HC Deb 29 November 1995 vol 267 cc736-8W
Mrs. Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of overseas aid to(a) sub-Saharan Africa, (b) Latin America and the Caribbean, (c) south and central asia, (d) the middle east and north Africa, (e) other Asia and Oceania and (f) eastern Europe is spent on (i) basic education, (ii) primary health care, (iii) safe drinking water, (iv) adequate sanitation, (v) family planning and (vi) nutrition. [1548]

Mr. Hanley

The requested information is available only for that bilateral expenditure which is allocable by sector. The most recent figures available are for financial year 1994–95, and are given in the table.

The categories are by economic sector and each ODA project or programme is classified to a single sector. This does not present the full picture because there will be further expenditure in each of these sectors through projects which form part of other, more general, sectors. This is particularly so for family planning, which has not been separately identified. In the calendar year 1994, it is estimated that 2.3 per cent. of total United Kingdom aid, both bilateral and multilateral, was spent on reproductive health care.

The table excludes block grants to NGOs and multilateral assistance, as it is not possible to provide a breakdown by sector. Bilateral food aid is included in the expenditure on nutrition. It is not possible to provide a sectoral breakdown of the non food aid component of emergency aid. It is likely that a significant amount of this excluded expenditure contributes to the sectors shown.

This information is provisional until the publication in December of the 1995 edition of "British Aid Statistics".

1994–95 bilateral Gross Public Expenditure (GPEX) on selected sectors as a percentage of total bilateral GPEX in specified regions
Basic education1 Primary health care Water and sanitation2 Nutrition3
Sub-Saharan Africa 2.2 4.1 1.0 7.3
Latin America and Caribbean 2.0 3.0 3.2 0.2
South and Central Asia 1.5 6.8 3.2 0.9
Middle East and North Africa 1.3 6.0 4.6
Other Asia and Pacific 0.7 1.5 2.1
Eastern Europe 0.2 0.3
1 The amount spent on basic education comprises around 18.S per cent. of total bilateral expenditure on education in the regions shown. As for the other categories, some additional expenditure is classified to more general sectors.
2 Information on water and sanitation projects is presented jointly since a significant amount of expenditure in these sectors is spent on joint projects.
3 Figures for nutrition include bilateral food aid. Other emergency aid is excluded from the table.

Mrs. Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the overseas aid budget is used for(a) food, (b) medical supplies and equipment, (c) housing, (d) education and training programmes, (e) construction of infrastructure and (f) administration of development and aid programmes. [1544]

Mr. Hanley

The information requested in parts(c), (d) and (e) of the question is available only for that bilateral expenditure which is allocable by sector. The most recent figures available are for financial year 1994–95. Expenditure on food aid and administrative costs relates both to bilateral and multilateral aid, parts (a) and (f). It is not possible to identify separately information on medical supplies and equipment, part (b); therefore expenditure on the whole health sector is included. This information is given in the table.

The categories shown have been defined in terms of economic sector and each ODA project or programme is classified to a single sector. This does not present the full picture for the sectors shown. There will be further expenditure in each of these sectors through broad projects which form part of more general sectors.

The figure given for food aid includes emergency food aid. The table excludes other emergency aid, block grants to NGOs and multilateral aid, as a sector breakdown is not available. It is likely that a significant amount of this excluded expenditure contributes to the sectors shown.

The information is provisional until the publication in December of the 1995 edition of "British Aid Statistics".

ODA expenditure on selected sectors as a percentage of total ODA expenditure, 1994–95
Percentage
Percentage share of total ODA programme
(a) Food aid1 4.1
(f) Administration 2.3
ODA expenditure on selected sectors as a percentage of total ODA expenditure, 1994–95
Percentage
Percentage share of total ODA bilateral programme
(a) Food aid 3.3
(b) Health 7.0
(c) Housing2 0.5
(d) Education 10.4
(e) Construction of infrastructure3 12.8
1 In 1994–95 £56.8 million of ODA's multilateral expenditure was spent on EC and UN food aid programmes in addition to £36.3 million of bilateral food aid. This includes both regular and emergency contributions.
2 This figure includes expenditure on slum improvement projects.
3 Infrastructure is defined according to the 1994 World Development Report to include: public utilities (energy, telecommunications, water, sanitation and sewerage), public works (roads, irrigation and drainage) and transport.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the Government to reach the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent. gross national product for overseas aid. [2224]

Mr. Hanley

We have not set down a timetable for reaching the 0.7 per cent. target. Progress towards the target will depend on our economic circumstances and on other priorities for public expenditure.

In 1994, our ODA-GNP ratio was 0.31 per cent.—above the average for all OECD donors of 0.29 per cent.