Botswana and Namibia

HC Deb 19 July 2001 vol 372 c307W

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's assistance to(a) Botswana and (b) Namibia. [4279]

Hilary Benn

In Botswana, DFID is supporting programmes in rural livelihoods, education and HIV/AIDS. In Namibia, DFID is supporting programmes in rural livelihoods, education and health. In the financial year 2000–01, DFID provided around £2.5 million of assistance directly to Botswana and £2.6 million to Namibia in addition to our contributions through multilateral agencies.

Over the next few years, DFID will be subsuming its bilateral programmes in Botswana and Namibia within a more regional approach to poverty elimination.