HC Deb 10 December 1990 vol 182 cc282-4W
Mr. David Shaw

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much in aid and assistance to eastern Europe has been spent and committed in 1990–91; and what is the nature of each programme on which money is being expended.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of how know-how funding to Poland has been applied hitherto; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Chalker

A total of £5,020,848 has been spent under the know-how fund for eastern Europe since the beginning of the 1990–91 financial year. We expect to spend the full £15 million allocated for assistance to eastern Europe by the end of this financial year. As to the nature of the programmes on which money has been spent, I refer to the replies I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Battersea (Mr. Bowis) on 14 March at column236, for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Dr. Woodcock) on 13 June at column 213, for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) and for Hazel Grove (Sir T. Arnold) on 2 July at column 417, and to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 17 October at column 813. The additional activities approved since then under the know-how fund are as follows:

Poland

  • Title: Seeds Sector Training.
  • Description: 4 week training course by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany.
  • Status: Completed November 1990.
  • Cost: £55,000.
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  • Title: Industrial Competitiveness.
  • Description: 3 month study by the Centre for Economic and Policy Research.
  • Status: To be implemented.
  • Cost: £27,000.
  • Title: Assistance to Employment Sector.
  • Description: Provision of advice Health and Safety, Employment Services Training and Small Firms.
  • Status: Under way October 1990.
  • Cost: £125,000.
  • Title: Book Sector Study.
  • Description: Study to form the basis of a medium term book development policy in Poland.
  • Status: Due to start January 1991.
  • Cost: £41,000.

Hungary

  • Title: Development of Employment Services.
  • Description: A two stage programme of visits to and from Hungary arranged by the Department of Employment to provide advice on how to develop employment services in Hungary.
  • Status: Due to start January 1991.
  • Cost: £16,070.
  • Title: Banking assistance.
  • Description: Visit by librarian of chartered Institute of Bankers to advise on the establishment of a library and specialist information centre at the International training centre for bankers in Budapest.
  • Status: Under way.
  • Cost: £4,000.
  • Title: Assistance to International Management Centre (IMC).
  • Description: To strengthen the IMC's training, research and consultancy programmes via a programme of visits over a three year period by leading British management specialists.
  • Status: To be implemented.
  • Cost: £60,000.
  • Title: Accountancy Crash Training.
  • Description: A six month programme of assistance to retrain all senior accountants in the principles and operation of the new Hungarian accountancy legislation.
  • Status: To be implemented.
  • Cost: £145,000.
  • Title: Assistance to Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE).
  • Description: Consultancy advice to help the BSE determine the most appropriate method of operation and regulatory arrangements for their new trading room and with this information to draw up the optimum physical specifications of the trading room.
  • Status: Will begin December 1990.
  • Cost: £60,000.

Czechoslovakia

  • Title: English Language Training for the State Bank.
  • Description: A three month intensive course in general and specialised English for senior staff of the Czechoslovakia State Bank.
  • Status: Under way.
  • Cost: £65,000.
  • Title: Economics for senior Officials.
  • Description: A programme of lectures and seminars to introduce senior Czechoslovak officials to market economics, and in particular the contemporary economic issues affecting government policy.
  • Status: Under way.
  • Cost: £9,500.
  • Title: Study of Environmental Problems of North Bohemia.
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  • Description: A programme of visits by environmental scientists aimed at producing a report for the Czechoslovak government to better to understand the environmental problems of North Bohemia and to develop a realistic programme for their solution, including sources of finance.
  • Status: Under way.
  • Cost: £12,000.
  • Title: Establishment of an Industry and Conservation Association in Bratislava.
  • Description: A programme of visits and consultancy advice aimed at improving the handling of environmental problems in the local political economy by developing partnerships between industry, environmental NGO's and local government.
  • Status: To be implemented.
  • Cost: £28,000.
  • Title: Secondment to Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
  • Description: An official from the Department of Employment will be seconded to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs for a 9 month period to co-ordinate and develop the programme of assistance in the labour field currently underway under KHF auspices.
  • Status: Will begin in December 1990.
  • Cost: £20,000.
  • Title: Support for World Bank Structural Adjustment Mission.
  • Description: Covering the costs of two United Kingdom experts taking part in a world bank mission looking at the social safety net in Czechoslovakia as a precursor to a major structural adjustment loan.
  • Status: Will begin December 1990.
  • Cost: £20,000.

Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland

  • Title: Assistance for Environmental NGO's.
  • Description: A programme of visits, exchanges and consultancy advice aimed at strengthening the network of environmental NGO's in all three countries.
  • Status: Under way.
  • Cost: £125,000 over two years.