§ 44. Mr. Merchantasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department provides for rural development in Kenya.
§ Mr. RaisonIn 1985–86 we expect to spend about £11.3 million to assist development in rural areas in Kenya. This covers activities in agriculture, livestock production, forestry, health, transport and the training of teachers for rural schools. I have just agreed to a grant of a further £4.37 million for applied research in the Embu, Meru and Isiolo districts, where we are seeking to achieve better use of arid lands.
§ Mr. MerchantWill my right hon. Friend tell the House what contribution is being made from our aid programme towards the health and population programme in Kenya? There is high population growth in that country and anxiety has been expressed there about the increased rise in the population.
§ Mr. RaisonMy hon. Friend is right. The rate of population growth in Kenya is over 4 per cent. a year, and that is one of the highest rates in the world. We are contributing to an integrated rural health and family planning project. We have also financed the construction of six rural dispensaries and a rural demonstration centre, and have recently undertaken to finance a district hospital in Isiolo.
§ Mr. BeithWas the right hon. Gentleman satisfied, after his visit to Kenya, that expenditure of so large a sum of money—£21 million of last year's aid—on the Nkubu road project was a satisfactory priority and one that was well directed towards rural economic needs?
§ Mr. RaisonI was completely satisfied. The road is a fine piece of engineering. On top of that, the project is essentially designed to serve the rural community east of Mount Kenya, and I am sure that it will do that.
§ Mr. MoynihanWill my right hon. Friend consider more smallholder agricultural projects in rural development schemes in Kenya?
§ Mr. RaisonMy hon. Friend has made a good point. I should be happy to discuss it with him.
§ Mr. PavittIn view of the importance of rural democratic co-operatives for coffee growing and marketing in Kenya, may I ask what special action the right hon. Gentleman is taking to provide the training necessary to enable those co-operatives to play a proper part in rural development?
§ Mr. RaisonThe record of co-operatives across Africa, as elsewhere, is somewhat mixed. They are certainly more useful in marketing than in production. I am happy to look at the hon. Gentleman's specific point.