§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the impact on the United Kingdom aid programme of the increase in EC aid agreed at the Edinburgh summit.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydOur contributions to European Community aid programmes, both through the European development fund and through the EC budget, are part of our overall aid effort and are met from within the agreed PES provision for ODA's external assistance programmes.
The agreement reached at Edinburgh on future financing provides for considerable growth in the aid programme funded from the EC budget up to 1999. For the period up to 1995–96 covered in the autumn statement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer it is expected that the proportion of the ODA's budget going through the EC will increase based on existing plans. Since we cannot anticipate decisions on the overall size of ODA's budget beyond 1995–96, we cannot anticipate the share which will go through the EC.