§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the priorities of the Human Rights Policy Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for 2004–05; and how this department's budget for that year compares with that for year 2003-04. [HL5105]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanIndividual departments within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are due to agree specific objectives for the financial year 2004–05 in February 2004. Engaging with multilateral human rights mechanisms, dealing with thematic issues such as torture and the death penalty, raising awareness of the Government's work to promote human rights abroad and mainstreaming democracy and good governance work within the FCO are likely to remain the overall priorities for the Human Rights Policy Department.
We do not expect there to be any significant change in the staffing or administrative budget of the Human Rights Policy Department in the next financial year.
In the financial year 2003–04 the Human Rights Policy Department is administering the human rights project fund with a total budget of £8.1 million. Across the FCO, approximately 13 million will be spent on human rights-related projects this financial year. From next year, almost all FCO human rights project work will be funded under the Global Opportunities Fund, which was launched by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary in July 2003. The total allocation to this fund in the financial year 2004-05 will be approximately £17.6 million.