HL Deb 21 July 1993 vol 548 cc708-9

3.15 p.m.

Baroness David asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the value of books donated under the Overseas Development Administration's project-related books and information aid in 1991–92 and 1992–93, and what is the forecast expenditure for 1993–94.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, under the ODA's project-related books and information aid contract with the British Council, expenditure in 1991–92 was £2.2 million, and in 1992–93 £1.9 million, with a further £0.9 million for specific books and libraries projects. It is not possible to provide a forecast of future expenditure, but we expect it to be around £2 million per annum.

Baroness David

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Is she aware (as she must be) that that amount is considerably less than the expenditure during the last year of the book presentation scheme, which was changed in 1991? Is it the Government's intention that the amount of money spent on books and journals for these projects will ever be equal to what it was before the present scheme came into operation?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, I believe that the noble Baroness does not understand that the British Council is nowadays only one of the elements in our book information effort. There are six further schemes, not carried out through the British Council, which total for 1993–94 some £5.67 million, making a total of over £7.5 million. That means that we are doing more now than we did before. The way in which British publishers will benefit from this is clearly shown by an example in Nigeria, where Blackwells, a British company, has supplied some 65 per cent. of the university books identified and a considerable amount of the primary books identified too.

Baroness David

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that encouraging news. Is the total sum which she mentioned more than the total sum in 1991, before this scheme came into operation?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, I am informed that that is so.

Lord Judd

My Lords, does the Minister agree that education, training and learning are essential ingredients to self-generating development in the third world? Can she therefore reassure the House about the place of literacy and books in her general strategy for development overseas?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, literacy, primary education, books, information and aids, both by the printed word and by film, are all part of the strategy. Where we can assist further in higher education, we do so. It is essential that we concentrate more of these efforts on education for women in the third world. Women's development in the third world means much better management of the resources of those third world countries.