Peto Institute, Budapest (Hansard, 20 March 1997)

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

Under an agreement in 1991 with the Hungarian Government, we made a contribution of £1.75 million towards the cost of building a new International Peto Institute in Budapest to be brought into operation by 1996. It has not in the event proved possible to use this money for the purpose originally intended. We have instead agreed a proposal from the Hungarians that these funds (approximately £2 million including interest accrued) should be applied to extend and refurbish an existing Institute building in return for substantial benefits for UK citizens. These benefits include guaranteed numbers of places for British children receiving conductive education at the Institute and for British students receiving professional training, reductions in fees for British children, and access on a cost basis to a guaranteed proportion of new family and student accommodation. The Institute will continue to assist with the development of conductive education in the UK. A new Inter-Governmental Agreement incorporating these benefits and appropriate safeguards for the implementation of the project will be signed later this month by the British Ambassador in Budapest and a representative of the Hungarian Government.