Baroness Vickersasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much they have previously contributed to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (formerly the Voluntary Fund for the Decade of Women) and how much they intend to contribute in the coming year.
§ The Minister of State for Defence Support (Lord Trefgarne)Her Majesty's Government contributed to the fund (when it was the Voluntary Fund for the UN Decade for Women) both at the beginning (1976) and end (1985) of the decade. Six hundred thousand pounds was pledged in 1975 and paid between 1976 and 1980; and £50,000 in each of the 1984–85 and 1985–86 financial years. The Government propose to make a grant of £50,000 next financial year and provision will be made in a Supplementary Estimate. This contribution will be used by the fund to help promote the greater involvement of women in development activities financed by the UN system and particularly by the United Nations Development Programme.