§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development what the aims of the Regional HIV/AIDS Programme of the Southern African Development Co-ordinating Committee are; how much funding has been provided to it by the Department in 2003; what assessment has been made of the Programme since 2002; and if he will make a statement. [131644]
§ Hilary Benn:In 2000, DFID committed £7.65 million to support the Southern African Development Community's work on HIV/AIDS particularly in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. DFID provided about £1.5 million from this commitment before March 2003, and expects to contribute a further £1.25 million during 2003–04. The programme was reviewed in late 2002, and is now focused on promoting management of sexually transmitted infections especially at cross-border sites; strengthening programmes for social marketing of condoms; promoting behaviour change; and increasing capacity of national AIDS programmes.