§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will increase their aid, and ask the European Union to do likewise, to countries such as Sierra Leone, which could become models for their region. [HL2143]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos)We already fund a substantial development programme in Sierra Leone, running at well over £30 million a year, and plan to expand it still further over the next few years. The EC should have up to 220 million euros of European Development Fund money available for Sierra Leone over the next five years, on top of funding for humanitarian and human rights work there. We are in regular touch with the Commission to encourage it to speed up the rate at which it disburses its funds in Sierra Leone.
We fully recognise the demonstration effect that well performing countries can have for others in their region. In the case of Sierra Leone, we would hope that this impact could extend beyond West Africa, and serve as a model for other countries coming out of conflict throughout the whole of Africa.