§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much. economic aid has been given to the Palestinian Authority by the United Kingdom in each of the last six years. [155619]
§ Clare ShortThe UK provides bilateral development assistance to the Palestinian Authority and, more broadly, assists Palestinians through our contributions to the EC and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Our programme with the Palestinian Authority supports sustainable economic and social development that benefits the poor. We do this by seeking to support the Middle East Peace Process and improve Palestinian health care, education, access to water and sanitation, gender equality, integration into the global economy and the effectiveness and accountability of the Palestinian Authority. We provide technical assistance rather than direct funding to the Palestinian Authority.
The breakdown of our assistance for the last six years is as follows:
UK bilateral assistance (£ million) UK multilateral assistance (EC and UNRWA) 1994–95 5.4 120.6 1995–96 3.5 18.0 1996–97 6.1 21.1 1997–98 6.1 22.7 1998–99 5.1 20.9 1999–2000 8.0 2— 11994 calendar year 2Not yet available