§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made since the publication of the Development White Paper in increasing commercial incentives to invest in research and development to meet the needs of poor people. [109546]
148W
§ Clare ShortFor medicines there is a range of innovative public options that can be employed. These were explored through a working group on Access to Medicines which was published in November 2002. DFID investment in public/private partnerships for research and development for medicines is of the order of £21.5 million which includes the Medicines for Malaria Venture and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. In addition, the Chancellor has introduced new tax credits to promote research and development into diseases that predominantly affect people living in developing countries.
Prospects are also promising in rural and agricultural environments where new initiatives are being developed to connect developing country demand for technological improvements with relevant technologies in the public and private sectors.