HC Deb 08 February 2000 vol 344 cc91-2W
Mr. Streeter

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in meeting the target of(a) 75 per cent. of bilateral country programme resources being allocated to low income countries by 2002, (b) reducing under-6 mortality rates to no higher than 70 per 1,000 live births by 2002 and (c) reducing maternal mortality rates to no higher than 240 per 100,000 live births by 2002. [109192]

Clare Short

Substantial progress has been made towards achieving these targets. By 1998–99 our expenditure in low income countries had increased to 71 per cent., and is expected to rise to 75 per cent. in 1999–2000. The average under-5 mortality rate across the top 30 recipients of DFID assistance has fallen to 69 per 1,000 births, and the average maternal mortality rate across the same countries has declined to 316 per 100,000 live births.