HL Deb 15 November 2000 vol 619 cc267-9

Lord Thomson of Monifieth asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, at the forthcoming Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers, they will put forward proposals to increase the funding and effectiveness of the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan.

Baroness Amos

My Lords, education Ministers will consider a number of recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan—the CSFP. Separate reviews of UK support for the CSFP are currently being undertaken by the Department for International Development and the FCO. The purpose of the review by the Department for International Development is to examine how we can focus more effort on training trainers and providing more access to training in developing countries.

Lord Thomson of Monifieth

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that Answer. Does she agree that over the years the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan has been a remarkable example of Commonwealth co-operation? Is she aware that a list of its alumni shows literally hundreds of former graduates and fellows who have gone on to be leaders in public life in their own countries as vice-chancellors, Ministers and even Prime Ministers? At the Commonwealth meeting of education Ministers, will Her Majesty's Government do all that they can to ensure that other Commonwealth countries cooperate and contribute at least as enthusiastically as this Government have done? However, is she aware that the grant which this country makes towards the scheme is now in real terms 25 per cent lower than it was in 1992–93? Were we to increase that funding, would that not be a good lead in encouraging other countries to do even better?

Baroness Amos

My Lords, first, I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Thomson of Monifieth, that the plan is a remarkable example of Commonwealth cooperation and that, indeed, the list of alumni is impressive. We currently fund two-thirds of the scholarships within the plan. The Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan was established in 1959. Therefore, it is right that it should be reviewed at this time. Through the review, the Department for International Development hopes to ensure that our priorities are being met in terms of poverty elimination.

We shall of course encourage our Commonwealth partners to co-operate and contribute to the plan but we must recognise that they may have other priorities for their budgets. In terms of the grant, as I said to the noble Lord, we currently contribute two-thirds overall.

Baroness Rawlings

My Lords, I agree with the Minister that it is a marvellous plan. However, can she explain why, during her travels, the Secretary of State extolled the virtues of the scholarships, yet since 1997 she has cut them in number from 10,473 to 9,000 and the training ones from 93,196 to 55,388? Will further cuts in funding be made, as has been the case in so many other areas?

Baroness Amos

My Lords, I believe that the noble Baroness, Lady Rawlings, and I have discussed this matter before. Our priorities for education in terms of the Department for International Development budget are quite clear. We are committed to the international development targets for universal access to primary education and achieving gender equality in education. Those are our priorities because, given our commitment to poverty elimination, we need to ensure that basic education is put in place in the poorest countries of the world. In some countries the amount of funding for tertiary and further education students is 20 times higher than that for primary and secondary education students. We are trying to ensure that our funding is balanced. However, given our overall priorities in terms of poverty elimination, we recognise that basic education must be put first.

Baroness Gardner of Parkes

My Lords, will the Minister tell us whether the people who receive the scholarships are expected to use them for the benefit of their own countries? It is important that people should develop skills and obtain knowledge that will benefit the poorest countries. Therefore, they need to return to their countries with high educational standards.

Baroness Amos

My Lords, I can assure the noble Baroness that that is a priority in terms of the scholarships. The majority of graduates do return to their countries. Over 40 per cent of them work in education, but they also work in other areas of the public and private sectors. The aim of the scholarships is to assist developing countries and, indeed, some developed countries to make contacts and become involved in the network across Commonwealth countries and also to assist the development of developing countries within the Commonwealth.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, in the course of the review, will the noble Baroness give special attention to the need to assist scholars who are persona non grata in their own countries, particularly those such as Zimbabwe which do not comply with the Harare Declaration?

Baroness Amos

My Lords, I shall find out whether that matter is covered by the review. We are expecting the review report to be completed next month. I am sure that the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission, which is undertaking the review, will have that issue well in hand.

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