HC Deb 30 July 1963 vol 682 c212
9. Mr. Loveys

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation for what purposes he made an official visit to Bonn on 24th to 26th of this month; and what was the scope of his discussions.

Mr. R. Carr

Herr Scheel, the Federal German Minister for Economic Cooperation, invited me to return the visit which he made to my predecessor last February. He and representatives of private and semi-official organisations fully reviewed the substantial West German development aid effort, as I did the British effort. I am grateful to Herr Scheel.

As co-ordinator of Overseas Information Services I was also glad to visit the Information Office in Bonn and the British Council in Cologne.

Mr. Loveys

Did this visit have any other special significance than being simply part of the normal process of consultation with other countries providing overseas aid?

Mr. Carr

No, there was no special significance in it. We try, of course, to achieve international co-ordination through such bodies as the Development Assistance Committee of the O.E.C.D., in Paris, but it is extremely important to keep close bilateral contacts with all the donor countries individually. That is what I was doing on this occasion.

Forward to