Written question asked by Alice Mahon (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 November 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 November 2000. It was answered by Keith Vaz (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 November 2000 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursant to his Answer of 8th November, 356 c279W, what assistance is to be given to help re-build the bombed Danube bridges in Yugoslavia.

Answer: Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 8 November 2000, Official Report, column 279W, what assistance is to be given to help re-build the bombed Danube bridges in Yugoslavia. [138772] Mr. Vaz: One permanent road bridge has been reconstructed by the Yugoslav authorities at Novi Sad together with a temporary road/rail crossing and a temporary pontoon bridge. The UK will be meeting the costs of laying a water pipeline across the new permanent road bridge. The current EC priority is to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the FRY, focusing on energy needs, medicine and food. Large scale civil engineering projects such as the reconstruction of further bridges at Novi Sad will be considered within the context of the medium term investment required for infrastructure in Serbia. The International Financial Institutions and private sector investors are likely to play important roles in this regard.

Secondary information