Development Policy (Hansard, 4 December 1997)

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is her estimate of the cost of establishing a development policy forum and publishing its annual reports. [18943]

§ Mr. Foulkes
We are planning to hold the policy forum and publish the annual report towards the end of 1998. The forum will incur only minimal costs (stationery, postage etc.) plus the possible cost of a venue.
We have not yet decided on the exact form of the annual report and thus it is difficult to give a clear figure for the cost. However, a broad estimate would be between £40,000 to £50,000.

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to rationalise the EU's development co-operation programmes into a single directorate during the UK Presidency. [18953]

§ Mr. Foulkes
Discussion is currently under way within the Commission on the establishment of a common services unit to handle aid administration for the external Directorates-General responsible for implementing Community aid programmes. The Directorates-General would retain responsibility for some aspects of the programmes but the exact division of tasks between them and the new structure has yet to be announced. Reorganisation of this sort is an internal management issue for the Commission, but member states have a legitimate interest in the effectiveness of the new arrangements. We will be keeping in close contact with the Commission and other member states about developments throughout the UK Presidency.

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is her estimate of the cost of the working group to be established by her Department to promote awareness of development issues. [18944]

§ Mr. Foulkes
The only expenditure directly associated with the working group will be the normal stationery and postage costs.
There will be some cost for the time of the staff administering the group but until we have a clearer idea of how much actual time will be involved it is difficult to make an estimate.