HC Deb 17 March 1986 vol 94 cc15-6
54. Mr. Beith

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the United Nations emergency agency for Africa appeal for £460 million, in aid in the current year.

The Minister for Overseas Development (Mr. Timothy Raison)

During 1986 we shall deliver at least 68,000 tonnes of wheat or wheat equivalent to Ethiopia, Sudan and Mozambique at an approximate cost of £10.7 million, and some £12 million in other aid for relief and rehabilitation. In addition, we shall be meeting our share of the cost of European Community actions, including its substantial food aid provision.

Mr. Beith

In view of the enhanced press interest in overseas development questions, will the Minister tell us the Government's response to the appeal from Mr. Bradford Morse, head of the United Nations development programme, for £460 million additional emergency aid this year in view of the threat to the lives of 11.5 million people in Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique and Sudan? Has there been any special British Government response to that appeal?

Mr. Raison

In fact, there has not been an appeal from Mr. Bradford Morse. He has published estimates of the scale of need. I think that those estimates probably include some development work as well as relief work. I assure the hon. Gentleman and the House, however, that we shall continue as we have done in the past two years to play a very full part in helping to deal with the emergency.

Sir John Biggs-Davison

Has not Ethiopia, a major recipient of the aid, been moving population on a scale and with a savagery far exceeding anything known in South Africa? Do the Government intend to raise that matter at the United Nations?

Mr. Raison

We have made our concern about the resettlement policy absolutely clear and we have not supported any programmes involving resettlement.

Mr. Stuart Holland

How can the Minister be sure that money given to the Ethiopian Government or to voluntary agencies working in Ethiopia is not spent on resettlement schemes? Does he share the widespread concern of the House that the schemes are not concerned with moving people for their own welfare and development, but are political manoeuvres to depopulate areas which are contested in law?

Mr. Raison

We always take very great care over the destiny of the resources that we provide. I have had no reports that money provided by us has been used to further resettlement.

55. Mr. Simon Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to respond further to the all-party parliamentary group report on United Kingdom aid to African agriculture.

Mr. Raison

I answered oral questions on the report on 11 November 1985, and my noble Friend Lord Trefgarne responded fully to a debate on it in another place on 18 December. I am, of course, willing to continue to respond to letters or questions from hon. Members on the report.

Mr. Hughes

Does the Minister accept that the lessening of development aid is one of the reasons why there is such a need for relief aid at times of famine in Africa, and that the advantage of increasing the development aid budget is that there can be the sort of sustained support for African agriculture which gives self-sufficiency through methods such as irrigation schemes, which might reflect much better on the need for voluntary contributions towards relief that we have seen over the past year? The Government were substantially criticised in the report. Will the Minister tell the House that he will do something this year to make British aid to African agriculture much less miserly?

Mr. Raison

We all accept the importance of long-term development as a way of forestalling famine of the kind that we have seen. In fact, the proportion of our bilateral programme that has gone to aid to agriculture has increased and I have recently shown my concern for aid to agriculture by announcing one or two very important additional projects in this area.

Mr. Moynihan

In view of the comments made in the report regarding the Equatoria region agricultural project, will my hon. Friend make a statement to the House regarding the security of the ODA project and the personnel, in view of the civil war in northern Uganda, 18 miles away, the civil war in the southern Sudan and the current isolation of the project from diesel and food supplies?

Mr. Raison

I visited the ERAP project in January of this year. I believe that it is an extremely good project. My hon. Friend is right to say that there is a considerable problem posed to it more immediately by the difficulty of getting fuel which comes out through north Uganda. I hope that the project will continue in being, because it is one which I value, but we shall have to watch what happens carefully.

Mr. Tom Clarke

As the main thrust of the report was to express concern about the percentage that is being spent on agriculture, and even that is not always right, does the Minister agree that the emphasis might be changed in the interests of the peasant food-producing sector?

Mr. Raison

I largely agree with what the hon. Gentleman has said. As I said earlier, I have recently announced one or two further agricultural projects which are designed very much to help the peasant farmer.