§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the Department's budget in each of the last three years has been spent on programmes and projects with an explicit concentration on disabled people; and of that, what percentage has been concentrated on children. [133003]
§ Hilary BennThese figures are not available without incurring disproportionate cost. We work closely with Governments, the voluntary and private sectors and the bilateral and multilateral donor communities to ensure52WS that disability is addressed in the context of the fight against poverty and the realisation of human rights for all.
DFID's approach to disability issues was set out in a paper on 'Disability, Poverty and Development' in February 2000. An integrated approach is required, linking prevention and rehabilitation with empowerment and changes in attitude. DFID's approach is therefore to `mainstream' disability issues, so that the needs of disabled people are taken into account by all staff in all aspects of DFID's work, and also to investigate further the links between poverty and disability and how they interact with each other.