§ Mr. GillTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what amount of EU funds have been made available to Tibet; for what purposes; and to which organisation. [38621]
§ Mr. HanleyThe EC is financing two projects in the Tibetan autonomous region. Both are being implemented through the non-governmental organisation "Medecins Sans Frontières". These are: (i) a physiotherapy project aimed at training doctors and assisting people suffering from a crippling illness called "Big Bone Disease", —EC assistance approximately £98,000; and (ii) a health care and hospital refurbishment project in the Lhasa district—EC assistance approximately £315,000.
The EC is also considering a contribution of 7.6 million ecu—some £6.3 million—towards the cost of an integrated rural development project in Pa Nam. If the EC contribution is confirmed, it will focus primarily on support for agricultural extension, rural water supply, education and health services and a special project management unit.