§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his Department's specific policy to encourage small British firms to invest in South Africa.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 January 1995]: The British investment in South Africa promotion scheme aims to help the development of small and medium enterprises in South Africa, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, by promoting and assisting new investment in South Africa by small British businesses.
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§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the ODA is prepared to fund small British businesses in the field of information technology who wish to work in South Africa.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 January 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him today. Small British businesses in the field of information technology are eligible under the scheme.
§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is ODA policy to assist small British firms which wish to do business in South Africa; and what proportion of the budget for South Africa is geared towards funding small British businesses.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 January 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him today. The sum allocated for the British investment in South Africa promotion scheme is £2 million. We do not set spending targets for our aid programme to South Africa by sector or project.
§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the result of ethnic monitoring of the ownership of British firms that have received contracts from the ODA for work in the field of information technology in South Africa.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 January 1995]: ODA does not monitor the award of contracts to British firms under aid programme by ethnic ownership.
§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the ODA is prepared to fund small black British firms which have viable projects with black South African partners in the field of information technology in South Africa.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 January 1995]: The selection of projects agreed for funding under the aid programme to South Africa is made in the context of the priority areas of focus we have agreed with the South African Government. Where projects involve the supply of British goods and services, we employ our normal competitive tendering arrangements.
§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much British development aid money in South Africa is being spent on(a) large British firms, (b) medium-size British firms and (c) small British firms in the field of information technology.
§ Mr. Baldry[holding answer 20 January 1995]: We do not collate information on British firms, contracted under the aid programme, according to their size.