HC Deb 28 January 1998 vol 305 cc336-7
6. Mr. Llwyd

What current projects are being supported from the know-how fund; and if she will make a statement. [23863]

Clare Short

A full record of projects is set out in the know-how fund report for 1996–97, which has been widely circulated and which I am placing in the Library. I published my new strategy for the know-how fund in mid-November which will shift the emphasis of our work to take more account of the terribly high levels of poverty while continuing to help build democratic and free-market institutions.

Mr. Llwyd

I thank the right hon. Lady for that response. In view of the perilous state of the Belarus economy, does she agree that it is important that further technical advice and financial assistance should be given to develop the role of non-governmental organisations in Belarus? It seems that that is the way forward for that country.

Clare Short

I cannot pretend that I have any personal expert knowledge of Belarus. Generally, we are moving efforts on the know-how fund eastward because the EU accession countries are most advanced and are receiving other assistance. We are trying to support good regulatory systems, better social provision—because so many people are falling through the system—and the building of civil society. To get local non-governmental organisations operating helps to create a democratic culture, and that is a major part of our strategy.

Mr. Sheerman

Does my right hon. Friend agree that know-how projects, and many other projects, are beneficial to organisations such as UNESCO which have a positive role to play in evaluating different nations' and different regions' attitudes to helping those very economies that need such know-how help? Does she agree that UNESCO plays a vital role in spreading that best practice in information?

Clare Short

I agree with my hon. Friend, but we are moving to a new phase where Government and UN institutions and NGOs see their work as complementary, not in conflict. We get the best programmes where civil society, lively voices, different interests, UN agencies and Governments are all in honest dialogue. That is true of UNESCO and all the rest of our work.

Mr. Soames

Does the right hon. Lady agree that the know-how fund has been an astonishing success and represents extraordinary value for the taxpayer's money? The British taxpayer can be proud of the work that has been done through the Department for International Development, both under the previous Administration and her own. Does she further agree that the concept of the know-how fund could be applied to other countries? Will she consider whether it might be a good idea for us to consider establishing a know-how fund specifically for the Palestinians, who badly need to rebuild their self-confidence in order to make them a real, equal partner to Israel and more capable of paddling their own canoe?

Clare Short

The know-how fund's work is respected everywhere, and more respected than some other programmes with more funds which are disbursed less effectively. We are considering how the lessons of that transition might be applied to help China with the sort of restructuring that it is planning.

I share the hon. Gentleman's concern with regard to the Palestinians. We have a considerable programme with the Palestinian authority and we have been moving from the phase of emergency intervention to helping the Palestinians to build their own institutions and prepare for self-governance. However, as the hon. Gentleman knows, the peace process is going slowly, and that makes it difficult to take that work forward.