§ Tom CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid projects his Department plans to develop in the Far East during the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [173540]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe breakdown for our project spend on bilateral programmes in Far East Asia is as follows:
DFID allocation by programme £000 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 Estimated Outturns Plans Plans China 31,000 45,000 35,000 Vietnam 26,000 40,000 60,000 Total: Far East 57,000 85,000 95,000 For details of our projected spend in the rest of Asia I refer the hon. Member to the written answer of 7 May 2004 to his question on DFID's development plans in Asia, Official Report, 10 May 2004, column 57W.
In addition to this bilateral spend, FCO posts administer a DFID funded Small Grants Scheme for poverty reduction, which covers some countries of the Far East. This is allocated on an annual basis. The total grant values for 2002–03 in the Far East were as follows:
Asia: Far East (Small Grant Scheme) 2002–03 £000 China 124 Vietnam 121 Mongolia 97 Total Asia: Far East 342 DFID also provides humanitarian assistance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, focusing on water and sanitation and disaster preparedness. This is allocated in response to humanitarian need. In 2003–04, DFID channelled a total of £1,223,000 through the United Nationals Children Fund (UNICEF) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).