Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 14 October 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 25 October 2004. It was answered by Gareth Thomas (Labour) on Monday, 25 October 2004 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has to support programmes in Eastern Europe aimed at the initiation and implementation of the development of child protection legislation and policies; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to support programmes in Eastern Europe aimed at the initiation and implementation of the development of child protection legislation and policies; and if he will make a statement. [192525] Mr. Gareth Thomas: In Russia, DFID supports a federal project on Social Standards development and two regional projects: "Targeted Social Assistance" in Nizhny Novgorod region and "Families and Children at Risk" in Leningrad Region. These initiatives will assist federal and regional authorities with the development of their policies, including those concerning child protection, which may lead to changes in legislation. In Romania, DFID is helping to develop the expertise of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption and is supporting the Development of Child Protection Services Programme. We are gaining valuable experience from this assistance of how reform of services for children relates to wider.social service issues. We are applying this knowledge to our support for reform being undertaken by the Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family. In Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Ukraine, we are working with the World Bank on wide ranging social development reform programmes, within which child protection issues are being addressed. In Moldova we have, until recently, also funded two posts in the National Council for the Protection of Child Rights.

Secondary information