§ 2. Mr. PikeIf she will make a statement on her Department's expenditure in 1998–99 on education-related projects. [34627]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. George Foulkes)We expect our Department's expenditure on education projects in 1998–99 to be more than £100 million, which will be directed to achieving the key international targets of universal primary education by 2015 and gender equity in primary and secondary education by 2005. We shall spend more on education as new programmes are agreed with our partners.
§ Mr. PikeMy hon. Friend will know that in South Africa the system of education inherited from the apartheid system has left major problems. Bodies such as the Canon Collins Educational Trust for Southern Africa have pointed out the problems in that country. What discussions are being held with South Africa to try to ensure that all the people of South Africa have the best possible opportunity for education, so that the pace of progress can be speeded up in that country?
§ Mr. FoulkesI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question. I visited South Africa last year and had some 483 discussions about the matter. I am pleased to say that South Africa, along with Pakistan, Malawi, Kenya and India, have had new basic education projects approved by the new Labour Government, amounting to £100 million in the last year. We are now developing projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda, because we believe that primary education is one of the best means of enabling poor people to climb out of poverty and have better health and better lives.