Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the Government have made to the Union of the Mediterranean since its creation. [42797]

David Lidington MP; Minister of State: The Government have made no bilateral financial contribution to the Union for the Mediterranean and has not seconded staff to work at the Secretariat. However, we have contributed to the budget of the Secretariat through the European Union budget. The European Union funded the full costs of the Secretariat's interim budget for May-December 2010 (?780,000) and is expected to fund up to ?3 million of the agreed budget for 2011 (?6.25 million). The remaining costs will be met by bilateral donations from Union for the Mediterranean member states.

Given the political difficulties faced by the Union for the Mediterranean, in particular those linked to the Middle East Peace Process, we have pressed for a focus on technical co-operation. We have insisted that the Secretariat be a small, project-focused body and we have encouraged the Secretariat to identify new sources of finance outside the EU budget, especially from private commercial sources.