HC Deb 22 October 1984 vol 65 cc435-9 3.30 pm
Mr. Teddy Taylor (Southend, East)

(by private notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote emergency relief to alleviate starvation in Ethiopia.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Malcolm Rifkind)

The Government are extremely concerned about the reports from Ethiopia of the desperate situation there. Although our bilateral dealings with Ethiopia have been modest in recent years, we have, on humanitarian grounds, been providing food aid amounting to nearly 40,000 tonnes over the last two years.

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development announced the shipment of 3,000 tonnes of emergency grain supplies earlier this month.

The Government have also been exploring with our European Community partners ways in which we can jointly help to alleviate the problems.

One of the greatest difficulties is in the distribution of food once it has arrived in Ethiopia. Britain is currently providing both lorries and spare parts and we have asked our ambassador in Addis Ababa to make urgent recommendations about further help of this kind which we might provide.

Mr. Taylor

Is the Minister aware that, although there is undoubted widespread public concern and anger that there are unmanageable food surpluses in Europe while children in Ethiopia are dying of starvation after three years of drought, there is equal frustration that the rather shambolic situation in Ethiopia has been aggravated by civil war, Soviet intervention and the alleged diversion of food supplies? In view of the magnitude of the crisis is there any prospect of the Western powers seeking the cooperation of the Ethiopian authorities entirely to take over, in conjunction with the United Nations, the distribution and management of food aid to make sure that food actually gets through to the countless starving adults and children?

Mr. Rifkind

The European Community has provided emergency aid amounting to about £10 million, and only last week agreed to a further 35,000 tonnes of wheat to be shipped to Ethiopia to meet the current difficulties. It is a matter of regret that Soviet assistance to Ethiopia has been primarily military and has not made a significant contribution to the humanitarian problems in that country. My hon. Friend also asked whether there could be more Western involvement to help overcome the problems of distribution. Essentially, this is a case of responding to the views of the Ethiopian Government. I shall be seeing the Ethiopian ambassador tomorrow and will have the opportunity of discussing problems of this kind with him.

Mr. Stuart Holland (Vauxhall)

Effective aid distribution to Ethiopia is clearly crucial. Whatever is claimed by the recent delegation from the European Parliament, on a visit to the area this spring I found that one was literally falling over EEC butter oil in an abandoned army base. The claims that are being made need investigation. Does the Minister accept the principle that the aid that is at present given is derisory in relation to real need and must be increased? Secondly, whether or not it is possible for United Nations agencies to be involved, will he send in a team of whatever necessary size to get out into the provinces where food distribution is so crucial? Will he also ensure that where we know that aid can be distributed—as in the case of Eritrea, where 85 per cent. of the area is not in the control of the Government —it will be increased to the Eritrean Relief Association so that those desperately in need can get food aid?

Mr. Rifkind

As I indicated earlier, we are very conscious of the distribution problems. A significant amount of British bilateral aid in this sphere has been distributed through the British charitable organisations such as Oxfam and the Save the Children Fund, which are active in Ethiopia. They have performed a marvellous task in reaching some of the areas of real deprivation.

In Eritrea, we have always concentrated our assistance on the individuals who need our help rather than seeking to intervene in an essentially domestic political problem. The United Nations is already involved in Ethiopia on a substantial scale and we work in co-operation with its officials.

Sir Bernard Braine (Castle Point)

Is my hon. Friend aware that there is another cause for real anger at what is happening with famine relief in Ethiopia? Is he aware that since the beginning of the month there have been well-authenticated eye witness reports that large quantities of European aid, including British aid, have been diverted to the Ethiopian armed forces, which are supported in their struggle against their own people by Russian and Cuban arms? Is there not a case for some new approach to ensure that in those areas not controlled by the Ethiopians, famine aid gets to those who need it?

Mr. Rifkind

We have noticed these reports and if they are found to be accurate we shall be as disturbed and concerned as my hon. Friend so correctly is. Problems such as this have led us to concentrate our bilateral Government aid through charitable organisations such as Oxfam and the Save the Children Fund, and we have no reason to believe that the help that they are providing is not reaching those who urgently need it.

Mr. Russell Johnston (Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber)

Does that mean that the Minister is not sure whether the allegations of the hon. Member for Castle Point (Sir B. Braine) have any credence to them? Is there no way to follow up those allegations and find out? Secondly, is the Minister satisfied that most of the aid is reasonably well used? What sort of increase does he have in mind to meet the real and savage problems with which the world is now faced?

Mr. Rifkind

We are satisfied that British bilateral aid is reaching the people for whom it is intended. At this stage we cannot be certain whether the reports of European Community and other international aid being diverted are correct. Obviously, officials of the European Community and other international organisations are looking into the matter, but it would be wrong to prejudge their conclusions at this stage. The amounts of aid are significant and the sums involved are substantial. We and our colleagues in the European Community and in other international organisations will continue to look at the ways in which we can improve the help to solve the problems that have been identified.

