§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the British Government plan to take through bilateral and international aid programmes to improve hospital bed availability in the west bank and Gaza strip. [31868]
§ Mr. HanleyThe Overseas Development Administration is helping the Palestinian Ministry of Health to strengthen its management capacity through a three-year project. The project's goals include improved planning and management of hospital services, and increased utilisation rates and hospital bed availability. The team of ODA-funded health consultants led by Sir Duncan Nicholl is working alongside a World Bank-funded programme which constitutes a part of its $20 million education and health rehabilitation credit.
The EU is financing the construction of a 232-bed general hospital near Gaza city. Construction began in October 1993, commissioning will begin in the early autumn, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency which administers the hospital expects it to be fully operational by March 1997. The UK share of the £18 million cost will be over £3 million. There has also been substantial UK involvement in the hospital's design and construction.
UNRWA, to whose core budget the UK makes annual contributions, is upgrading a small cottage hospital in the west bank.
§ Miss NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the annual amount spent by the United Kingdom Government through bilateral and international aid programmes on the provision of health care in the west bank and Gaza strip for the period 1970 to 1996. [31870]
§ Mr. HanleyThe ODA's record of expenditure on assistance to the health sector in the west bank and Gaza strip does not date back to 1970. The following table shows UK bilateral aid, and assistance through the EC and UNRWA, since 1978–98. Assistance from the World bank for the west bank and Gaza is only just starting: it 19W has recently declared a $20 million education and health rehabilitation credit effective.
UK aid flows to occupied territories/west bank Gaza strip health sector 1987–88 to 1995–96 UK financial year ODA bilateral1 EC2 UNRWA3 Total £'000s 1987–88 137 74 — 211 1988–89 148 81 — 229 1989–90 198 211 — 419 1990–91 247 240 — 487 1991–92 534 1,782 — 2,316 1992–93 565 987 — 1,552 1993–94 510 1,120 — 1,630 1994–95 420 776 — 1,296 1995–96 636 2,300 45 2,981 Notes:
1 ODA bilateral: constitutes regular bilateral programme, Emergency Aid and Joint Funding Scheme flows.
2 EC: based on exchange rate of 1 Ecu: £0.80, and UK average share over the period of 16 per cent. of total EU programme.
3 UNRWA: Figure refers to year one of third year £400,000 ODA-funded Family Health Project. Both UK and EU make regular annual contributions to UNRWA's core programme budget which includes health sector activities. These cannot be disaggregated.
§ Miss NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what existing measures the British Government support through bilateral and international aid programmes which assist polytechnic education to train technical and managerial workers in the west bank and Gaza strip; and what is the United Kingdom financial contribution to such programmes; [31871]
(2) what was the annual amount spent by the United Kingdom Government through bilateral and international aid programmes on the provision of polytechnic education in the west bank and Gaza strip for the period 1970 to 1996; [31867]
(3) what future steps the British Government plan to take through bilateral and international aid programmes to assist the development of polytechnical education to train technical and managerial workers in the west bank and Gaza strip. [31869]
§ Mr. HanleyThe United Kingdom bilateral aid programme for west bank and Gaza does not fund tertiary level education projects.
The European Union is providing running cost support in 1996 for nine universities and 12 community colleges. Four of the community colleges—the term polytechnic is rarely used in west bank and Gaza—are technical or management colleges. Their share of the support will total 1.96 million ecu—£1.64 million—of which about 16 per cent. can be attributed to the UK.