§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken since the international conference on population and development held in Cairo in 1994 to implement the agreements reached, with special reference to the allocation of more resources for reproductive health programmes. [16204]
§ Mr. HanleyThe Government continue to encourage a more effective international response to agreements reached in Cairo, especially from multilateral agencies. A total of£184 million of United Kingdom aid was committed for reproductive health in the two years 1994 and 1995. Of this total,£139 million will be passed through the bilateral programmes, including non-governmental organisations, and the balance through international agencies. To improve further the effectiveness of the UK's response to the Cairo conference, we have intensified technology development and research work and initiated a seedcorn fund to test innovative approaches for improving reproductive health.
§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in which ways the Government's policy has changed in respect of overseas reproductive and sexual health programmes since the agreements reached at the Cairo conference in 1994. [16205]
§ Mr. HanleyThe Government's policy in this area supports the programme of action agreed in Cairo in 1994, and has not altered since then. The approaches used to implement the policy are under continuous review to ensure that UK aid is as effective as possible in enabling more people to access reproductive health information and services.
§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of aid is currently given to develop reproductive and sexual health projects in overseas countries. [16203]
§ Mr. HanleyIn 1994, 2.3 per cent. of the aid for which a breakdown is available was invested in population and reproductive health activities. The figure for 1995 is not yet available.