HC Deb 14 April 1999 vol 329 c233W
16. Mr. Goggins

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on EU development aid policy. [79119]

17. Mr. Laurence Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU in connection with third world aid. [79120]

18. Mr. Rowe

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards improving the management of EU development aid; and if she will make a statement. [79121]

Clare Short

Our contributions to the EC's external assistance programmes absorb approximately 30 per cent. of the Department for International Development's budget.

In December 1998 we published our 18 point strategy to improve EC development spending. This reflects our concern that EC aid spending is both skewed against the poorest countries and often of poor quality. Our strategy includes a proposal for the agreement of a coherent overarching statement of EU development policy.

We are pursuing vigorously our strategy with the Commission and with other EC member states. I agreed a Joint Declaration on improving the EC's contribution to international development with my French and German opposite numbers in February. I expect to discuss specific measures for improving the quality of the EC's development spending at the EU Development Council in May, in the context of the follow-up to recently completed evaluations of the EC's development programmes.

Mr. Wilkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact of the resignation of the Commissioners of the European Union on the co-ordination of British development aid with that of the EU. [79113]

Clare Short

The events surrounding the resignation of the Commission provide a major opportunity to reform the EC's external assistance programmes. We need an overhaul of approval, auditing and financial management systems, and more accountability. We also need to avoid sanctioning EC programmes or budget levels which cannot be effectively managed. Strengthening co-ordination is a priority of the German EU Presidency and we will support all sensible proposals at the EU Development Council next month.