Maldives
International Development
Written answers and statements, 28 November 2005
Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will cease all non-humanitarian aid to the Maldives in response to the human rights abuses there.
Gareth Thomas (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for International Development; Harrow West, Labour)
We are seriously concerned about the human rights situation in the Maldives. The UK has raised these concerns with the Government of the Maldives, bilaterally and with EU partners and will continue to do so.
The UK provides a small allocation of non-humanitarian aid to the Maldives from the Small Grants Scheme.
The UK has no current plans to cease this non-humanitarian aid to the Government of the Maldives. Such actions are most appropriate where existing efforts at dialogue and co-operation are not able to lever positive progress. We note recent moves from the Government of the Maldives to establish dialogue with all political parties and we look forward to seeing early progress on democratic reform.