§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to preserve the quality of United Kingdom overseas aid, in view of the fact that an increasing proportion forms aid and trade provision.
§ Mr. Neil Marten:The Government are maintaining and seeking where possible to improve the quality and effectiveness of British aid.
We have thus made assistance available on very concessional terms. The grant element of total official development assistance commitments (including the aid and trade provision) in the past three years was:
per cent. 1979 96.6 1980 97.4 1981 96.7 We have concentrated this assistance on the poorest countries. The proportion of net disbursements of bilateral aid allocable by country (including the aid and trade provision) going to least developed countries and other countries with an income per head below $370 in 1980 in the past three years was:
per cent. 1979 65 1980 60 1981 68 We have put into effect new guidelines for the monitoring of projects and have significantly increased the evaluation of completed projects to ensure that lessons are learnt. Monitoring and evaluation arrangements apply also to the aid and trade provision.
We have maintained clear guidelines for the appraisal of all projects, including those financed from the aid and trade provision, which are all subjected to a test of their developmental soundness.
Furthermore, we continue to re-examine the forms of our aid, whether capital aid or technical assistance, to make them relevant to the problems facing developing countries, in agriculture and elsewhere. We are particularly conscious of the needs of many of the poorer countries for rehabilitation, for the better utilisation of existing investments and for developing competent local institutions.