HC Deb 02 February 2000 vol 343 c619W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the overseas aid budget for the current financial year is targeted at the provision of primary education. [107425]

Clare Short

My Department has commitments totalling around £800 million to education, of which three-quarters is for basic and primary education. We have committed over £300 million to such programmes since May 1997. In 1998–99 over 16 per cent. of bilateral programme commitments were targeted towards primary education.