§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to meet his counterparts in Concerted Action for Development in Africa to review their achievements since December 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RaisonI have no plans to meet my collegues concerned with Co-operation for Development in Africa (CDA), formerly known as Concerted Action for Development in Africa: the annual high-level review of CDA's work takes place at official level.
CDA's purpose is broadly to help carry out joint projects of regional and national benefit to African countries which are beyond the capacity of any one donor; which promote regional co-operation, are of an integrated character or of fundamental importance to the country concerned; and which are preferably new activities. The mode of action preferred is through parallel financing of agreed schemes. CDA members now include, apart from ourselves, Belgium, Canada, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy and the United States. The work is promoted through a large number of technical groups.
Projects already supported by the United Kingdom include fuelwood in Somalia, forestry in Malawi and the African Medical and Research Foundation in East Africa, and we are considering others, including a scheme to protect children against communicable diseases in the Gambia.