§ 17. Mr. WilkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of British development aid to Zimbabwe. [119371]
§ Clare ShortThe effectiveness of development assistance to Zimbabwe is kept under regular review. Projects are professionally appraised, monitored and evaluated to assess their impact on poverty. We also review the impact of the wider political and economic environment on progress. Our present assessment is that our portfolio so far has been broadly effective, but that new government-led projects would not be less effective until current governance and economic management issues are resolved. New projects are therefore channelled largely through civil society organisations.
§ 18. Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's aid to Zimbabwe. [119372]
§ 20. Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's programme in Zimbabwe. [119374]
§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the future of the aid programme to the Government of Zimbabwe. [119358]
§ Clare ShortWe are continuing to monitor events in Zimbabwe very closely, and are keeping programme activities under review to ensure that they can still be effective. We are particularly concerned about the failure of the police to uphold court orders against farm invaders; to provide protection under the law; and to act impartially in policing demonstrations. I have therefore suspended DFID support to an Aid and Trade Provision project supplying Land Rovers to the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
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