§ 5. Mr. John E. Haireasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the limited U.N.R.R.A. relief "granted to Hungary in January last has now been exhausted; on what commodities it was expended; and whether any further grant will be made available.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Mayhew)I am informed that out of the original emergency relief programme of 3,333,000 dollars approximately 700,000 dollars remained unspent on 1st November. To this balance must be added a further 1 million dollars, subsequently credited to the budget for Hungary in respect of transit charges on U.N.R.R.A. supplies crossing Hungary to other countries. Of the original programme of 3,333,000 dollars, 2,662,000 dollars were budgeted for' food, the balance being divided between clothing, medical requirements and supplies for industrial rehabilitation. I understand that the possibility of a further relief grant for Hungary will be considered by U.N.R.R.A. at the end of this month.
§ Sir Patrick HannonWould the hon. Gentleman tell the House what proportion of this contribution to U.N.R.R.A. is payable by the British taxpayer?
§ Mr. MayhewIt is not possible to say that. The actual allocation between individual countries is made by the Administration and not by His Majesty's Government.
§ Sir P. HannonIs not it a fact that the British taxpayer is making a substantial contribution to this grant to Hungary?
§ Sir Waldron SmithersIs not one of the reasons for the shortage that U.N.R.R.A. goods were not delivered to the people for whom they were intended but were sold on the black market?
§ Mr. HaireIs my hon. Friend aware that there is no evidence whatsoever on the spot to substantiate the observation made by the hon. Gentleman the Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers)?
§ Sir W. SmithersIt was a question not an observation, and it is fully justified.
§ Mr. HaireWould my hon. Friend consider allocating medical supplies for the remainder of the amount now available, because they are in very great need?
§ Mr. MayhewI believe the majority of the remaining grant may go for food, but I will certainly bear in mind the suggestion just made by my hon. Friend.
§ 18 Sir P. Hannonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) the volume and value of the relief measures provided by U.N.R.R.A. for the people of Yugoslavia; and the estimated contribution from the British Exchequer since the inception of U.N.R.R.A., to the latest convenient date;
(2) the volume of value of U.N.R.R.A.'s supplies for the industrial rehabilitation of Czechoslovakia as at the latest convenient date; and the proportion of the cost of these supplies borne by the Exchequer;
(3) if he will make a statement on the supply operations of U.N.R.R.A. in Austria since relief operations commenced; and the proportion of the total cost borne by the British Exchequer.
§ Mr. MayhewDetails of the volume and value of U.N.R.R.A. relief measures to Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Austria are given in the report of the Director-General of U.N.R.R.A. to the United Nations dated September, 1946, entitled Economic Recovery in the Countries Assisted by U.N.R.R.A." perhaps I may be allowed to refer the hon. Member to this report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Figures are not available to show what proportion of the total cost of each country's supply programme has been borne by the Exchequer. It is left to the Administration to allocate the supplies and services amongst the various recipient 490 countries. Amongst other goods from the United Kingdom however, substantial quantities of industrial and agricultural supplies, textiles and clothing and medical supplies have been sent by U.N.R.R.A. to the three countries.
§ Sir P. HannonIs it not very important from the point of view of the taxpayers of this country, and in view of criticisms made in the United States and elsewhere, that we should have the actual figures of the amount contributed by this country towards this relief organisation; and will the hon. Gentleman undertake to prepare for the House, in the form of either a White Paper or an answer to a Question on the Order Paper, the details of these figures, in order that the people of this country may know what contribution they are making?
§ Mr. MayhewIn the way the Administration is arranged at present, our contribution does not refer to any particular country; that decision is taken by U.N.R.R.A. itself. I believe that even if it were possible the detailed work involved in getting out the separate figures for each country as far as our contribution is concerned would be very heavy, and I very much doubt if it would be a practicable decision.
§ Mr. Godfrey NicholsonIs it not a fact that this country has contributed largely to relief in Yugoslavia, and does not that have some moral if not legal bearing on the answer given to Questions No. 6 and No. 16?
§ Sir P. HannonMay I submit that this is very important? The people of this country are making a substantial contribution to this organised relief. Surely, we ought to know the proportion which we are paying from the taxation of this country to this work.
§ Mr. MayhewI think I have explained the position. I have given the gross figures, and explained that it would not be possible to give the figures for which the hon. Member asks.
Mr. BaldwinWill the hon. Gentleman explain why it is necessary for us to be sending food to mid-Europe when they are already sending eggs and turkeys from mid-Europe to this country? We do not understand why that is necessary.
§ Mr. MayhewThat is another question.