§ 82. Mr. Patrick ThompsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to review the role of the British Council in the administration of Britain's overseas aid programme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe Overseas Development Administration is currently reviewing arrangements for paying the British Council for the services it provides in administering the aid programme. Reference was made to the plans for this review in the Treasury minute on the 23rd report of the Public Accounts Committee, Session 1987–88.
§ Mr. ThompsonI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply. Does he agree that the role of the British Council in helping with the overseas aid programme is not sufficiently recognised? Will the review include the books presentation programme and technical co-operation training programme?
§ Mr. PattenThe review will include those two programmes as well as schemes for providing English language teaching staff, for overseas education seminars and for parts of our technical co-operation projects. I agree with my hon. Friend about the skill of the British Council in administering our programme. I have been most impressed by what I have seen of its operations around the world, but I am sure that there is still scope for making its work even more efficient, effective and economical.
§ Mr. CousinsGiven the impending visit of Prince Sihanouk to the Prime Minister, does the Minister think that the British Council might be a vehicle through which the Government could assist voluntary agencies such as Oxfam, which is supplying the entire water supply to the city of Phnom Pen?
§ Mr. PattenThat supplementary question demonstrates considerable ingenuity. I shall be making an announcement tomorrow about the development of the joint funding scheme so that humanitarian work by non-governmental organisations in Cambodia can be carried forward.