HL Deb 23 February 1999 vol 597 cc109-10WA
Baroness Rawlings

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the cash plans allocations for 1998–99 bilateral aid on the following sector programmes; forestry; land development and irrigation; public administration; water and sanitation; and education. [HL1120]

Baroness Amos

We do not budget by sector, though retrospective analyses of bilateral expenditure and commitments by sector are published annually inStatistics on International Development. Our records show that so far in 1998–99 we have committed the following to major projects in particular sectors: forestry £13 million; land development and irrigation £64 million; public administration £124 million; water and sanitation £50 million; and education £54 million. The total of £305 million represents around 30 per cent. of all bilateral commitments made so far in 1998–99.

Baroness Rawlings

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What bilateral funding they have planned for economic reform in 1998–99 in (a) Africa; (b) South East Asia; and (c) Central and Eastern Europe. [HL1123]

Baroness Amos

We do not budget by policy objective, though retrospective analyses of bilateral expenditure and commitments by policy objectives are published annually inStatistics on International Development. The following bilateral commitments have been made in support of major projects and programmes which target economic reform so far in 1998–99: Africa £187 million; Central and Eastern Europe £12 million; and South East Asia £6 million.

Baroness Rawlings

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What percentage of United Kingdom bilateral aid has been allocated to good governance projects in (a) 1996–97; and (b) 1997–98; and what will be allocated in 1998–99. [HL1125]

Baroness Amos

Information on policy targeting is available from the Department for International Development's Policy Information Marker System (PIMS) for bilateral projects with a commitment value of £100,000 or more. PIMS covers around 70 per cent. of bilateral expenditure. The table below shows the percentage of such commitments where good government was a principal policy objective in the years specified. Note that on 1 April 1998, the definition of good government changed to exclude human rights, which are now covered separately in an extended definition which includes economic and social rights as well as civil and political rights. For comparability with the figures for the earlier years, the data for 1998–99 include all projects which targeted either good governance or human rights as a principal policy objective.

Year Policy Objective (principal only) Percentage of PIMS commitments
1996–97 Good government 16
1997–98 Good government 9
1998–99* Good governance/human rights 26
* Year to date.