§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will list the meetings his Department has held with representatives776W of (a) the Sri Lankan Government and (b) the Tamil people to discuss development in each of the past five years. [117585]
§ Hilary BennDFID maintains an office within the British high commission in Colombo. In the course of their work to design and implement development programmes, staff in this office meet with representatives of the Sri Lankan Government, political parties, the LTTE, and with ordinary Sri Lankans all around the island as well as other donors, international organisations and NGOs. Currently, meetings focus especially on action to support the peace process and to create the conditions for lasting reconciliation.
Staff in Colombo are supported through frequent visits by staff from DFID's regional office in Bangkok as well as periodic visits from London based senior staff.