§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will cease his Department's funding of the state's deregulatory Centre for Good Governance in Andhra Pradesh, India. [178607]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe Centre for Good Governance (CGG) was set up in 2001 by the Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) to assist it in developing and implementing its governance reform programme. The programme has many strands, and since its inception, the Centre for Good Governance has undertaken work on a wide range of issues. Highlights 801W include a thorough assessment of public expenditure management systems, and an action plan for their improvement. The Centre has also studied Citizens' Charters and how they can be effectively used to improve services. Other work includes analysing corruption-prone processes, and assisting the Government to develop a broad anti-corruption strategy. CGG is currently completing a study on local bodies, and how their effectiveness can be improved. In addition to assisting the AP Government, the Centre is working with the Government of India, particularly in the areas of civil service reform and e-governance.
Recognising the importance of governance to tackling poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, DFID has committed up to £5.9 million for the Government of Andhra Pradesh's governance reform programme; this lasts until March 2005. The assistance is provided in a flexible way so that it can respond to the state Government's evolving agenda. Regular discussions are held on the work programme of the Centre to ensure that it is line with the Government's priorities.
§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will end the arrangement which places the Implementation Secretariat of the Andhra Pradesh state's Public Enterprises Department under the control of the Adam Smith Institute. [178608]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe Implementation Secretariat is responsible for taking forward the Government of Andhra Pradesh's public enterprise reform programme. It has always been under the control of the state government, and is headed by an Andhra Pradesh government official. The Implementation Secretariat reviews the options for state enterprises, and recommends their closure, restructuring or sale; it then implements the state government's decision.
Adam Smith International (ASI) won a competitive tender to provide advisory and administrative support to the Government of Andhra Pradesh. In the first stage, as well as providing consultancy advice, ASI also engaged the local consulting firms and staff for the Implementation Secretariat. In 2003, the Implementation Secretariat itself took over these administrative responsibilities. DFID is discussing its programme, including assistance to public enterprise reform, with the new government, to ensure that it reflects their priorities and makes the most effective contribution to their efforts to tackle poverty.
§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the viability of his Department's commitments entered into as a result of the Vision 2020 document produced by McKinsey & Co for Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister Naidu. [178609]
Mr. Gareth ThomasVision 2020, published in 1999, set out the vision of the Government of Andhra Pradesh for development in the state. It committed the government to a number of goals, including the eradication of poverty and universal primary education, and included many ideas and approaches about how these goals could be achieved. It was not however, a strategy or plan that could he funded. The projects which DFID is supporting in Andhra Pradesh were each based on requests for assistance, and were designed and802W agreed only after detailed appraisals and discussions with government. They are regularly reviewed to assess progress and agree any changes.
DFID has a wide-ranging programme in Andhra Pradesh. It includes both support to the government in implementing cross-cutting reforms and support for programmes providing basic services such as primary schooling and treatment of Tuberculosis. DFID also has two large programmes—AP Rural Livelihoods (APRLP) and AP Urban Services for the Poor (APUSP)—which aim to make government more responsive to the needs of poor people, and to encourage the involvement of poor communities in decisions which affect their lives. APRLP works in five of the poorest rural areas, and has a central focus on agriculture, on which most poor people depend. APUSP works in 32 towns, and as well as improving government's services, it finances new infrastructure in slum areas, for example to address drinking water and sanitation needs. Both projects include components to help poor families to make a better living by developing new opportunities to earn income, for example through skills training.
The new state government of Andhra Pradesh is setting out its priorities for development and poverty reduction. Discussions have started on how DFID can most effectively support government's efforts to tackle poverty, and this dialogue will include reviewing existing projects to see whether any changes are required.