§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development(a) how much and (b) what forms of aid have been provided by her Department to help refugees and displaced persons in (i) Armenia,(ii) Azerbaijan and (iii) Georgia. [66353]
§ Clare ShortThe table sets out, by country and by purpose, the support my Department has provided to help refugees in the south Caucasus since 1999 (the first year in which direct assistance with the refugee problem was provided).
£ Humanitarian Naturalisation Community development Conflict prevention Armenia 2000 — 660,000 — 2001 — — 18,150 Azerbaijan 1999 208,500 — — 2000 240,000 70,000 2001 — — 18,150 Georgia 1999 97,850 — 250,620 2000 100,000 100,000 124,145 2001 — — 180,000 My Department also provided block funding to UNHCR totalling £9.46 million in 2000–01 (the latest year for which figures are available). It is not possible to make a direct attribution, but a proportion of this funding will have supported the UNHCR refugee programmes in the south Caucasus.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with(a) UN, (b) Russian and (c) EU representatives regarding the refugee situation in (i) Armenia, (ii) Azerbaijan and (iii) Georgia. [66355]
§ Clare ShortRegular discussions are held with UNDP, UNHCR and UNFPA about the progress of south Caucasus refugee programmes to which my Department has contributed. My Department also responds to appeals made by those agencies on a case-by-case basis.
There has been no discussion of the issue with representatives from the Russian Federation, nor any substantive discussion with the European Union.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with(a) Armenian, (b) Azeri and (c) Georgian authorities regarding (i) the refugee situation, (ii) the return of people to their homes and (iii) improving living conditions in the refugee camps. [66354]
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§ Clare ShortMy Department's assistance towards alleviating the refugee problem in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia is directed through the Red Cross, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Discussions with the Governments of the region are therefore wholly concerned with reviewing the progress of those programmes to which my Department has contributed.