§ 41. Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Minister for Overseas Development how many countries in Africa receive aid through his Department.
§ Mr. PrenticeThirty-six countries receive aid directly. In addition, 12 regional organisations in Africa receive aid under the Ministry's programmes, and of course through these a number of countries receive aid from Britain indirectly.
I have arranged for a list of recipients to be published in the Official Report.
§ Mr. BottomleyIs it the Government's intention to ignore development in such places as the Transkei? Will the right hon. Gentleman indicate what changes the Government would like to see made before they give aid to the Bantustans?
§ Mr. PrenticeThe Government would like to see drastic and radical changes in the whole of South Africa. Aid to the Transkei is a very improbable development in the immediate future.
§ Mr. James JohnsonIs my right hon. Friend aware that those of us lucky enough to go to Africa occasionally and talk to Ministers, such as Mr. Kabaki, in Nairobi, in Ghana and Tanzania know that they feel that the Government are doing a first-class job, particularly in funnelling money to the poorest people in the poorest nations, which means that 28 it is going to the bush where it is badly needed?
§ Mr. PrenticeI am grateful for my hon. Friend's comment. He underlines the most important feature of the Government's aid strategy in Africa and elsewhere, which is to devote a larger and growing proportion of help to the poorest countries and to the poorest groups in those countries.
§ Mr. JesselHow many of the 36 countries spend part of the aid that they receive on arms?
§ Mr. PrenticeIn no case is the aid that we give available for spending on arms. I am speaking of development aid, which has nothing whatever to do with military activities.
§ Following is the information:
§ African Countries for which Provision has been made in my Ministry's Estimates for 1975–76:
§ Algeria
§ Benin
§ Botswana
§ Burundi, Republic of
§ Cameroon, United Republic of
§ Chad
§ Congo, Republic of (Brazzaville)
§ Egypt, Arab Republic of
§ Ethiopia
§ Gambia, The
§ Ghana
§ Ivory Coast
§ Kenya
§ Lesotho, Kingdom of
§ Liberia, Republic of
§ Malagasy, Republic of
§ Malawi, Republic of
§ Mali, Republic of
§ Mauritania, Islamic Republic of
§ Mauritius
§ Morocco, Kingdom of
§ Niger, Republic of
§ Nigeria, Federal Republic of
§ Rwanda Republic
§ Senegal, Republic of
§ Sierra Leone
§ Somali Democratic Republic of
§ Sudan, Democratic Republic of
§ Swaziland, Kingdom of
§ Tanzania, United Republic of
§ Togo, Republic of
§ Tunisia
§ Uganda, Republic of
§ Upper Volta
§ Zaire, Republic of
§ Zambia, Republic of
§ African Regional Organisations:
§ Lake Chad Basin Commission
§ East African Community
§ UBLS (University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland)
§ WARD (West African Rice Development Association)
29§ United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
§ African Development Bank
§ African Development Fund
§ Pan African Institute for Development
§ Desert Locust Control Organisation for East Africa
§ International Red Locust Control Organisation
§ Scientific and Technical Research Commission (Organisation of African Unity)
§ International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology