§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is the total value of overseas aid; to what projects such aid is allocated in Pakistan; and if she will make a statement. [102406]
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§ Clare ShortDFID spent £2,354 million on overseas development assistance in the 1998–99 UK Financial year, of which £25.18 million was for Pakistan.
Our bilateral programme to Pakistan targets poverty reduction and improved access by the poor to basic services, such as elementary education and primary health care. Following the military coup on 12 October, I announced a freeze on all direct development assistance to the Government. Our support is continuing through non-governmental channels. These include the Aga Khan Development Network and the Save the Children Fund.
The projects which we are continuing to support include rural development and health programmes for poor communities in Chitral and Northern Areas, and measures to reduce child labour in Sialkot. We have recently allocated £800,000 through a local nongovernmental organisation to provide 'micro-credit' for poor women in and around Lahore to improve their income earning opportunities. The full list of projects is as follows:
Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, Chitral District;Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, Gilgit District;Primary Health Care Programme, Chitral District;Family Planning Association of Pakistan: 'Doorsteps' Community Based Family Planning;Marketing of Hormonal Contraceptives through the Private Sector (Futures Group);Social Marketing of Condoms (Population Services International);Family Planning Association of Pakistan: Audio Visual Vans to inform Communities in remote areas;Pakistan Association for Voluntary Health and Nutrition (PAVHNA): Reproductive Health in Sindh and Punjab;Protecting the Rights of Working Children in Sialkot, Punjab Province;Lachi Poverty Reduction Project, North West Frontier Province;Kashf Foundation: Micro-Credit for Poor Women (Lahore);Sindh Education Foundation: Community Primary Schools in Sindh Province;Frontier Education Foundation: Community Primary Schools in North West Frontier Province;Small Grants Scheme: Miscellaneous small grants to non-government organisations engaged in poverty reduction and human rights.