HC Deb 22 July 2004 vol 424 c381W
Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the institutional and regulatory capacity building projects(a) initiated and (b) funded by his Department each year since 1997 in (i) Asia, (ii) Europe, (iii) Central America, (iv) South America, (v) Oceania and (vi) Africa including the amounts (A) of money and (B) of aid in kind (1) pledged and (2) delivered to each; and if he will make a statement. [186231]

Mr. Gareth Thomas

It is not possible to give this information without incurring a disproportionate cost. DFID's "Policy Information Marker System" does not include specific markers for institutional or regulatory capacity building projects. While a substantial proportion of DFID projects have a capacity building component not all do so. To identify those that do would require examining all projects approved since 1997 individually. Since 1997 over 4,500 individual projects, each with a commitment level exceeding £100,000, have been approved. There are, of course, many other projects that have been approved below this ceiling.