§ Mr. DenhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what are the policy information markers going to consist; and when they will be established.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe Overseas Development Administration's policy information marker system—PIMS—has been operational since 1 October 1993. It is a computer based system which allows ODA's commitments of aid to be marked against one or more of 19 policy markers. The markers include ODA's seven priority objectives already announced by my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development in her speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs on 18 October. PIMS will provide a means of closer monitoring of ODA's performance against the objectives set for the aid programme.
Initial data from PIMS will appear in the ODA section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office departmental report 1994.