International Development written question – answered at on 11 December 2007.
Annette Brooke
Shadow Spokesperson (Children, Schools and Families), Shadow Minister (Education), Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to help achieve the targets of the Microcredit Summit Campaign to ensure that 175 million of the world's poorest families, especially women, are receiving credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the end of 2015.
Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under-Secretary(Department for International Development) (Trade Policy) (also Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform), Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) (Trade and Consumer Affairs) (also Department for International Development), Party Chair, Co-operative Party
DFID regards microcredit as part of a broader strategy to promote financial sectors that are stronger and more inclusive of the needs of poor people, including women. The UK's 2006 white paper on International Development commits us to tackle the barriers that prevent poor people from gaining access to markets and financial services, and supporting microfinance initiatives, particularly in partnership with banks and regulators.
DFID currently supports 58 financial sector initiatives, which include microcredit and business development services, in 25 countries. By May 2007, DFID had contributed approximately £180 million to financial sector programmes. A further £140 million has already been committed to support existing programmes in future years.
Yes2 people think so
No2 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
A document issued by the Government laying out its policy, or proposed policy, on a topic of current concern.Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. This is a contrast with green papers, which are issued less frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation.
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