Aid Programme (Hansard, 5 February 1979)

§ 43. Mr. Forman
asked the Minister of Overseas Development what action her Department is taking to inform the public about the official aid programme and the purposes which it is intended to serve.

§ Mr. Tomlinson
In 1978 over 50 speaking engagements were arranged for my right hon. Friend, myself and officials; 268 press notices and 34 publications were issued; and our paper "Overseas Development" was distributed to over 9,000 regular readers. We are now expanding the readership to 30,000.

§ Mr. Forman
Is the Minister aware of the recent study commissioned by his Department into public attitudes on overseas development, which showed that about one in five of the sample had neither heard nor read anything about the conditions in developing countries, and that the levels of wealth in those countries were over-estimated by some three-and-a-half times and that when people were told the true facts the proportion of those opposed to overseas aid reduced dramatically? Will he redouble his efforts to see that the information campaign is more successful?

§ Mr. Tomlinson
I thoroughly agree with everything that the hon. Gentleman says. My right hon. Friend commissioned this report. It was published on 29 December 1978. It was placed in the Library of the House of Commons. It would be beneficial for a number of hon. Members to read that report.
Arising from that report, but not directly to publicise what the Government are doing, which was the hon. Gentleman's question, but to publicise what needs to be done, and to create a public awareness of what needs to be done, we have our new programme of development education which will cost £500,000 this year, rising to £2.7 million by 1982.

§ Mr. Hooley
Will the Council for International Development be reconvened, or will it be allowed to wither away?

§ Mr. Tomlinson
My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that the Council for International Development exists. Plans are now in hand for its next meeting.

§ Mr. Blaker
Will the Secretary of State take an early opportunity to clarify a point which might be useful? In administering the aid programme, does the Department regard it as one of its purposes to assist British exporters, including exporters in the private sector? Is the Department prepared to authorise the expenditure of aid on infrastructure projects where such projects may be critical in securing contracts for British exporters?

§ Mr. Tomlinson
Although that supplementary question does not arise directly from the main question, I have no doubt that the hon. Gentleman will go out rejoicing and shouting from the rooftops that the bilateral aid programme of this country results in about £290 million worth of exports from British industry. The most reliable estimate we have is that about 50,000 people in employment in the United Kingdom are working on projects financed exclusively from our aid programme.