Sri Lanka (Hansard, 29 March 2000)

§ 12. Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department plans to give to Sri Lanka in 2000–01. [115441]

§ Clare Short
Our development assistance programme for Sri Lanka focuses on three areas—providing relief and rehabilitation for those affected by conflict in the North and East; improving the quality of education (particularly at primary level); and exploring how we might help promote reconciliation.

§ Mr. Cox
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the present British aid projects in place in Sri Lanka; and what is the value of those projects. [114253]

§ Clare Short
We published a Country Strategy Paper for our development assistance to Sri Lanka last year. I have placed a copy in the Library of the House. Our programme in Sri Lanka focuses on three issues important for poverty reduction: improving the quality of education, particularly at primary level; providing relief and rehabilitation for those affected by conflict; and promoting intercommunal reconciliation.
We expect to spend around £6.3 million this financial year. The major elements will be on education (£1.5 million), helping those affected by conflict (£3.5 million), and the final expenditure on some environmental projects approved under the previous Administration (£0.5 million).

§ 25. Mr. Llwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance is being given to the Government of Sri Lanka; and if she will make a statement. [115454]

§ Clare Short
Our bilateral development assistance programme to Sri Lanka will be around £6.3 million in the current financial year (1999–2000); next year we expect to spend around £6 million.
We published a Country Strategy Paper for our development assistance to Sri Lanka last year. I have placed a copy in the Library of the House. Our programme in Sri Lanka focuses on three areas—improving the quality of education, particularly at primary level; providing relief and rehabilitation for those affected by conflict; and promoting intercommunal reconciliation. Not all of the programme works directly through the Government of Sri Lanka; a significant proportion is channelled through international organisations and NGOs (including UNICEF, UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children Fund).