Written question asked by Maria Fyfe (Labour) on Wednesday, 12 January 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 27 January 2000. It was answered by Clare Short (Labour) on Thursday, 27 January 2000 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will estimate the number of people who have acquired literacy as a result of her Department's contributions to education programmes in the last two years - Inc figures.

Answer: Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will estimate the number of people who have acquired literacy as a result of her Department's contributions to education programmes in the last two years. [105387] Clare Short: It is not possible to give an estimate of the number of people who have acquired literacy as a result of our contribution to education programmes. In Africa and Asia we are currently funding a large number of substantive primary education programmes, all of which will contribute to the eradication of illiteracy. We have committed over £300 million to these programmes since May 1997. Millions of people will benefit from them.

Secondary information