§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of possible levels of corruption in relation to agreements under the CFP in(a) Angola, (b) Cape Verde, (c) the Comoros Islands, (d) the Cote d'Ivoire, (e) Gabon, (f) Guinea Bissau, (g) The Republic of Guinea, (h) Equatorial Guinea, (i) Madagascar, (j) Mauritius, (k) Mauritania, (1) Sao Tome and Principie, (m) Senegal and (n) the Seychelles; and what measures the Government have in place to monitor corruption in those countries. [43021]
§ Clare ShortUK responsibility for EU Common Fisheries Policy is taken by DEFRA. My Department has not assessed corruption in relation to Common Fisheries Policy agreements with the countries mentioned. However, the Government is seeking, along with our European partners, greater coherence in the implementation of EC's development and other external policies. We welcomed the endorsement of the EC's "Poverty and Fisheries" strategy at the Development Council in November 2001. The strategy calls for future fisheries agreements to be subject to "observance of the principles of good governance, with financial compensation having to be paid and used in accordance with sound budgetary management practice".