To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what actions his Department is taking to support the transitional national government in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [130689]

Since the installation of the Transitional National Government in the Democratic Republic of Congo in July DFID has started to engage actively with it, and with other donors, aimed at establishing a significant programme of support to the DRC. This involves some initial Quick Impact Projects in the fields of health and education to an estimated value of £19 million. In addition, a DFID mission visited Kinshasa in early September to identify activities in support of the five Transitional Institutions of the TNG. We are also looking at working with partners, especially the Government of Belgium, in Security Sector Reform. The UK is also a major contributor to the World Bank's regional Great Lakes programme for DDR which will include programmes in the DRC.