HC Deb 27 October 2003 vol 412 cc54-5WS
Paul Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the(a) purpose and (b) cost was of military and civilian assistance provided by the UK Government to Colombia in each of the last five years. [132681]

Mr. Rammell

Aid given via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is listed as follows. Total figures given in each year are funds allocated to projects within that year, although funding shown covered some projects in subsequent years.

1999: £1,545,000—on information services on sexual and reproductive health for internally displaced people; local initiatives for peace, strengthening NGOs in the rural sector.

2000: £621,163—on child abuse issues; witness and victim protection systems; strengthening prevention management of human rights violations; promotion of sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction; public service conflict resolution training; internally displaced people; strengthening indigenous community institutions; environmental work by indigenous population.

2001: £344,712—rehabilitation of former child soldiers;promotion of sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction; strengthening of fire service; humanitarian aid; human rights city campaign; child soldiers; biodiversity projects.

2002:£ 498,363—promotion of sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction; public service conflict resolution training; civil society study tour; education on parliamentary system; security sector reform; humanitarian action cooperation; protection of women's human rights; environmental conservation; biodiversity projects.

2003 to date: £664,703—human rights training for Colombian Armed Forces; promotion of sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction; community defenders for vulnerable communities; street children project; environmental projects.

During the past five years the FCO has also contributed over 3 million in counter-narcotics assistance to Colombia. We do not publicise details of such assistance to protect the safety of personnel involved and to avoid undermining its impact in future work in this area.

On aid via the Ministry of Defence, I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mr. Ingram) gave on 16 October 2003,Official Report, columns 321–22W.

On aid via the Department for International Development I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for International Development (Clare Short) gave on 9 January 2003, Official Report, column 296W, and that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) gave on 26 June 2003, Official Report, column 940W.