Written question asked by Hugh Robertson (Conservative) on Tuesday, 3 March 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 6 March 2015 (named day). It was answered by Tobias Ellwood (Conservative) on Friday, 6 March 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Algeria

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the findings of the report of the European Anti Fraud Office on food aid for the Tindouf refugee camps.

Answer: The European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) report on food aid in Tindouf refugee camps was undertaken from 2003, drafted in 2007 and released in 2015 following an intervention by the EU Ombudsman. The report cites three key elements to the fraud: the diversion of food aid, the inflation of refugee numbers in camps and the use of unpaid labour. The evidence may encourage the European Commission to look at measures to reduce the risk of fraudulent practices.

Secondary information