§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps are being taken by them and by other governments to ensure that resources which are needed to develop the former Soviet Union are not being removed either in kind or otherwise; and if they know it is being done, how it is being done, whether they will now take steps to ensure that it is not done, lest United Kingdom financial assistance is dissipated.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)The noble Lord can be assured our aid to the former Soviet Union is carefully targeted and its application carefully monitored. The Know How Fund for the former Soviet Union in particular, which administers technical assistance to those countries, has agreed procedures to ensure proposals for aid are carefully considered before funds are committed and properly monitored once commitments arc made. We make every effort to ensure that the money is well spent in fulfilling our objective of assisting these countries move their economies away from their previous centralised, communist ways.