HC Deb 01 July 1998 vol 315 c210W
27. Helen Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of her budget goes towards projects which have a beneficial impact in terms of environmental protection. [46892]

Clare Short

Final expenditure figures for financial year 1997/98 are not yet available. We estimate that the Department for International Development (DFID) spent £194 million on bilateral projects which contributed to conservation of the environment. This represents about 20 per cent. of estimated bilateral aid expenditure in that year. It is not possible to calculate the corresponding proportion of expenditure through multilateral channels. Finalised expenditure figures for 1997/98 will be published in "British Aid Statistics" in December this year.

Since 1991, the UK has committed £215 million to the Global Environment Facility to assist in the protection of the global environment. These commitments are separate from those under the aid programme.