§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What arrangements they have in place to ensure that all government aid to Bosnia for relief and reconstruction is used for the purposes for which it is granted, and whether they are satisfied that all such aid has so far been so used.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)Relief grants are made only through reputable British and international NGOs and UN agencies and only when ODA field and HQ staff are satisfied that the need exists. In the British military sector, where projects are largely implemented by local contractors, a series of rigorous checks are carried out by SFOR and ODA to ensure that communities from all the parties in Bosnia benefit from British assistance. We consult with the local communities, other international agencies and NGOs: companies considered unsuitable are not given work. Our other infrastructure programmes in Bosnia involve procurement on a large scale from the UK, Europe and the former Yugoslavia; tenders are awarded using strict value for money criteria.