HC Deb 29 February 1968 vol 759 cc1746-7
24. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the Minister of Overseas Development which of the 70 nations voting on the Trusteeship Commission in favour of the resolution deploring the Gibraltar referendum or abstaining, receives aid from Great Britain.

Mr. Prentice

As the reply is long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Digby

Is the number then considerable or not? If so, is it not rather surprising? Does the Minister take into 'account the attitude of a country towards self-determination when considering allocations?

Mr. Prentice

As I said in reply to an earlier Question, the political attitudes of a country, in the long run, have some effect, but it would be wrong and against our interests as well as those of developing countries if we were to look at a specific instance like a vote in the U.N. and say that we would turn off aid immediately to the countries concerned.

Mr. Murray

What does my right hon. Friend consider to be "the long run"? It would be wrong, surely, if we gave aid on the basis of political considerations rather than of need.

Mr. Prentice

I mean, for example, that, if a country were to break off diplomatic relations with us, it would be unlikely that any new aid agreements would be reached with that country.

Mr. Tilney

Would the right hon. Gentleman do all he can to help Gibraltar, especially because, since yesterday, Gibraltarians may have great difficulty in coming here?

Mr. Prentice

It has been made clear many times from this Box that the British Government stand by Gibraltar and their relations with Gibraltar.

Following is the reply:

The following are receiving aid in 1967–68:

Countries which supported the resolution in the Trusteeship Committee:

Afghanistan, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon. Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Southern Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, U.A.R.. Tanzania, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia and Zambia.

Countries which abstained in the Trusteeship Committee:

Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Kinshasa), Cyprus. Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malagasy Republic, Mexico, Nepal, Niger. Senegal, Singapore, Thailand, Togo, Uganda.