§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what action the Overseas Development Administration takes to ensure that money donated by Her Majesty's Government for family512W planning purposes is not used as part of a coercive family planning programme or to free resources in recipient countries for such programmes; [25313]
(2) what legal provisions govern the funding of coercive population programmes overseas; and what plans he has to promote legislation banning such funding. [25316]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: Bilateral programmes are designed and monitored to ensure that they promote reproductive choice on an entirely voluntary and informed basis. We ensure that organisations to which we give funds for reproductive health activities operate similar policies and approaches. We do not believe that it is necessary to introduce legislation to ensure that aid funds for reproductive health programmes are used effectively and in accordance with our policies.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Overseas Development Administration's policy on the provision of financial, personal or community incentives to encourage contraceptive use in developing countries. [25312]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: We believe that decisions by couples and individuals about the use of particular methods of contraception should be made on an entirely voluntary and informed basis and that the use of incentives which are likely to prejudice this principle should be discouraged.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the officials from the Overseas Development Administration who sit on any board, committee, or regular meeting of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the UN Family Planning Association. [25299]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: The British Government have a seat on the executive board of the United Nations development programme, which is also the governing body of the United Nations fund for population activities. Part of each board meeting is devoted to UNFPA business. The United Kingdom is invited to the annual donors meeting of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. In both cases meetings are attended by officials from the Overseas Development Administration's health and population division.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits officials from his Department have made to China to assess the Chinese population control programme or the work of the Chinese Family Planning Association or the UN fund for population activities in China; and what reports exist on such visits. [25303]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: Officials from the British embassy in Peking have regular meetings with the relevant Chinese authorities to discuss a range of issues, including China's population policies.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which countries the Overseas Development Administration donates money, directly or via a non-governmental organisation, where overseas aid is tied to acceptance of family planning programmes; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on tying overseas aid to acceptance of family planning programmes. [25311]
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§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: None. We do not support making the provision of overseas aid conditional on the implementation of family planning programmes.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what considerations underlie the policy of donating funds from the Overseas Development Administration budget to the core funds of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the UN Family Planning Association rather than to specific earmarked projects undertaken by those organisations; [25298]
(2) if he will list those organisations involved in family planning projects to which the Overseas Development Administration makes donations to their core funds, together with the amount donated for the last year for which figures are available. [25306]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: The United Nations Population Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation have the capacity to allocate and spend their resources in an effective manner. Together with other Governments we set policy for UNFPA and provide guidance for IPPF on the use of resources. Her Majesty's Government representatives seek to ensure that funds are used in ways which are fully in line with British aid policy and priority objectives. On this basis, we and other Governments provide the large majority of funds without earmarking. The efficiency and effectiveness of both organisations would be impeded if the United Kingdom and other donors earmarked their contributions for specific activities.
In 1994 we gave £7.5 million to the general funds of IPPF and £8.5 million to those of UNFPA.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will place in the Library all reports submitted to the Overseas Development Administration since 1989 by the International Planned Parenthood Federation on population policies in China. [25317]
(2) what written statements by the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the UN Family Planning Association or the Chinese Family Planning Association condemning or disassociating themselves from any instance of coercive population control in China are held on the files of his Department; and if he will list in each case the instance condemned and the date of the document. [25301]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: The latest annual report from the International Planned Parenthood Federation covering its worldwide operations, together with a sample of statements, by both the United Nations Population Fund and the IPPF, opposing coercion, have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on links between the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the British eugenics movement and the Gaton Institute. [25300]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: We understand from the International Planned Parenthood Federation that some individual members at its founding in 1952 may have had links with the eugenics movement. However, eugenics views have never influenced IPPF's policies or programmes. IPPF makes it an unequivocal condition for membership that each autonomous family 514W planning association commits itself to fight all discrimination and coercion based on social or economic status, gender, race, colour, creed or political beliefs.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition the Overseas Development Administration uses of what constitutes coercive population control; and in which countries such practices have been identified. [25307]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: Population activities would be considered coercive if they sought to infringe the basic right of couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children. Population programes funded by the Overseas Development Administration safeguard and promote this right and facilitate the exercise of such a right by individuals. The Overseas Development Administration does not hold authoritative information on instances of coercion in overseas countries.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the numbers of volunteers provided by the Chinese Family Planning Association to assist in family planning initiatives in China; what assessment he had made of the level of independence of the Chinese Family Planning Association from the central Chinese Government; what information he has on the role played by the Chinese Family Planning Association in recent Chinese "population high tides"; what information he has on the liaison between the Chinese Family Planning Association and the International Planned Parenthood Federation; and what documentation the Overseas Development Administration has received arising from such liaison. [25310]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: The China Family Planning Association is a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. We understand that there are some 75 million volunteers in CFPA, including many doctors and nurses, who assist with counselling and providing information on family planning. The CFPA does not provide clinical services.
The CFPA is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, governed by a board of volunteers drawn from all sections of national society. The CFPA has been appointed by the Chinese Government to monitor the national family planning programme and help to ensure that coercion does not take place in the programme. The IPPF provides information on the activities of CFPA as and when required.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessments his Department has made for the unmet need for family planning overseas; and on what assumptions such assessments are made. [25308]
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 22 May 1995]: We use estimates of unmet demand for family planning prepared by the United Nations Population Fund and other organisations with expertise in this area. Such estimates are based on demographic and health survey data collected from individual countries. These surveys collect information about couples using family planning and about couples who do not, but who express a desire to limit their family size. Where necessary, we also undertake our own small-scale studies to assess specific reproductive health needs.