Educational Projects (Czechoslovakia) (Hansard, 17 January 1991)

§ Mrs. Chalker

Expenditure under the know-how fund for Czechoslovakia in 1990–91 is estimated at £2 million. Projects designed to transfer know-how to Czechoslovakia are listed below by sector, including the name of the United Kingdom organisation responsible for project implementation.

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MACROECONOMIC ADVICE

Title: Assistance for Privatisation Description: A team of privatisation advisers will undertake a six month assignment to advise the Czechoslovak Privatisation Agency.

Contract: Ernst & Young, Shroders and Denton Hall.
Status: September 1990-March 1991.
Cost: £450,000.

Title: Banking Training Description: A visit to assess the training needs of the Czechoslovak banking sector.

Contract: Grayson-Bennett Associates.
Status: Completed.
Cost: £12,000.

Title: Banking Training Description: A programme of six two week seminars for senior managers of various banks in Czechoslovakia. Contract: Grayson-Bennett Associates.

Status: January to May 1991.
Cost: £70,000.

Title: Assistance to the Ceskoslovenska Obchodnoi Banka Description: Two consultants will work alongside bank staff as part of a team finalising the evaluation of an integrated software package.

Contract: IDOM.
Status: Completed.
Cost: £14,500.

Title: Assistance to the Komercni Banka Description: The placement of ten Czechoslovak bankers, selected by the Komercni Banka, with British clearing banks, mainly in their documentary credits departments in order to obtain practical, working experience of international commercial banking business.

Contract: Chartered Institute of Bankers.
Status: Completed.
Cost: £35,000.

Title: Assistance to the Investicni Banka Description: Barclays Bank to provide a three day training course to two employees of the Investicni Banka in the issue of Certificates of Deposit.

Status: Completed.
Cost: £900.

562W

Title: Accountancy Training Description: The placement of eight Czechoslovak accountants selected by the Ministry of Finance with British accountancy firms.

Contract: Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.
Status: Completed.
Cost: £13,000.

Title: Workshops on Tax Structure and Public Finance Description: A programme of workshops to examine tax requirements and procedures resulting from the changes in Czechoslovakia. In addition there will be inward and outward visits by researchers and the provision of computer equipment.

Contract: Institute of Fiscal Studies.
Status: September 1990 to September 1992.
Cost: £25,000.

Title: Insurance Sector Description: To help establish a new insurance company.

Status: Under way.
Cost: £140,700.

Title: Advice to the Federal Minister of Economy and the Chairman of the State Bank Description: The payment of air fares for up to fifteen visits per year to Prague by Mr. Stanley Rudcenko, Vice President and Chief Economist at the Bankers Trust and one of an informal group of advisers to the Chairman of the State Bank and Federal Ministry of Economy.

Status: Under way.
Cost: £6,000.

Title: Secondment to the Federal Ministry of Economy Description: The secondment of Dr. Drabek of the World Bank to act as a Principal Economic adviser to both the Ministry of Economy and the Czech Ministry of Strategic Planning.

Status: Under way.
Cost: £50,000.

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.

Contract: Birbeck College.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £9,500.

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: January 1991.
Cost: £20,000.

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Title: Development of Employment Services in Slovakia Description: A short visit by two Employment Service officials to Slovakia to ascertain needs in the employment sector.

Contract: Department of Employment.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £3,000.

Title: Training for Employment Services Managers Description: The Employment Service are to provide a number of courses for the Czechoslovak equivalent of Jobcentre managers.

Contract: Department of Employment.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £53,000.

563W

Title: Training and Retraining of Adults Description: Up to ten Czechoslovak officials will visit the United Kingdom for two weeks to look at adult training facilities and policy.

Contract: Department of Employment.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £39,300.

Title: Development of Employment Services Description: A visit by United Kingdom Employment Service officials to Czechoslovakia to look at existing arrangements for dealing with unemployment and a return visit by officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to discuss with institutions in the United Kingdom the handling of unemployment issues.

Contract: Department of Employment.
Status: Completed.
Cost: £19,600.

