§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which(a) Government committees, (b) advisers and (c) experts the Overseas Development Administration consults before deciding whether to support individual applications for assistance under the aid and trade provision; and if he will list the names, occupation and employer of each person giving such advice. [22998]
§ Mr. HanleyThe Overseas Development Administration does not have specialist aid and trade provision advisers. Instead, as with all other ODA projects, applictions for ATP assistance are considered by the ODA's country programme managers and sectoral advisers in accordance with the relevant country strategies. The ODA monitors progress on ATP applications jointly with the Development of Trade and Industry, and consults the Export Credits Guarantee 479W Department on export credit aspects. ATP projects involving ODA support in excess of £5 million, like all ODA projects of similar size, must be considered by the ODA's projects and evaluation committee, which makes recommendations to the Minister on whether they should be approved. Finally, all offers of ATP support must be approved by the OECD's international export credit group.
§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affiars which former public sector research establishments in the Overseas Development Administration have been privatised since 1979; and which public sector research establishments in the Overseas Development Administration are currently undergoing reviews with a view to placing them in the private sector. [21940]
§ Mr. HanleyFrom 1979 to date, no ODA research establishment has been transferred to the private sector. Over the period, a number of separate bodies were brought together to form the Natural Resources Institute, NRI. The transfer of NRI to the private sector is in progress; a preferred bidder was announced on 5 March,Official Report, column 166.