§ Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the priority sectors in aid allocations to recipient countries following the Overseas Development Administration's fundamental review of expenditure. [8869]
§ Mr. HanleyThe ODA will continue to allocate the majority of bilateral aid on a country-by-country basis.
Country strategies and priority sectors will be developed according to the specific needs of individual countries, and in full consultation with them. These programmes will contribute to the wider aims set out in the ODA's revised mission statement.
§ Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current and future regional priorities for the aid programme following the Overseas Development Administration's fundamental expenditure review. [8873]
§ Mr. HanleyThe fundamental expenditure review confirmed the need for continued substantial levels of concessional aid. The ODA's intention will remain to focus this aid on where it is most needed and where it can do most good. This means that aid will continue to be concentrated on the poorest countries, although there 505W remains a continuing need for help to be given to countries in transition. The FER 'concluded that the effectiveness of the aid programme will be increased if substantial aid programmes are confined to a smaller number of recipients. The ODA will continue to move in this direction.