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Funding

Volume 400: debated on Tuesday 4 March 2003

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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) environment, (b) education and (c) human resources grants funded by his Department for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; how much funding has been provided in the last financial year in each case; how many awards were made; and what their administrative cost was. [99963]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has three environment funds to which members of the public and organisations can apply. In the financial year 2001–02, The Climate Change Challenge Fund had an allocation of £800,000 and made six awards to organisations/members of the public totalling £151,650. The Environment Project Fund had an allocation of £1,750,000 in that year, and made 49 awards to organisations/members of the public totalling £295,000. The Environment Fund for Overseas Territories had an allocation of £500,000 and made 15 awards to organisations/members of the public. These funds are administered by officials in London and at overseas posts, and separate information about the administration costs specifically for these funds is not held centrally. It cannot therefore be compiled without disproportionate effort and cost.The Foreign and Commonwealth office holds funds for educational scholarships for which non-British members of the public can apply. In the financial year 2001–02 there were 2,366 Chevening Scholarship awards, the total cost of which was £40.1 million. Of this the FCO paid £31.5 million, other government departments £1.8 million, UK universities £2 million and the private sector £4.7 million. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also funded 85 Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan scholarships at a cost of £2 million and 87 Marshall Scholarships at a cost of £1,800,186. The British Council's management fee for administering the Chevening scheme was £4.25 million. The cost of the British Council's, the Association of Commonwealth Universities' and Commonwealth Scholarships Commission's administration of the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan scholarships was approximately £200,000. The Marshalls Commission administered the Marshall scholarships at a cost of £181,519. Additionally, all these schemes were administered in co-operation with a large number of officials in London and at overseas posts, but separate information on the time spent by these staff on this particular work is not held centrally and could not be compiled without disproportionate effort and cost.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also provides financial assistance to educational institutions to fund joint seminars, conferences and workshops of FCO interest. These are not formal grants; the funding usually covers speakers' travel and accommodation expenses. In the financial year 2001–02 seven such events took place at a cost of £18,850. Administrative costs (mainly staff time) associated with these events are estimated to total 450.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no human resource grants for which members of the public and organisations can apply.