Supplementary Memorandum from the Secretary
of State, Department for International Development
When I gave evidence to the Select Committee
on 5 May I promised to write to prove further information on some
of the questions raised.
The Committee requested information on the new
arrangements for delivering aid to the Overseas Territories (OTs)
and a breakdown of DFID aid expenditure on Montserrat and the
other OTs (Q 98). I attach these as Annexes I and II respectively.
Annex II indicates that DFID expenditure on the OTs is expected
to be 60 per cent higher in real terms in the three years following
the onset of the volcanic crisis on Montserrat (1996-97-1998-99)
than the three years before it started (1992-93-1994-95)—a
420 per cent increase in expenditure on Montserrat offsetting
a 30 per cent fall on other OTs.
The Committee also requested a breakdown of
expenditure against the £3 million grant for Montserratian
evacuees in Antigua (Q 145). To date, £140,000 has
been spent on completing the construction of classrooms for 100
schoolchildren. Work is about to commence on the £1 million
project to upgrade the Greenbay School and the £1.53 million
project to upgrade health facilities. A primary school project
is currently being appraised to take up the balance of the grant.
The Committee expressed interest in the evaluation
of HMG's response to the Montserrat crisis and the review of disaster
preparedness in the Caribbean Overseas Territories (Q 106).
I attach a copy of the draft terms of reference (TORs) for the
evaluation which are being circulated this week to Departments
represented on the Montserrat Action Group and to the Government
of Montserrat (Annex III). I hope that agreement can be reached
on the TORs by next month so that work can commence by July. Draft
TORs for the separate study on disaster preparedness in the Caribbean
Overseas Territories are being prepared so that they can be discussed
at the Deputy Governors' Conference later this month, with a view
to consultants being appointed and work commencing by August.
You expressed concern that the Government's
response to the Select Committee's First Report overlooked three
points. I understand that the Foreign Secretary will be writing
to you on these.
Rt Hon Clare Short MP
Secretary of State
Department for International Development
19 May 1998
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