HC Deb 22 February 1984 vol 54 c811
10. Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the high commissioner of Uganda.

Mr. Rifkind

My right hon. and learned Friend last met the Ugandan high commissioner on the 7 December 1983 during the course of the visit to the United Kingdom of the Ugandan Prime Minister, Mr. Allimadi.

Mr. Bruinvels

I thank my hon. Friend for that helpful answer. Was he able to raise the issue of compensation for the Ugandan Asians who were expelled from Uganda 12 years ago, 6,000 of whom are resident in Leicester, who are beginning to lose considerable financial commitment? It is rumoured that some of them are working for wages that place them in the poverty gap.

Mr. Rifkind

This issue was raised by my right hon. and learned Friend with the Ugandan Prime Minister. My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that the committee that has been established by the Ugandan authorities is now to begin its work on processing claims. We should be getting some real progress over the next few weeks and months.

Mr. George Robertson

That is obviously a helpful answer. We must continue to hope that the discussions produce fruit. However, if the negotiations break down and the Ugandan Government return to their previous and first position, will the British Government make it clear that they will take over the negotiations on behalf of all the Ugandan Asians who are involved in this issue?

Mr. Rifkind

There are more than 1,800 claimants in the United Kingdom alone, and therefore it will take some time for those claims to be processed. The Government have always made it clear that if the proposals and the structure established by the Ugandan Government did not work properly, or did not enable progress to be made, we would consider whether we as a Government were able to help the claimants in the United Kingdom.

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