HC Deb 10 June 1985 vol 80 cc636-9
46. Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning initiatives of Her Majesty's Government designed to prevent the recurrence of famine disasters.

Mr. Raison

Under our regular aid programme, we shall seek any new opportunities to anticipate and to cope more effectively with famine. At the Bonn economic summit we agreed with our partners that the expert group established to prepare proposals for follow-up measures in relation to the African drought and famine should report to Foreign Ministers by September 1985. We are also supporting moves by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation to improve its early warning mechanisms.

Mr. Spearing

Is not the regular aid programme a bit askew? Have not the Government reduced by up to 25 per cent. the personnel of the Tropical Development Research Institute who are concerned with preventing the sort of disasters that we have seen? Will the Minister review that disastrous decision and make an announcement on this important matter even before he replies to the Select Committee's report, which advocated restaffing those important units of the ODA?

Mr. Raison

As the hon. Gentleman says, we have made cuts in the personnel of the TDRI, but it is still a highly effective unit which is appreciated across the world, and it is doing extremely valuable work in Africa and elsewhere.

Mr. Nicholls

Does my right hon. Friend agree that when we are discussing famine relief and aid generally there is a danger of our overlooking the point that The Times leader made today—that Africa is now virtually the only continent which is unable to provide sufficient crops for the relief of its own citizens? Does my right hon. Friend also agree that as long as there are regimes, such as those in Sudan and Ethiopia, which are a great deal more concerned about their political ideologies than about the care of their citizens, no end to the problems is in sight?

Mr. Raison

I agree that Africa's food problems are very much complicated by political factors, but we must recognise that there is a strong need for resources and expertise. We play a substantial part in providing both.

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