HC Deb 08 December 2003 vol 415 cc195-6W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his counterparts in EU accession countries about an increased focus on(a) poor countries and (b) poverty reduction in future EU development assistance. [140871]

Mr. Gareth Thomas

EU Enlargement should be an opportunity to mobilise even greater support for the Millennium Development Goals and a pro-poor development agenda.

During the informal meeting of EU Development Ministers in Trieste, where many of my accession colleagues were present, broad development policy issues were discussed. I will also be meeting a number of my counterparts from key Accession Countries after the New Year to stress the importance of securing wider agreement on poverty reduction as the central objective of EU development assistance.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is towards the proportion of European Union Development Assistance that should go to low income countries. [140872]

Mr. Gareth Thomas

DFID has consistently pressed for the proportion of EC overseas development assistance spent in low income countries to reach the level of 70 per cent. The target date for this achievement is 2006.

According to the available provisional figures, over 50 per cent. of all EC overseas development assistance was spent in low income countries in 2002. This represents an increase in this proportion for the second year running.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his colleagues in the European Union about the(a) nature and (b) extent of EU assistance for middle income countries. [140873]

Mr. Gareth Thomas

During the Trieste informal meeting of EU Development Ministers last October, I had an opportunity to share our current thinking on how best to allocate Community aid between countries. In this context, I reiterated the importance of allocating Community aid to countries based on needs and performance, and to seek a greater differentiation between the development instruments we use in low versus middle income countries.

In practice, this would imply a larger share of EC overseas development assistance going to low income countries, and a focus of allocations to middle income countries on those with large number of poor people which pursue reformist policies. It would also mean an increased use of instruments such as concessional lending and technical assistance in middle income countries.

I have also discussed this bilaterally with some UK members of the European Parliament during the autumn.