Uganda
International Development

Mr Tom Brake (Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, International Development; Carshalton and Wallington, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has received representations from (a) the authorities in Uganda and (b) his Department's in-country programme office in Kampala regarding termination of the Uganda Forest Sector Policy and Strategy Project.

Mr Hilary Benn (Secretary of State, Department for International Development; Leeds Central, Labour)

On 13 December, DFID Uganda received a letter from Uganda's Minister of State for the Environment presenting his concerns about the implications of the completion of DFID's support for Uganda's forestry sector. DFID Uganda is in discussion with the Minister about his concerns. The final phase of DFID's Uganda Forest Sector Policy and Strategy Project began in 2001, and was scheduled to end in June 2003. Since then, DFID has granted the project two extensions to accommodate the slow pace of reform in the forestry sector. At the time of the last extension in June 2004, we agreed with the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment that our support would formally end on 31 December 2004. The sector is well supported by other development partners.