Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what country-specific direct support is his Department providing to The Gambia to (a) support economic development and (b) strengthen democratic institutions in that country.

The UK’s bilateral country programme in The Gambia closed in 2012 and since then we have supported the country through our funding to regional and thematic programmes and multilateral partners. Our support for the economic development agenda includes part-funding the IMF’s technical assistance to The Gambia on revenue mobilisation, public financial management, monetary policy, financial sector regulation and national statistics, as well as our core contributions to the World Bank and African Development Bank’s work. On strengthening democratic institutions, Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK are delivering a programme of training and mentorship to the Gambian National Assembly from UK funding.