(1) Who will be attending the Microcredit Summit +5 to be held in New York in 2002 on behalf of the Australian Government?

(2) Will he attend the Summit.

(3) What sum was committed to microcredit in the foreign aid budgets for (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-2001, (c) 2001-2002, (d) 2002-2003 and (e) 2003-2004.

(1) Australia will be represented at the Microcredit Summit +5 by the Australian Agency for International Development's (AusAID's) Microfinance Adviser, Dr Kieran Donaghue. Additional representation at the Summit is under consideration.

(2) I will not be attending the Summit +5.

(3) Microfinance expenditure in the overseas aid program was $7.9 million in 1999-2000, $8.9 million in 2000-2001 and $13.4 million in 2001-2002.

The majority of Australia's overseas aid funds are allocated in the budgetary process on a country rather than a sectoral basis. Accordingly there is no specific allocation for microfinance in the 2002-2003 aid budget. Expenditure on microfinance in 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 will depend primarily on programming decisions made by AusAID's country program areas. These decisions are taken in the context of country program strategies developed conjointly by Australia and the country concerned. They reflect each country's priority development needs and Australia's capacity to assist. The performance of the Australian microfinance projects currently underway, many of which are in their early stages, will also be an important factor in determining future levels of microfinance expenditure.