§ 38. Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what emergency or other aid his Department is giving in response to the recent earthquake in Chile.
§ Mr. RaisonHer Majesty's Government have provided £250,000 in emergency assistance since the earthquake in March. That is in addition to our share of the recent contribution by the European Community from its emergency aid budget.
§ Mr. HollandThe Minister will be aware that £250,000 is a very small sum in relation to the needs. The House will certainly want to monitor this in future, granted that on a previous occasion a field hospital, apparently delivered to the Pinochet Government, was not deployed in a disaster area. Will the Minister also take this opportunity to assure the House that on economic, social and technical grounds, he will now be supporting a major aid programme to Nicaragua and not supporting his right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary in a political blockade of that country, as reported in The Observer yesterday by Hugh O'Shaughnessy?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe question is directed to Chile.
§ Mr. RaisonIf the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Mr. Holland) wants to ask questions about Nicaragua, perhaps he will table questions about Nicaragua. As you have said, Mr. Speaker, the question is about Chile.
The aid that we have provided is useful. We shall be concerned to ensure that it is properly used. There is no reason to believe that it will not.