Bulgaria (Hansard, 19 January 1998)

§ Ann Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made about the levels of poverty in the former Eastern bloc states with particular reference to Bulgaria. [23015]

§ Clare Short
The transition to democratic systems of government and market economies in the Eastern bloc has undoubtedly been accompanied by an increase in the incidence of poverty, particularly in Bulgaria. Our future work will place increased emphasis on trying to ensure that support to transition takes full account of the need to protect poor and vulnerable groups and to spread more widely the benefits from economic development.

§ Ann Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about British assistance towards development projects in Eastern Europe, with particular reference to Bulgaria. [23016]

§ Clare Short
Our assistance to Eastern Europe is directed through the Know How Fund, which supports transition to pluralist democracy and market economies. We are reshaping Know How Fund programmes to give greater emphasis to protecting the poorest and to enabling the widest number of people to share in the fruits of change, as described in our pamphlet "Support for Transition Countries: A New Strategy", a copy of which I am placing in the Library of the House. In Bulgaria, we shall support the encouraging reforms being pursued by the new government, paying particular attention to the needs of poor and vulnerable groups.

§ Ann Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the Bulgarian state orphanage system. [23017]
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§ Clare Short
We have discussed this issue with UK-based agencies working with Bulgarian orphanages. We conclude that we should help relieve the very poor conditions found in orphanages, and also assist the Bulgarian authorities to investigate community-based alternatives to institutional care. We are funding a £250,000 project with this aim, to be managed by the Save the Children Fund (UK). We have provided a total of £359,000 to UK-based agencies and the Bulgarian Red Cross for relief programmes with vulnerable families and institutions and are supporting social homes and orphanages through small grants. We have also contributed about £2 million to the European Union's Emergency Social Assistance and Humanitarian Office Programmes in Bulgaria.