To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the reasons were for the decision that search and rescue capability for disasters overseas will be provided to his Department by UK fire and rescue services; and if he will place in the Library the terms of the agreement between his Department and UK fire and rescue services on the provision of this service. (244758)

The Department for International Development (DFID) needed to streamline its working arrangements with UK voluntary search and rescue groups, and place our partnership with them for humanitarian services on a similar footing to the arrangements we have with other humanitarian organisations. The voluntary groups were unable to reach agreement. However, we still needed to find a more efficient and workable arrangement and agreed with the UK Fire and Rescue Service that it would take over responsibility for organising the overseas search and rescue capability we require in disaster response, including supplementing its capacity by commissioning voluntary groups as and when required.

The terms of this agreement are set out in correspondence between DFID and the UK Fire and Rescue Service, copies of which I will place in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the meetings that officials from his Department have had with (a) the UK International Search and Rescue Group and (b) UK fire and rescue services on the provision of overseas search and rescue services in the last 12 months. (244759)

DFID officials met the UK International Search and Rescue Group (UKISARG), with colleagues from the UK Fire and Rescue Service, on 9 and 31 January, 4 March and 6 June 2008. DFID and UK Fire and Rescue Service colleagues additionally met once in the summer of 2008 and again on 8 October and 6 November 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what processes are in place to co-ordinate the (a) overall management and (b) operational management of overseas search and rescue services between his Department and UK fire and rescue services. (244760)

The Department for International Development (DFID) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have agreed that the DCLG UK Fire and Rescue Service will supply, co-ordinate and manage UK search and rescue operations if required by DFID in its overseas disaster response. The UK Fire and Rescue Service may draw on the services of UK voluntary search and rescue groups if required.

DFID retains overall lead on overseas disaster response, tasking and giving strategic direction to the UK Fire and Rescue Service for any search and rescue component.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will publish a breakdown by main budget heading of his Department's expenditure on overseas search and rescue operations for each of the past three years; and how much is expected to be spent on such operations in each of the next three years. (244761)

There has been no requirement for the Department for International Development (DFID) to support overseas search and rescue operations since the Pakistan earthquake in October 2005. Should any disaster occur in the coming years requiring international assistance with search and rescue DFID will be ready to contribute assistance.

We are in the process of agreeing a multi-annual budget with the UK Fire and Rescue Service.