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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Debt Relief
Miss Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with non-Governmental organisations about the relief of developing countries' debt. [74030]
Clare Short: In February, I met the directors of the voluntary organisations which comprise the British Overseas Aid Group (BOAG)--ActionAid, Oxfam, the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development (CAFOD), Christian Aid and Save the Children Fund--to discuss debt. In December, I also met BOND, which represents the smaller NGOs. We agreed that poverty reduction remains our central concern, and that we need to develop and strengthen the link between debt relief and poverty reduction. The UK is pressing for this issue to be considered during the fundamental review of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which is now underway. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are holding a consultation meeting, including NGOs, in London on 5 March.
Genetically Modified Food
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's role in drawing up the recent joint ministerial written statement on genetically modified food. [74280]
Clare Short: My Department was not involved in drawing up the recent joint ministerial written statement on genetically modified food which focused on concerns within UK and Europe.
We will be publishing a paper later this month on our work relating to genetically modified organisms and how we propose to assist developing countries to strengthen their capacity to handle these important issues.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research has been (a) carried out and (b) commissioned by her Department into the economic impact of the growing of genetically modified crops on small-scale farmers in developing countries. [74283]
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Clare Short:
My Department has not carried out any research into the economic impact of growing genetically modified crops on small-scale farmers in developing countries. However we have commissioned relevant studies from University of Birmingham and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, to assess the environmental and social risks of introducing new or transgenic plant types into the traditional pigeon pea seed production systems of small- scale farmers in India and, from University of Swansea, to undertake social and economic assessments of the potential impact of genetically male tilapia and transgenic tilapia on fish farming in Philippines.
The results of these studies will be published.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the likely impact on (a) indigenous and (b) local communities in developing countries of EU Patent Directive COM (95) 661 as it relates to intellectual property rights in genetic resources. [74494]
Clare Short:
The European Directive on the Legal Protection of Biological Inventions (98/44/EC) addresses which biotechnological inventions can be patented in Europe and does not affect national patent laws elsewhere.
In reaching a Common Position by the Council of Ministers in February 1998, the UK made a statement noting that there had been no consideration as to whether the provisions of the Directive would be appropriate for other countries outside the European Union, in particular developing countries.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the financial aid from her Department and its predecessor in each of the past 10 years to Southern Africa for (a) education and (b) health projects. [73912]
Clare Short:
The Department for International Development (DFID) does not provide financial aid in the form of budgetary support to governments in Southern Africa. Our partnerships in this region fund technical co-operation to build local capacity and make effective use of national resources.
DFID's contribution to education and health over the last ten years in Southern Africa is as follows:
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| Botswana | Lesotho | Namibia | South Africa | Swaziland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-88 | 7,302 | 3,993 | 1,421 | 3,109 | 2,487 | 18,312 |
| 1988-89 | 6,886 | 5,356 | 2,129 | 5,040 | 3,099 | 22,510 |
| 1989-90 | 7,113 | 5,497 | 2,056 | 5,423 | 2,764 | 22,853 |
| 1990-91 | 6,916 | 5,859 | 1,706 | 8,093 | 2,733 | 25,307 |
| 1991-92 | 8,963 | 6,454 | 2,366 | 9,325 | 2,943 | 30,051 |
| 1992-93 | 7,199 | 7,194 | 3,637 | 11,558 | 3,296 | 32,884 |
| 1993-94 | 6,123 | 5,379 | 2,979 | 14,504 | 3,087 | 32,072 |
| 1994-95 | 5,247 | 5,124 | 3,569 | 15,631 | 2,574 | 32,145 |
| 1995-96 | 4,005 | 6,600 | 4,148 | 16,865 | 2,086 | 33,704 |
| 1996-97 | 4,247 | 3,911 | 4,092 | 18,133 | 2,733 | 33,116 |
| 1997-98 | 4,115 | 4,985 | 4,482 | 24,889 | 3,447 | 41,918 |
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(7) Provisional
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Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the future of (a) the PHARE programme and (b) the TACIS programme. [73278]
Clare Short
[holding answer 25 February 1999]: (a) The European Commission has started consultations on new guidelines for the PHARE programme from 2000. We will be seeking to ensure the programme responds to the priority needs of countries preparing for accession to the European Union, addresses the quality of the transition process so that benefits are sustainable and brings benefits to all levels of society, includes effective measures to strengthen institutions and promote better public administration and draws from previous experience in ensuring funds are efficiently and effectively used.
(b) The current Tacis Regulation expires at the end of this year, and a draft Regulation for the period 2000-06 is now under consideration. The draft is broadly acceptable, but it contains a number of new initiatives on which we are seeking clarification.
Mr. Rowe:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much debt each of the 10 most highly-indebted countries repaid in each of the last three years. [73618]
Ms Hewitt:
I have been asked to reply.
The table shows (£millions) debt repayments received by the UK in the last three years from the 10 countries identified by the IMF as potentially eligible for assistance
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under its Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative that have the highest absolute levels of debt.
| £ million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998/ February 1999 |
| Angola | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameroon | 0.14 | 1.70 | 1.13 |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 0.43 | 0.11 | 0.26 |
| DR Congo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ethiopia | 0.15 | 0.44 | 0.56 |
| Kenya | 6.04 | 8.00 | 11.58 |
| Sudan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tanzania | 24.00 | 4.00 | 8.17 |
| Vietnam | 1.05 | 0.73 | 0.85 |
| Zambia | 0 | 1.84 | 1.00 |
Source:
ECGD 1 March 1999
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