§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall) of 5 March 1999,Official Report, column 940–42, on the General Affairs Council, for what reasons funds from the Russian TACIS programme were transferred to the European Community Humanitarian Office; and if the issue of fraud was raised in the course of this stage of deliberations. [76368]
§ Clare ShortI have been asked to reply.
TACIS is a technical assistance programme wherever this European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) provides emergency humanitarian relief. However, the need in this particular case was for emergency assistance. Transferring funds from TACIS to ECHO is the best way to address these needs while at the same time respecting overall budgetary ceilings. There has been no suggestion of fraud in discussion of the transfer.