§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about possible further reforms to EU development assistance. [148516]
§ Hilary BennThe EC's reform of its external assistance programmes is coming to an end. The UK Government, together with other member states, have urged the Commission to undertake an in-depth final assessment of this programme to assess its impact but, more importantly, to identify any need for further reforms. We believe further reforms should focus on increasing the level of resources to low income countries and also introducing more consistent use of best development practice throughout all EC programmes. A stronger focus on quality and results and a more rational institutional set up for managing EC aid are also important.