§ 42. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Minister for Overseas Development what technical and other assistance he has given to the Bangladesh Government with regard to the efficient storage of the current surplus rice crop.
§ The Minister for Overseas Development (Mr. Reg Prentice)As I said in a written reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mr. Douglas-Mann) on 9th February, I made an offer to provide and air-freight to Bangladesh grain fumigant and gas-proof sheeting which World Food Pro- 932 gramme officials report to be urgently required. This offer has now been accepted, and we are arranging for the despatch of these materials as quickly as possible.—[Vol. 905, c. 11.]
§ Mr. StonehouseMay we know also what technical assistance is being provided to the Bangladesh authorities, and what proportion of the £54 million aid programme is being spent on wholesaling and other facilities?
§ Mr. PrenticeI need notice to give a precise answer to my right hon. Friend's second question, and I shall write to him about it. We have offered to provide two teams of experts in relation to this matter, one to advise on the rehabilitation of grain storage facilities—that offer has been accepted and arrangements have been made for them to go out—and the other to advise on bulk transportation of grain, which is a slightly longer-term problem on which I think we may be able to help. This effort is being co-ordinated, of course, with the World Food Programme and other donor countries.
§ Mr. SkinnerWill my right hon. Friend agree that one of the reasons, relatively speaking, why the position in Bangladesh has been worsened is the fact that the Crown Agents, for which also he is responsible, invested sums of money in the Bangladesh bank for which the right hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Stonehouse) had certain responsibilities, so that——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman is not allowed to cast any reflection on any right hon. or hon. Member.
§ Mr. SkinnerWe have debated this.
§ Mr. SpeakerWe may well have debated it, but personal reflections are not in order.
§ Mr. StonehouseOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Could it be pointed out that the references——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I stopped that matter quickly.