HC Deb 19 October 1990 vol 177 cc936-7W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the projects approved under the agricultural aid programme for Poland.

Mrs. Chalker

A £15 million agricultural development grant has been approved, which will provide loans to private sector business in the Voivodships of Elblag and Bialystok for the purchase of British equipment in the areas of food production, processing and distribution in Poland. Signature of the exchange of notes with the Government of Poland to initiate the grant is awaited. We have also funded an agricultural sector mission to Poland and are financing a visit by senior Polish agriculture experts to follow up the recommendations of the sector mission. In addition, we have spent £50,000 on the training of Polish co-operatives managers; and have recently approved £42,000 for the training of veterinary surgeons and £55,000 for training in the testing of cultivers and seed varieties.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what standard of environmental safeguards he applies to disbursements made under the agriculture aid programme for Poland.

Mrs. Chalker

All projects funded by the Overseas Development Administration must meet the guidelines set out in the Overseas Development Administration manual of environmental appraisal. Where there are environmental implications for British assistance to agriculture in Poland, they will be carefully monitored.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the projects approved since 8 March from the know-how fund for Poland.

Mrs. Chalker

I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 17 October.

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