§ Baroness Ewart-Biggsasked Her Majesty's Government:
What funds they are making available for projects based in Quang Ninh and Haiphong Provinces of Vietnam; and whether this assistance will be extended to neighbouring provinces which have also experienced considerable emigration.
The Earl of CaithnessWe made £1m available in May 1990 for a special scheme for projects by British Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Haiphong and Quang Ninh Provinces, from which the vast majority of Hong Kong boat people had come. Eighty per cent. of project costs are met by ODA and 20 per cent. by the NGOs. To date, commitments total £280,000. We have no plans to extend the scheme, as all provinces in Vietnam are also able to benefit from the joint funding scheme (JFS), under which project costs are shared equally by ODA and the NGOs.