§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department has provided to the Gambia in each year since 1997. [173445]
§ Hilary BennDFID has provided the following amounts of direct assistance to The Gambia since 1997:
869W
fiscal year Total amount (£000) 1996–97 1,862 1997–98 1,311 1998–99 976 1999–2000 1,370 2000–01 1,748 2001–02 2,043 2002–03 894 2003–04 (Provisional) 429 Following a review of the Programme in 2002 DFID decided to remain engaged in The Gambia with a modest programme of support focused on the education sector, governance reform and public financial management. These proposals are at various stages of development.
HMG also provides a considerable amount of assistance to The Gambia through the UK's contributions to multilateral organisations. The UK's imputed multilateral shares since 1997 are as follows:
European Commission Other United Nations World Bank Total (£ million) 1997 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.9 1998 0.9 0.2 0.3 0.1 1.4 1999 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.6 2000 0.9 0.3 0.3 0.3 1.8 2001 0.5 1.2 0.3 0.6 2.6
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what educational programmes aimed at children between the ages of six and 16 his Department(a) has established since 1997, (b) runs, (c) helps run, (d) finances and (e) helps finance in the Gambia. [173446]
§ Hilary BennDFID has recently approved a £2.9 million project aimed at enhancing the capacity of the Department of State for Education (DoSE) to implement the Gambia's poverty reduction strategy in the education sector.
Previously, from 2000–02, DFID provided £655,000 to DoSE through an education management project concentrating on the establishment of an education management information system (EMIS) and staff appraisal system.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the, Secretary of State for International Development what sexual education programmes his Department(a) has established since 1997, (b) runs, (c) helps run, (d) finances and (e) helps finance in the Gambia. [173447]
§ Hilary BennDFID has not provided direct funding or been involved in any sexual education programmes in The Gambia since 1997. Indirectly, DFID supports and contributes globally to the activities of many organisations involved in promoting sex education and tackling HIV/AIDS. These include the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),870W UNICEF, the World Health Programme (WHO) and the HIV/AIDS Rapid Response Programme (HARRP) funded by the World Bank.
In The Gambia, activities include the HIV/AIDS Rapid Response Project (HARRP) of approximately US $15 million, which supports the Gambian National AIDS strategy and addresses a wide range of prevention activities. In addition The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), to which DFID also contributes, is considering providing US $14.5 million over 5 years for the treatment, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the international initiatives in the Gambia that his Department has participated in(a) financially and (b) logistically since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [173448]
§ Hilary BennThe UK makes multilateral contributions to a number of international organisations active in The Gambia. Since 1997 the UK's imputed share of multilateral contributions is as follows:
European Commission Other United Nations World Bank Total (£ million) 1997 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.9 1998 0.9 0.2 0.3 0.1 1.4 1999 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.6 2000 0.9 0.3 0.3 0.3 1.8 2001 0.5 1.2 0.3 0.6 2.6 (b) DFID works closely with the Gambian Government and other donors in building a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of the Gambia's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). Initiatives coordinated with other donors include support to Public Expenditure Reviews in 2002 and 2004, and a Country Financial Accountability Assessment in 2003.