HC Deb 19 December 2001 vol 377 cc350-5W
28. Liz Blackman

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's assistance to Pakistan. [21910]

Clare Short

We are committed to supporting Pakistan's economic and social development for the long haul. This includes support for the Road Map to Democracy announced by President Musharraf in August 2001, which envisages national elections by October 2002.We are working closely with the international financial institutions and other multilateral organisations to ensure sustainable improvements in the lives of poor people in Pakistan. Our bilateral assistance is designed as a contribution to this wider international effort; and my Department meets the UK share of expenditure by the World bank, Asian Development bank, European Commission and UN agencies.

Our bilateral programme is focused on three objectives: creating the economic conditions for poverty reduction; strengthening health systems and improving quality and management in education. These are pursued through support to the process of devolution; support to rural livelihoods; and support to the development of the poverty reduction strategy paper.

In health, we are working to improve access to —and quality of —public health services, especially for the poorest. For example, we are helping to improve reproductive health through support for social marketing of condoms through Population Services International. We are also working up an HIV/AIDS drug harm prevention project. On education, we are supporting the implementation of the devolution of education management to provincial and district levels in North West Frontier Province and Northern Areas. We are also helping to raise quality standards by collaborating on reform of the National Education Assessment System.

In terms of support for the political reform effort, examples of these are the assistance my Department is providing to improve the quality of governance by supporting the Elections Commission in the run up to next year's provincial and national elections, and the National Reconstruction Bureau in its deliberations on constitutional reform. We are also focused on working

Pakistan bilateral aid programme
Projects Project budget (£000)
Education
Punjab Middle School Project 4,900
NWFP Primary Education (including contribution to PEPCO) 6,500
Northern Areas Education 3,900
Sindh Education Foundation 150
Support for National Education Foundation 167
Support to IED, Aga Khan Uni-Policy Research and Decision Making Education 80
National Education Assessment System and MSU Workshops 140
WB and BC Courses on Education Reform 91
Review Present Status of EMIS and Edu GIS in Pakistan 33
Sub total 15,961
Health
Private Sector Population KSM/FG 9,886
Chitral Primary Health Care III 3,380
PAVHNA: Phases I and II 4,382
Surveys of Sexually Transmitted Diseases 700
Evaluation of Lady Health Workers Programme 1,207
Lady Health Worker Programme 5,200
FPAP Doorsteps Project 517
Social Marketing of Condoms (PSI/SMP) 4,073
The Network 1,808
Marie Stopes International—Khaipur 1,828
HIV-Aids Drug Harm Reduction—Main Project 600
Neelum Valley AJK 1,186
Health and Population Section (including Hon. and P Adviser) 1,327
TB Scoping Mission (PPP) and Follow-up 75
NWFP Devolution/Reform Support—Prep 50
HIV Aids Mainstreaming 20
NWFP Drugs 1,000
Balochistan Drugs 1,000
Sub total 38,239
Water/Sanitation
Rural Water Supply and Sanitation NWFP 6,500
Sub total 6,500
with the appropriate Government Departments and civil society groups to address gender discrimination and violence against women.

In recognition of Pakistan's reform progress to date, and to support the new three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility agreed with the IMF earlier this month, I have allocated a further £15 million for budgetary aid this financial year, and £45 million for each of the subsequent two years. This is in addition to the on-going technical assistance programme, and represents a major increase in our engagement with Pakistan's medium-term reform programme.

As announced in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 802W, I have also allocated £11 million of short-term assistance to help host communities affected by the refugee influx.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the projects which she is funding in(a) part and (b) whole in Pakistan; and what is the cost involved in each case. [22978]

Clare Short

The following projects are being, or have been, funded by my Department in the current financial year 2001–02. Implementation periods can range between a few weeks to several years.

Pakistan bilateral aid programme
Projects Project budget (£000)
Human Rights (including Gender Equality)
Protect Rights and Livelihoods of Working Children 1,225
JPO for UNICEF (Shiona Hood) + Extension 232
Gender Equality Project 2,800
Violent Crimes Against Women (VCAW) 700
Safety, Security and Access to Justice 90
Sub total 5,047
Economic Management/Public Sector Reforms
Pakistan WTO Trade Policy Project 1,081
General Sales Tax Reforms Phases I–III 2,378
Governance and World bank (includes NAB, NRB and Civil Service Reform (TR)) 170
Social Sector Public Expenditure Analysis 40
PRGF Budget Support 15,000
Sub total 18,669
Electoral Systems Transition to Democracy
UNDP Support for Elections 1,200
Analysis of Local Elections (PATTAN) 50
Democracy Study 100
Support for Democratic Elections 63
Sub total 1,413
Corruption
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) 81
Anti-Corruption Strategy 350
Sub total 431
Sustainable Livelihoods
AKRSP Chitral Phase III 8,120
AKRSP Gilgit 1997–2001 8,000
Lachi Poverty Reduction Project 2,900
NWFP SRSP Capacity Building 1,830
Alternative Patterns of Land Tenure (Haris Gazdar Study) 52
RSP Network Project 1,032
Faisalabad Area Upgrading I-G.cd 018–001 12,520
Traidcraft 'PRIDE' Feasibility Study 90
Micro Finance for Women—KASHF 3,200
Micro Finance Group 300
SRSP Community Infrastructure 1,120
Sub total 39,164
Poverty Policy
Participatory Poverty Assessment (PPA) 2,562
Assistance to PIHS Phase II —Extension 1,498
Building Capacity for Poverty Analysis—Main Project 300
Sub total 4,360
Environment
Clean Fuels Study 165
Sub total 165
Other
Small Grants Scheme (SGS) 176
BHC Development Section Project (BHCDSP) 2,920
Sub total 3,096
Projects funded by Civil Society Department
Civil Society Challenge
Population Concern—Integrated Rural Reproductive Health Project (Lahore) 210
Joint Funding Scheme
Learning for Life—Community Education Programme 237
Population Concern—Kohat Family Planning and Mother and Child Health 278
Sub total 725
Total 133,770

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