
Mozambique
[The first Answer is a revised version of one which originally appeared on 9 March 2006.]
Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The Department for International Development currently has the following projects in Mozambique:
Direct Budget Support (Financial Aid)
Direct Budget Support (Technical Co-operation)
Private Sector Development Project (PoDE)
CRESCE Micro-Financing Institution (funded through CARE)
Fish Products Inspection Laboratory
Water/Sanitation Project (Technical Co-operation)
Water/Sanitation Project (Financial Aid)
Support to Regional Roads Department (Financial Aid)
Support to Regional Roads Department (Technical Co-operation)
Labour Intensive Roads Project (Financial Aid)
Labour Intensive Roads Project (Technical Co-operation)
Agricultural Seed and Input Trade Fairs
Roads Fund: Senior Transport Specialist
Open and Distance Learning (Financial Aid)
Commonwealth of Learning (Distance learning)
HIV/AIDS & Reproductive Health (Financial Aid)
HIV/AIDS & Reproductive Health (Technical Co-operation)
Insecticide Treated Nets/Bednets roll-out
Support to PRS (PARPA) Communication
Support to Civil Society (Institutional Capacity Strengthening)
Support to HIV Adviser at the World Bank
Support to Médecins sans Frontières—Luxembourg (NAIMA)
Support to Electoral Institute for Southern Africa (2nd Phase)
Support to G20—Poverty Monitoring Group
Support to Five Years Strategic Plan—MONASO (HIV & AIDS Umbrella Organisation)
National AIDS Council Common Fund
UNAIDS post—HIV & AIDS Social Adviser
Essential Medicines (Financial Aid)
Essential Medicines (Technical Co-operation)
Integration of Reformed National Tax Directorate into Revenue Authority (Financial Aid)
Integration of Reformed National Tax Directorate into Revenue Authority (Technical Co-operation)
Poverty Analysis and Training—National Institute of Statistics
Public Financial Management—SISTAFE(Financial Aid)
Public Financial Management—SISTAFE(Technical Co-operation)
Public Sector Reform—UTRESP(Financial Aid)—pooling arrangement
Political Process Study (pro-poor)
Integration of Reformed Customs into Revenue Authority (Financial Aid)
Integration of Reformed Customs into Revenue Authority (Technical Co-operation)
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