§ Q3. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Prime Minister whether he will make a further statement on relief action in Nigeria.
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave the House on 2nd February a detailed account of the Government's relief assistance programme, undertaken in response to the Nigerian Government's requests. We are continuing to deal with all such requests as quickly as possible.—[Vol. 795, c. 2–4.]
§ Mr. McNair-WilsonIs the Prime Minister satisfied that the aid already sent has got to the former Biafran enclave? Can he say what other assistance has been asked for in material terms by the Federal Government?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have now substantially met all the requests of the Nigerian Government for the various items on which my right hon. Friend and I have reported to the House at various times. We are now more concerned to assist the Nigerian Government to deal with some of the rather longer-term problems of food relief. The hon. Gentleman will be glad to know that out of £5 million which we have allocated we have agreed to provide funds for a new scheme by the Save the Children Fund, under which seed yams will be made available in parts of Nigeria to get the seed planted quickly to help them with their food supply. We want to get them planted before the rains come in mid-March so that they may be ready in time for the 1448 harvest. This should provide about 100,000 people with the means of growing their staple food. This will be met out of the £5 million allocated.
§ Mr. WinnickDo the Nigerian Government now understand that our concern is over relief supplies and that it is not that we question in any way the independence of the Nigerian State and the Nigerian Government? Is not it a matter of some concern that there are still people in the former Biafran-held areas who still appear to be desperately in need of food.
§ The Prime MinisterThere can be no doubt that when these matters have been discussed in the House, both in the debate a fortnight ago and in other discussions, practically all hon. Members have made it clear that they fully accept that these matters are entirely within the responsibility of the Nigerian Government, and that our job was to help them by meeting their requests and not to try to instruct them or in any way interfere with what they were doing. There is no reason yet for complacency. There are still considerable numbers of very hungry people and very hungry children. Most of them are still suffering and bearing the marks of malnutrition from the time before the fighting stopped, when there was the refusal to allow the daylight air lifts of relief. The latest figures of food in the area show a very big improvement. There will be 47.000 tons of relief food available in February and March, including 17,000 tons already stock-piled in Nigeria, 18,000 tons of locally produced food and there will be over 12,000 tons on the way in the next few weeks. The supplies suggest that the Nigerian Red Cross, within a week or two—[HON. MEMBERS: "Reading."]—I think that the House is interested in all these figures. There is some difficulty in carrying all these details in one's head. and I want to get them right.
The supplies suggest that the Nigerian Red Cross will be able within a week or two to distribute about 4,000 tons of food every week, which is much more than was being supplied to the former Biafra, as it was called, in the last few months of the fighting.
§ Mr. GrimondWhile food is undoubtedly one of the most important elements in the relief operation, is the Prime Minister satisfied that adequate 1449 medical supplies are getting through to the hospitals?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. More encouraging reports are coming from there—indeed, from our own people. Many of our own doctors and welfare teams are operating, and we have supplied nearly 50 tons of medical stores from this country by air to Nigeria. There may be more requirements and we have made it clear that we shall meet any other requests on us with the maximum speed.