Viscount Cranborne (Dorset, South)

My hon. Friend will have heard, no doubt with keen interest, the remarks of my hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point (Sir B. Braine). Will my hon. Friend the Minister elaborate a little on his answer? The amount of aid available to starving people, wherever they may be, is already very small. Does my hon. Friend agree that the more that that aid gets the reputation of falling into the wrong hands, the more likely it is that people will wonder whether it is worth paying for aid? I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will try as best he can to make sure that the reports to which he referred, about the destination of aid and whether it gets into the hands of the Ethiopian army, are put before the House as soon as possible.

Mr. Rifkind

I assure my hon. Friend that Her Majesty's Government would take the gravest possible view of such reports if there were evidence to substantiate them. However, as I have already said, it would be wrong to prejudge these matters. As my hon. Friend said, substantial amounts of aid go to deal with drought and famine in Africa. In the current year the United Kingdom is providing £31 million worth of aid specifically to deal with drought and famine in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr. Tom Clarke (Monklands, West)

Is the Minister aware that, welcome though this limited amount is, many people are concerned about another point? In view of the very limited figure of 0.35 per cent. of GNP, which represents our Government's contribution to overseas aid, will the Minister give an assurance that no other section of overseas aid will suffer because of this commitment?

Mr. Rifkind

The hon. Gentleman should properly address that question to my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development. I assure the hon. Gentleman that the United Kingdom treats as a matter of substantial importance a response to any urgent famine or drought which requires a humanitarian contribution from the Western world. We hope that other developed countries, particularly those in the Socialist camp, will recognise the need for a contribution from them to deal with these problems.

Mr. Tony Baldry (Banbury)

Is my hon. Friend aware that organisations such as Oxfam and the Save the Children Fund are saying in stark terms that unless the international community acts together, and fast, some 500,000 people, most of them children, will die soon? Is this not a problem for the whole international community, should not Europe be leading the international community, should not Britain be leading the European Community, and should not my hon. Friend be leading in the councils of Europe? What action is Britain taking to show a lead to our partners in the Council of Ministers?

Mr. Rifkind

I am aware that my hon. Friend has a long-standing interest in this subject. The United Kingdom has been in the forefront of discussions within the EC. Only last week the Community decided to provide a further 35,000 tonnes of wheat to be sent to Ethiopia to deal with the problems of starvation there. The United Kingdom will continue to be in the forefront of further consideration of whether additional help can be forthcoming.

Mr. Gordon A. T. Bagier (Sunderland, South)

I welcome the aid to the starving millions in Ethiopia, but will the hon. Gentleman also consider the fact that the Ethiopian shipping lines, which have ordered two ships which have been built in Sunderland, the second of which is to be launched on Wednesday, require two more ships?

The Export Credits Guarantee Department, which is controlled by the Government, is refusing credit for the building of those ships. Will the hon. Gentleman take steps to give practical aid to Ethiopia by allowing those ships to be built?

Mr. Rifkind

The hon. Gentleman will not expect me to reply to that particular point at the moment because it does not deal with the provision of emergency help to Ethiopia. The question of ships that are still to be built clearly could not be a matter of immediate significance to the situation in Ethiopia. The United Kingdom — [Interruption.] I must remind the hon. Gentleman that the question is about Ethiopia, not about Sunderland. I can understand the hon. Gentleman's natural concern in this matter. The Government will continue to look at ways of helping Ethiopia to deal with this emergency in the way that I have described.

Mr. John Cartwright (Woolwich)

Is the Minister aware of the estimate made by the Save the Children Fund that some 60,000 tonnes of relief cereals are needed from Great Britain every month in order to meet the problem? Is he also aware of the suggestion that there are delays at the ports in Ethiopia as a result of the problems caused by the rapid turn round of ships? Can he provide specialist help in order to solve such problems?

Mr. Rifkind

I am aware of the views of the Save the Children Fund. I have had meetings with its officials and have corresponded with them on matters relating to Ethiopia. We are also particularly conscious of the problems of distribution. I mentioned earlier that the Government are already providing trucks and other assistance with distribution. We have asked Her Majesty's ambassador in Addis Ababa to put forward urgent recommendations on other areas of assistance that we can help with.

Mr. David Harris (St. Ives)

When my hon. Friend sees the Ethiopian ambassador tomorrow, as well as conveying our eagerness to help in this dreadful situation will he convey our continuing anxiety about the lack of human rights in Ethiopia and the continued imprisonment of political prisoners, including members of the former royal family?

Mr. Rifkind

When I was in Ethiopia earlier this year I raised those matters with the Ethiopian Government and made particular reference to the continuing imprisonment of members of the Ethiopian royal family. We still hope to see the early release of the remaining members of the royal family and an overall improvement in human rights there.

Mr. Guy Barnett (Greenwich)

Is the Minister aware that, although the supply of food is certainly a problem, it is the distribution of food which is the major problem in all situations of this kind? Therefore, will he follow up the suggestion made a moment ago about Britain playing a major part in trying to obtain international co-ordination on this matter since our contribution, small though it has been to date, is peculiarly relevant to the problem?

Mr. Rifkind

I agree that distribution is a major consideration because it is of little value to the people of Ethiopia if the food piles up on receipt in that country. We have already taken on board the sort of consideration to which the hon. Gentleman has rightly drawn attention.

Mr. Laurie Pavitt (Brent, South)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker

Is it concerned with Question Time?

Mr. Pavitt:

No.

Mr. Speaker

I shall take it later.