§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to support the consortium of charities for street children launched by the Prime Minister on 18 November.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have indicated to the consortium our willingness to provide support, subject to appraisal, and have asked them to submit a proposal.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives he has taken under the United Nation's convention on the rights of the child to protect the world's street children; and what estimates he has made of how many such children there are.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe United Kingdom attaches importance to promoting and protecting the rights of the child. We raise human rights abuses against children with the authorities of those countries concerned. The resolutions on street children at the Commission on Human Rights and at the United Nations General Assembly this year stem from a United Kingdom initiative during our presidency of the EU in 1992.
The Overseas Development Administration supports non-governmental organisations in their work with street children in Latin America, India, the Philippines, South Africa and other parts of Africa. We have committed over £225,000 to such projects this year. We are also supporting projects in Albania, Bulgaria and Romania through the charity know-how fund.
Estimates of the global numbers of street children vary according to definition. Some estimates are confined to children actually living on the street while others include those who work on the street while living partly at home. The United Kingdom has not attempted to make an independent estimate.