HC Deb 25 February 1969 vol 778 cc1253-4
1 and 2. Sir G. Sinclair

asked the Minister of Overseas Development (1) if he will hold consultations with the Governments of Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi and Zambia with a view to the setting up of a development division of his Department in this area of Africa;

(2) if, in view of the increased usefulness of British aid to India resulting from the posting to the United Kingdom High Commission of an experienced officer to co-ordinate the aid effort, he will consider posting such officers to the United Kingdom High Commission and embassies in other countries where Her Majesty's Government has major aid programmes.

23. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what action he is taking to increase the number of aid administrators and specialist advisers from his Department serving overseas.

The Minister of Overseas Development (Mr. Reg Prentice)

Aid management is part of the British representational function overseas which is now being examined by the Review Committees on Overseas Representation. I would prefer to await its report before considering the need for possible additional development divisions or the appointment of additional officers in British High Commissions or Embassies.

Sir G. Sinclair

Will the Minister kindly bear in mind at this review that the calibre of our development experts in this frontier area on the borders of the Union of South Africa is of importance, and that the best of our experts should be available to all the countries in that area?

Mr. Prentice

I agree with the hon. Gentleman about the importance of having people of very high calibre in charge of our aid management in that area. It is a question of how we organise this, and, on that, I should prefer to await the Report of the Committee under Sir Val Duncan.

Mr. Carter-Jones

But would my right hon. Friend not agree that the Estimates Committee's Report on this subject shows the importance of specialised divisional officers in the area who are specialists in aid management and not concerned with the day-to-day administration of embassies or high commissions?

Mr. Prentice

Yes, Sir. There are, of course, in that area officials who specialise in aid management. The question is whether there is a case for organising them in a new development division or whether they should continue to do their work as part of the high commissions in the areas concerned.

Mr. Braine

Is there not a danger, as the Select Committee pointed out, that as time goes on fewer of the officials in the right hon. Gentleman's Department will have practical experience of aid management overseas? Is there not a distinct merit in the suggestion of my hon. Friend the Member for Dorking (Sir G. Sinclair) in Question No. 2?

Mr. Prentice

This is one of the factors which I shall certainly take into account, although the hon. Member will recognise that we also want aid management regarded as one of the normal functions of a high commision or embassy and that it should be part of the work, therefore, of career diplomats as well as people specialising in it who are seconded from the Ministry or otherwise making a career in the aid field.