§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Albanian Government on their policies concerning the(a) welfare and (b) protection of children. [15304]
§ Clare ShortWe have assisted the Government of Albania with the preparation of its recently completed poverty reduction strategy and with the complementary process of developing a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The poverty reduction strategy includes targets to reduce infant mortality and improve school enrolment. The MTEF has already led to increased Government spending on health and education.
We are responding to these policies by supporting several projects that have both direct and indirect benefits for children, from our bilateral programme of £3 million 175W per year. These include a £2 million project to reform social service delivery and to target resources better, including services for children; help for reforms to policy development, planning and financing of health care; and a project to improve rural livelihoods in the poorest rural communities.
We are also contributing £4.3 million to the EU programme for Albania in 2001, which includes measures that benefit children and their protection, such as local community development and strengthening of policing and public order.