§ Mr. Clifton BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will continue to extend financial support to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, with special reference to its work in China; and if he will make a statement. [5376]
§ Dr. Liam FoxWe recognise that the International Planned Parenthood Federation does valuable work throughout the world to promote reproductive health and provide effective assistance to family planning associations. We shall continue to provide financial support to IPPF from the overseas development programme, subject to the availability of resources and remaining satisfied with the value for money from our investments.
The China Family Planning Association is one of the many affiliates with which IPPF works and we have been keen to know more about the difference that IPPF and CFPA have been able to make to reproductive choice in China. The Overseas Development Administration therefore recently commissioned a review of the role of IPPF in China and its work with the CFPA. A copy of the consultants' report has been placed in the Library.
We regard this examination, led on ODA's behalf by a highly respected and authoritative expert in the population field, as an informed, balanced and realistic assessment. It concludes that IPPF has been able to play an effective and valuable role in influencing CFPA in the development of the kind of activities and role that we would expect of a non-governmental organisation. However, we should recognise that there is still clearly a long way to go.
We accept the review's conclusion that the influence of IPPF has been a force for positive change, and that the continued involvement of IPPF in China will be beneficial in helping CFPA further. These conclusions support our long-held view that it is better that organisations such as IPPF should be engaged and working to influence from within, and is the course that we believe most likely to produce the outcomes that we all seek. We shall expect IPPF to continue its efforts in this regard and be able to better demonstrate the difference it makes. We will maintain a close interest in its future work in China.
We do not envisage changing the general principle of the present funding arrangements under which our annual core grant is provided to support the work of IPPF throughout the world, and is not usually designated for use in particular countries. Exceptions to this principle will concern only those countries where we have bilateral programmes in reproductive health, which does not include China.