HC Deb 12 December 1990 vol 182 cc420-1W
Mr. Fraser

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the amount of bilateral aid per capita for each of the Caribbean countries, including Guyana.

Mrs. Chalker

Following are the figures for the latest available year:

UN Conference on the least developed held in Paris on 3–14 September 1990 no target applicable to all donors was established. The UK along with several other donors undertook to make our best efforts to reach the previously agreed UN target of 0.15 per cent. Over 60 per cent. of our bilateral aid in 1989 was provided to the poorest fifty countries.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the criteria by which the least-developed countries are adjudged to meet the requirements of good governance.

Mrs. Chalker

The criteria for least developed countries are the same as for other recipients of our aid. They were set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's speech to the Overseas Development Institute of 6 June.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the second United Nations conference on the least-developed countries held in Paris in September.

Mrs. Chalker

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 29 October 1990, which saidThe Government welcome the outcome of the second United Nations conference on the least developed held in Paris from 3–14 September and will support those least developed countries which implement the policies outlined in the programme of action. The British delegation to the conference was led by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Delegation played an active and positive role in the negotiations for the programme of action for the 1990s adopted by the Conference. Two new British initiatives relating to aid tying and local costs rules, which will be of direct benefit to the least developed countries, were announced at the conference. The delegation kept in close contact with British non-governmental organisations, both before and during the conference. The booklet 'LLDCs in the 1990s: Development or Oblivion' was taken into account in formulating the United Kingdom position on the various issues."—[Official Report, 29 October 1990; Vol. 178, c. 361.]