HC Deb 14 June 1966 vol 729 cc1233-4
37. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will make available one day's arms expenditure, £5,750,000, to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in order to combat illiteracy in the world.

The Minister of Overseas Development (Mr. Anthony Greenwood)

No, Sir. I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Mr. Philip Noel-Baker) on 19th May.

Mr. Allaun

But is it not a fact that our total contribution to U.N.E.S.C.O. for all purposes is only £570,000 a year, precisely one-tenth of one day's arms expenditure? Surely, if a poor country such as Iran can help in this way, Britain can at least do the same?

Mr. Greenwood

My hon. Friend should remember that, in addition to the contribution we are making to U.N.E.S.C.O.'s World Experimental Literacy Programme, we have also offered to collaborate with a developing country of the Commonwealth in a literacy project. We have to preserve a sense of proportion about these things, realising that our bilateral contribution to educational development, if we include the work of the British Council on educational development, will this year be somewhere between £16 million and £17 million, which is about three days' arms expenditure.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I hope that we can get back to short questions and short answers.