asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the serious dissatisfaction with the amount proposed for expenditure on development education in the current year; and if he will therefore consider increasing it by means of a Supplementary Estimate in the event of underspending in other development co-operation headings, as is likely in the light of previous years, experience.
Written Answers. - Development Education Expenditure.
370.
The provision of £40,000 for development education in 1981 represents an increase of almost 40 per cent over expenditure in this area in 1980 which amounted to £28,930. Moreover, while this is still below the 1979 level of £85,000, the assistance given to non-governmental organisations for development education activities has been largely maintained and the savings have been effected mainly by a reduction in expenditure on development education materials by my Department.
Although the development education programme is an important and essential part of our development co-operation programme, the resources allocated to it must take into account the overall level of funds available and the demands in other areas of the programme. In this context the increase of almost 40 per cent in the development education budget this year compares very favourably with the overall increase of 26 per cent in the provision for the entire bilateral aid programme.
In the event that savings are made in other areas of the development co-operation programme later in the year, I will certainly give consideration to increasing the provision for development education. However, the Deputy will appreciate that it is by no means certain that such savings will be made and that accordingly I can give no undertakings in that regard at this stage.