§ 19. Mr. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about aid to Bangladesh.[331]
§ Clare ShortBangladesh is, rightly, our second largest development assistance programme. We intend to increase the emphasis on poverty reduction and to support the Government's efforts to accelerate sustainable economic and social development. I hope to visit Bangladesh later this year.
§ Mr. GapesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to provide assistance to the Bihari people living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. [137]
§ Clare ShortThere are no current plans to provide assistance exclusively for Bihari people living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Since 1990 HMG has provided bilateral assistance totalling £0.77m for health and education projects involving Bihari communities in Bangladesh. We would hope to see the Biharis increasingly benefiting from more general development programmes run by Government and NGOs.