§ 27. Mr. Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the names of current projects involving more than £10 million of United Kingdom Government aid overseas.
§ The Minister for Overseas Development (Mr. Timothy Raison)The list comprises 31 projects, each involving from £10 million to £117 million of United Kingdom aid funds, in 16 different countries. The total amounts to £985 million. Details will be published in the Official Report.
§ Mr. ChapmanI recognise that these projects account for the greater proportion of our total overseas aid programme. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that these larger projects bring great benefits not only to the recipient countries but to many British firms and companies and that, not least, they provide many jobs for British people?
§ Mr. RaisonMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. He might also like to know that 80 per cent. of our bilateral aid in 1982 was wholly tied to British goods and services.
§ Mr. DeakinsWill the right hon. Gentleman confirm that all these large projects now include a population component where appropriate?
§ Mr. RaisonI cannot say that all these large projects necessarily include a population component, but it is one of the factors that we look at throughout our development programme.
§ Mr. KeyIs my right hon. Friend aware that to many people in Britain overseas aid is important and popular, particularly with regard to medical and agricultural help? Will he bear that in mind in future aid programmes, in particular with the medical input of our overseas aid programme?
§ Mr. RaisonMy hon. Friend is absolutely right and I endorse what he says. Last week in India I saw both medical and agricultural projects of great value with which we are assisting.
Following are the details:
| £ million. | Projects funded under the Aid and Trade Provision (ATP) | |
| Kenya: Thuchi-Nkubu Road | 13.66 | |
| Kenya: Tana River Upper Reservoir Extension | 10.348 | |
| Mexico: Sicartsa Rolling Mill | 34.94 | ATP |
| Morocco: Nador Steel Mill | 13.505 | ATP |
| Mozambique: Rehabilitation of Limpopo Railway Line | 10.1 | |
| Nepal: Dharan-Dhankuta Road | 18 | |
| Pakistan: Railway Development | 29.1 | |
| Pakistan: Port Development, Port Qasim | 15 | |
| Pakistan: Salinity Control (SCARP VI) | 10.8 | |
| Sri Lanka: Victoria Dam | 113 | |
| Sudan: Power III | 73.825 | |
| Tanzania: Songea-Makambako Road | 73 | |
| Zimbabwe: Land Resettlement | 20 |