Mauritius (Financial Talks) (Hansard, 29 February 1968)

§ 10. Mr. Wall
asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will make a statement on the financial talks with the Government of Mauritius.

§ Mr. Prentice
We are expecting to hold financial talks with the Mauritius Government in the latter part of March. Their purpose will be to discuss British development aid to Mauritius in the Mauritius financial year 1968–69.

§ Mr. Wall
Is it not unprecedented for a country not to know the development aid that it will get for the next three years before it becomes independent? Is not this an entirely new principle which has never been applied to any other country becoming independent?

§ Mr. Prentice
No. I am a fairly new Minister, but I think the procedure here has been followed before and is being followed in other cases currently.

§ Mr. Braine
Will the right hon. Gentleman—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Member must wait until I call him. Mr. Braine.

§ Mr. Braine
I beg your pardon, Mr. Speaker. Will the right hon. Gentleman be a bit more forthcoming? He referred to development aid in the future. I understand that Mauritius is already getting budgetary aid. Do the talks to which the right hon. Gentleman referred cover the question of budgetary aid and when will these talks be completed?

§ Mr. Prentice
The talks will take place in the latter part of March. I cannot say for how long they will last. Clearly it will be in the interests of both parties to complete them expeditiously. The Mauritius Government have already undertaken to balance their recurrent budget from next year, and therefore we are not contemplating budgetary aid for the future, but development aid.