To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) role and (b) remit of the Africa Progress Panel is; what support the Government are providing to the Africa Progress Panel in 2007-08; and what activities have been undertaken by the Africa Progress Panel since it was established. (181744)

The Africa Progress Panel's objective is to use its collective influence and knowledge to work with Africa and its development partners to ensure the implementation of promises to support the continent. This includes commitments made at the Gleneagles G8 summit in 2005.

The panel was launched in Berlin on 24 April 2007, where it issued a communiqué setting out its objectives and priorities in detail:

http://www.africaprogresspanel.org/english/ourwork.php.

The panel's Africa launch took place in Accra, Ghana, on 11 June 2007. The UK Government have committed £1 million to support the panel during its existence which is expected to be until 2010-11.

Panel members held discussions with a number of international leaders in 2007 to advance its work, including the German Chancellor (as President of the G8), the President of Ghana (as Chair of the African Union), the President(s) of the European Union, the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other world leaders.

The panel has also issued several statements, including a response to the outcomes of the 2007 G8 summit, and an assessment of progress towards the Millennium Development Goals—accessible from the panel's website:

www.africaprogresspanel.org