Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alan Duncan and Gordon Marsden

Wednesday 2nd June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

12. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s work to promote stability and the development of civil society in the Caucasus.

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

DFID no longer has bilateral aid programmes in the Caucasus region. The UK Government’s conflict prevention pool, including civil society support, remains active in the region. The UK also continues to support development in the Caucasus region through its membership of multilateral institutions, including the EU.

[Mr Marsden]

I thank the Minister for his reply. Does he agree that given the continued progress towards a resolution of conflicts in the region, particularly in respect of Nagorno-Karabakh, it is very important that, at a multilateral and primary level, the Government give support to those sorts of activities?

[Alan Duncan]

We will look very closely at the hon. Gentleman’s representations in the context of all the reviews that we are currently making.