§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the decision was made that poverty, population and environment are the top priorities for British aid; what proportion of aid was spent on each of these in 1989 and the current year; and how the decision will be reflected in aid expenditure in 1991 and in future years.
§ Mrs. Chalker[holding answer 16 November 1990]: The alleviation of poverty has been a major aim of the aid programme under successive Governments. Recently we have been giving increasing priority to growth and addressing environmental issues. I see these as interrelated issues requiring increasing attention.
35WIn 1989 a total of £17.3 million was spent on activities directly related to population concerns, a 72 per cent. increase in real terms compared to 1981. In addition most mother and child health and women's education programmes contribute to reducing population growth.
On poverty, I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave her on 26 June, at column 125. On environment, ODA procedures now rightly require that the evaluation of all projects takes account of environmental considerations. The increasing priority given to the issue is reflected in the fact that whereas in 1988 the Government were financing around 80 forestry projects at a cost to the aid programme of £45 million, we currently have in place or in preparation over 200 projects at a cost of some £165 million. Figures for 1990 and future years are not available.