To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been made of the St Helena Infrastructure Improvement Programme in terms of (1) value for money, (2) adherence to programme, and (3) quality of end product.

A review to assess the progress of St Helena’s infrastructure programme was conducted in February 2012. The review found that while work on the energy sector was progressing well and meeting quality standards, the majority of the programme was not progressing as expected and overall was not providing value for money.

Following the review DfID has been working with the St Helena Government to ensure that their capacity and capability to deliver infrastructure projects are increased. We are continuing to invest in the Government of St Helena’s infrastructure plans, bearing in mind links to the airport construction, and are also investing in better management systems and procedures.