HC Deb 14 June 1976 vol 913 cc26-7
37. Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will itemise in specific terms the methods by which he intends to ensure that none of the £15 million offered in financial assistance to Mozambique is used, either directly or indirectly, to assist terrorists operating against Rhodesia; and what monitoring procedures he has established to check the way in which this money is used.

39. Mr. Ronald Bell

asked the Minister of Overseas Development when and how the payment of money from British public funds to the Government of Mozambique has been authorised; and whether he will specify the head and sub-head of any Supply Vote which is relevant.

Mr. Prentice

Our assistance to Mozambique will be in the form of an initial interest-free loan of £5 million which will be included in Supply Estimates for 1976–77, specifically under subhead C1 of the Overseas Aid Vote to which funds will be transferred from subhead E1.

The aid agreement will provide that British goods and services to be financed from the loan will be mutually determined by the two Governments and procured through the Crown Agents. British officials will be permitted to inspect goods and documents, and the Government of Mozambique will be required to certify the end use of each order before disbursements of aid funds are authorised.

Mr. Latham

Despite these procedures, is not the truth of the matter that we shall have no effective control at all, because we are dealing with a closed Marxist State whose leaders, until recently, were terrorists?

Mr. Prentice

No, Sir. I spelt out deliberately in my original answer the procedures that will be used. Officials in the British Embassy will examine the goods on arrival. They will receive certificates as to their use and will be able to obtain such further information as they may reasonably require. I repeat that there is no question of any of the goods provided under this agreement being used for military purposes.

Mr. Ioan Evans

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the United Nations and the Commonwealth Secretariat have requested that aid be given to Mozambique, which is now undertaking United Nations sanctions against the illegal régime in Rhodesia?

Mr. Prentice

Mozambique is a country which, because of its standard of living, would in any case qualify for development assistance from more prosperous countries. Sanctions are presenting a great additional burden. The Commonwealth and the United Nations have called upon the international community to help Mozambique. Offers of help have already come from the United States, Germany and Sweden, among others. I know that a number of other Governments are actively considering offers of assistance to Mozambique.

Mr. Bell

Will the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that neither this initial loan nor any subsequent grant will be paid to Mozambique in anticipation of the approval of the House of Commons of the passing of public money from this country to this revolutionary Marxist régime to finance or compensate it for its anti-British activities in Africa?

Mr. Prentice

The procedures of the House of Commons in relation to these Estimates will be the normal ones. If the hon. and learned Gentleman and his right hon. and hon. Friends really wanted to avoid an escalation of violence and bloodshed in that part of Africa they would do better to support the policy of successive British Governments—Conservative as well as Labour—in applying sanctions. The policies that we have been discussing have been approved by the Commonwealth and the United Nations.

Several Hon. Members

rose

Mr. Speaker

Order. I have received notice of four applications under Standing No. 9. To be fair to the debate on Northern Ireland security, which ends at 7 o'clock, I propose to take the first application now.