HC Deb 14 June 1994 vol 244 c393W
Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on aid to central and eastern Europe this year; and how much has been spent in each of the past five years, with the overall percentage change in spending over the period.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Figures for the current financial year and for 1993–94 are not yet available. Bilateral spending in central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in previous years was as follows:

£ thousands
CEE FSU
1989–90 63,888 31
1990–91 14,673 2
1991–92 27,025 26,845
1992–93 32,719 15,832

The CEE figure for 1989–90 includes an exceptional United Kingdom contribution of US$100 million, £61.71 million, to the currency stabilisation fund for Poland. If this is excluded, spending in the CEE increased over the period 1989–90 to 1992–93 by 1,402 per cent. When the FSU is included, the percentage increase is 2,097 per cent. The figures exclude United Kingdom contributions made through multilateral agencies.