§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Prime Minister if it is Government policy to restrict spending increases allotted to EC development assistance programmes; and if he will make a statement. [89735]
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government seek to spend the United Kingdom's international development budget on those programmes which are most effective in contributing to the achievement of the international poverty eradication targets.
During negotiations for the period 1993–99, the previous administration agreed to increase the amount of money allocated to the EC's development programmes by 180 per cent. This increase means that the UK now channels 30 per cent. of its international development budget through the EC. Owing to concerns about the effectiveness and impact of the EC's development assistance programmes, the UK successfully sought to hold down the level of growth to 1 per cent. for international development expenditure in the negotiations for 2000–06.
At the end of last year, the Department for International Development published a strategy paper setting out detailed proposals for strengthening its collaboration with the EC to improve the poverty focus and effectiveness of its programmes. Copies were placed in the Library.