James Gray asks about HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa and Asia

James Gray, MP for North Wiltshire and Dylan Moran lookalike, has had a written answer about HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa and Asia:

"To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is giving to programmes to combat HIV/AIDS in (a) Africa and (b) Asia; and if he will make a statement. [243088]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral expenditure on HIV and AIDS in Africa and Asia, 2005-06 to 2007-08 in £ million is as follows:

£ million
	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Africa	186.1	183.7	206.0
Asia	100.4	112.0	130.3

To strengthen and deliver a wide range of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care services in the period 2005-06 to 2007-08, total bilateral expenditure on HIV and AIDS programmes in Africa was £576 million and in Asia £343 million.

DFID also provides multilateral assistance to a range of organisations, a significant proportion of which is used to tackle HIV and AIDS in Africa and Asia. For example, DFID has provided over £250 million in core support to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria over the period 2005-06 to 2007-08."

These are fairly large sums of money. Doubtless some people will feel that we can no longer afford them. But we shouldn't give up on the rest of the world through panic or indifference. What we should focus on is ensuring that our money is as well spent as possible.

Tom Greeves