Malta (Hansard, 27 November 1969)

§ 13. Mr. Wall
asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement on aid to Malta.

§ 28. Sir F. Bennett
asked the Minister of Overseas Development what progress has been made in regard to the fulfilment of Great Britain's pledged aid programme to Malta.

§ 30. Mr. Fisher
asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she will now make a statement about aid for Malta during the second five-year period of the aid programme.

§ Mrs. Hart
I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to a Question by the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Sir A. V. Harvey) on 17th November to which as yet I still have nothing to add.—[Vol. 791. c. 205–6.]

§ Mr. Wall
Is it not disgraceful that, because of a dispute as to whether 25 per cent. of our aid should be in the form of grant or loan, all aid should be cut off as has occurred in regard to Malta? What plans have the Government to remedy this situation?

§ Mrs. Hart
It is well known to the House that we are engaged in discussions with the Government of Malta on this matter. We do not regard them as having ended. At the moment we are seeking clarification of some specific proposals which have been made. I regret, as much as the hon. Gentleman, that this is holding up our aid to Malta. What is comforting is that Malta's development plan has not been held up by the disagreement.

§ Sir F. Bennett
Could we get back to the facts of the situation? Will the Minister confirm that all we are arguing about is whether the sum of £5½ million should be a grant or loan repayable after a large number of years? Will she also take the opportunity to deny, rather than making a waffly statement, whether one of the matters in dispute is whether an additional sum of £4 million promised to Malta for dockyard rehabilitation under a quite different heading is being lumped together with the total sum agreed in 1964 or is to be a separate sum? Could we have two plain answers to those two plain questions?

§ Mrs. Hart
I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman. He is well aware that a full statement was made by the Malta Government in the Malta Parliament. Our view is that it would be unwise for us to make a similar statement in this House while we believe it is possible to reach a fruitful end to those discussions. I am sorry that I cannot give the specific answers for which the hon. Gentleman asks.

§ Mr. Fisher
Will the Minister tell the House how much longer these negotiations are to go on? If the Prime Minister thinks that a week is a long time in politics, then nine months is a very long time indeed. Will the Minister genuinely do her best to expedite a settlement on mutually agreeable terms with Malta, with which we have always had the closest and most friendly relations and to which we owe a great deal, especially in the last war?

§ Mrs. Hart
Indeed, I can completely assure the House that it is my desire and that I shall do everything within my power to reach a conclusion acceptable to the Malta Government and ourselves. There is no denying that it is a difficult matter, but we are in process of discussions and it is my hope and intention that the result will be satisfactory to both sides.

§ Mr. Wall
On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Answer, I beg leave to raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.