§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will identify the budget authorisation within the current or past expenditure of the European Economic Community concerning the promotion of democracy or democratic systems or institutions; what past and current sums have been or are allocated in ECU at sterling equivalents; where lists of grants made can be obtained; what groups or organisations in the United Kingdom have obtained grants; and for what purposes.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAs a result of the November 1991 Development Council resolution on human rights, democracy and development, the promotion of democracy now forms an integral part of the aid relationship between the EC and developing countries. To consolidate Community action in this area two new budget lines were established in 1991; B7-5052 for the promotion of human rights and democracy in developing countries; and B7-5078 for the support of democratisation in Latin America, both with an allocation of 10 million ecu, about £7 million, for 1992. No projects have yet been fully implemented, but we would expect detailed information about lists of grants and recipients to be made available in due course. A 5 million ecu, £3.5 million, project for support of democracy in eastern Europe—B7-6000—has recently been approved under the PHARE programme.