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Mr Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his Department's supportprogrammes for alternative livelihoods in Afghanistan. [189941]Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID's Alternative Livelihoods programme is an essential part of our overall strategy to reduce and eventuallyeliminate poverty in Afghanistan. It is also a key component of the fight against drugs. In 2003/04 DFID provided £6 millionto our alternative livelihoods programme. We have budgeted for an additional £20 million over the next two years.DFID is working with the Afghan Government to build the capacity of the key agricultural ministries (£2.1 million over threeyears) and have helped establish the Alternative Livelihoods working group, which acts as a forum for the Afghan Government, donors,UN Agencies and non-governmental organisations to co- ordinate activities and develop a strategic framework for the creation ofsustainable alternative livelihoods.DFID is are funding pilot programmes in Badakshan (£1 million over two years) and Eastern Hazarajat (£3.7 million overfour years) to develop agricultural and non-farm alternatives to poppy cultivation. These projects are being supported by amicrofinance programme targeted at the rural poor (£3 million over two years) and a fund for practical research intoalternative livelihoods (£3 million over three years).DFID is also working with village development councils through the National Solidarity Programme (£13 million over threeyears) to help communities address their own development priorities. To date 5,947 village development councils have been elected,3,258 projects have been approved and $29 million in block grants has been disbursed to fund community projects including theconstruction of roads, water supply systems, irrigation canals, hydro-power for electricity, public baths, schools and weavingfacilities. |