Oral Answers to Questions

Greg Hands Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd June 2010 Commons Chamber

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

3. What his Department's policy is on the provision of aid to the Russian Federation; and if he will make a statement.

[Greg Hands (Chelsea and Fulham) (Con)]

10. What his policy is on the provision of aid to the Russian Federation.

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Alan Duncan)]

DFID’s bilateral project work in Russia totalled £1.5 million in 2009-10 and is estimated to be some £1.4 million in 2010-11. The new Government will wind down bilateral spending in Russia as soon as is practical and responsible.

--- Later in debate ---

[Alan Duncan]

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind words. I am well aware of his work in the past on the know how fund and I appreciate his continuing interest in the matter. As I said, we intend to wind down bilateral aid to Russia in an orderly way. Ministers and officials regularly discuss with Russia both bilaterally and as part of the EU a range of issues, including human rights and freedom of expression. We remain committed to maintaining our dialogue with Russia as a donor colleague in the global effort to provide good quality aid.

[Greg Hands]

Further to that answer, will my hon. Friend also consider moving the aid that has been going to Russia to Russia’s former satellites in central Asia? For example, in Tajikistan more than 1 million people are living on less than $1 a day, and five years on from the Andijan massacre, Uzbekistan is desperately in need of help for rebuilding civil society and democratisation.

[Alan Duncan]

As I said, we intend to wind down bilateral aid to Russia in an orderly way, and we are carrying out a review of all bilateral programmes so that we can better prioritise the United Kingdom’s development assistance. At this stage in the review, I cannot make commitments to increase aid in the areas that my hon. Friend proposes, but I am happy to take his comments on board.