---

Dept for International Development

Answer

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his reply of 8 November to the right honourable Member for Folkstone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), Official Report, column 572, if he will list reconstruction programmes in (a) Samarra and (b) Najaf, broken down by (i) type and (ii) amount; how many (A) Iraqi and (B) foreign workers are expected to participate; and what the source of funding will be in each case. [197898] Mr. Gareth Thomas: In and around Samarra, the interim Iraqi Government (IIG) is carrying out 75 projects worth $25 million, in the sectors of healthcare, education, and infrastructure. The main activities include: building new primary and secondary schools; rehabilitating hospitals; restoring historical sites and recreational areas; expanding the telephone network; and repairing the water and sewage system. United States agencies (the Project and Contracting Office, USAID and military reconstruction teams) report that they have 48 construction projects and three non-construction projects in progress in Samarra worth $8.9 million, broken down by sector into: civil sector (14), education (14), electricity (3), health (4), transport (5), water and sanitation (9), governance (1), and agriculture (1). Plans and activities include reconstructing 43 primary and secondary schools and 11 mosques, improvements to a local veterinary clinic, and the donation of medical books. Most of these projects will generate jobs for local Iraqis. The US reports that a further 51 projects are scheduled to take place over December 2004 and January 2005, totalling $5 million. In Najaf, the interim Iraqi Government is undertaking an extensive programme of reconstruction. The Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works has reported that it will spend nearly $650 million on water and sanitation, especially in the old part of the city. Other IIG announcements include plans to spend $55 million on Government buildings in the area, and the Ministry of Telecommunications has signed a contract with a foreign company to build a new communications centre and supply equipment. Plans are also underway to assist hotel owners as the city is visited by thousands of pilgrims monthly and this is central to the local economy. United States agencies, working with the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation and other central Ministries, report that they have 171 construction projects and 22 non-construction projects in progress in Najaf, totalling around $30 million. These projects can be broken down by sector into: education (110), electricity (3), health (10), humanitarian assistance (24), governance (23), transport (2), water and sanitation (10), agriculture (2), civil society (15), and economy (4). US funded activities include: the rehabilitation of Najaf main market; sewer and waterline repair; the installation of electrical poles; the purchase of garbage and street cleaning trucks; and the rehabilitation of health clinics. It is not possible to list the numbers of foreign and Iraqi contractors participating in these projects, as there is currently no comprehensive database of information available. It is understood that the need for more extensive reporting of projects and contractors will be discussed at a forthcoming IIG/donor coordination meeting.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c1515-6W;426 c1519-20W; 197898

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Finance International assistance Infrastructure Iraq Migrant workers USA Reconstruction

Contains statistics

Yes