Title: Secondment to the Prime Minister's Office Description: The Department of Employment have seconded an official to the Czechoslovak Prime Minister's to advise on the employment and other implications of the economic reform programme.

Contract: Department of Employment.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £50,000.

Title: Secondment to Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Description: An official will be seconded to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs for a nine month period to co-ordinate and develop the programme of assistance in the labour field under KHF auspices.

Contract: Department of Employment.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £20,000.

MANAGEMENT TRAINING

Title: Management Training in the Telecommunications Sector Description: The training of ten senior executives in the Czechoslovak Federal Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

Contract: British Telecom.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £58,800.

Title: Management Training in the Construction Sector Description: A pilot management training course for the construction sector.

Contract: Intrinsic Marketing.
Status: Completed.
Cost: £57,950.

ENVIRONMENT

Title: Study of Environmental Problems of North Bohemia Description: A programme of visits by environmental scientists aimed at producing a report for the Czechoslovak government to better understand the environmental problems of north Bohemia and to develop a realistic programme for their solution, including sources of finance.

Contract: Department of the Environment.
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.

Contract: Nature Conservancy Council.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £28,000.

EDUCATION AND ELT

Title: Prince of Wales Scholarships Description: Two Czechoslovak students will be sponsored to attend courses at Atlantic College, Wales. 564W

Status: The two students took up their courses in October 1990.
Cost: £9,300.

Title: Book Sector Study Description: A study to consider all factors relevant to educational book development which will form the basis for a more detailed book development programme to be linked to an IBRD contribution to this sector.

Contract: International Book Development.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £44,500.

Title: English Language Teaching In-Service Seminar Description: A two week seminar in Bratislava to prepare teachers for the introduction of new English teaching materials and methodology.

Contract: British Council.Status: Completed.
Cost: £10,500.

Title: Russian Teachers' Conversion Course Description: The British Council are to organise a three month intensive teacher training/conversion course for Czech and Slovak teachers of Russian to prepare them for English teaching duties in state primary and secondary schools.

Contract: Bell Educational Trust.
Status: Completed.
Cost: £195,000.

Title: English Language Training for the State Bank. Description: A three-month intensive course in general and specialised English for senior staff of the Czechoslovak State Bank

Contract: Regent school.
Status: Completed.
Cost: £65,000.

OTHER PROJECTS

Title: Data Envelopment Analysis Programme Description: The London School of Economics ran a short computer programming course based at the Ecole Polytechnique de Brno. A computer has been installed at the Polytechnique to enable them to undertake further courses.

Status: Completed.
Cost: £10,000.

POLITICAL PROJECTS

Title: Anglo-Czechoslovak Law Seminar Description: Four Czechoslovak lawyers attended a seminar in London organised by the Anglo-Czechoslovak Law Association.

Status: Completed.
Cost: £2,000.

Title: Training for personnel of Czechoslovak TV Description: VISNEWS have arranged a short visit for personnel from Czechoslovak TV News to enable them to see how news coverage is approached in Britain and to look at United Kingdom equipment and production techniques.

Status: Completed.
Cost: £5,000.

Title: Media Training for Czechoslovak Radio Description: A group of journalists from Czechoslovak Radio undertook a two day training session with an individual consultant looking at ways of improving presentation and content.

Status: Completed.
Cost: £200.

Title: Legal Education Description: The Jan Hus Foundation is to advise Czechoslovak Universities on the reform of their system of legal education.

Status: Under way.
Cost: £5,000.

565W

Title: Broadcasting Training Description: The BBC World Service is to provide a six week course for Czechoslovak broadcasters on the methods and techniques of broadcasting and journalism in a plural society.

Status: To start February 1991.
Cost: £250,000.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA, HUNGARY AND POLAND

Title: Assistance for Environmental NGOs Description: A programme of visits, exchanges and consultancy advice aimed at strengthening the network of environmental NGOs in all three countries.

Contract: Ecological Studies Institute.
Status: Under way.
Cost: £125,000 over two years.