To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will be promoting (a) the ASSIST programme and (b) the Human Rights Project Fund during his forthcoming visits to (i) Thailand, (ii) Malaysia, (iii) Indonesia and (iv) Singapore. [33150]

[holding answer 6 March 1998]: The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett), visited the countries concerned on 3–5 March as a special representative of the EU Presidency to discuss South East Asia's recent financial difficulties. This was not an appropriate occasion on which to address bilateral programmes.