§ 70. Miss LestorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further information he has about the extent of the destruction in Nicaragua following Hurricane Joan; and if he will make a statement.
§ 71. Sir Russell JohnstonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from charities and other relevant bodies concerning the provision of aid to Nicaragua.
§ Mr. Chris PattenAs I informed the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan (Mr. Wray) on 7 November, as a result of the hurricane 116 people were killed and 278 badly injured, 29,000 homes, 66 bridges, 24 roads and 300 schools were damaged or destroyed.
I have received a number of requests from British charities for financial help for the disaster relief operation in Nicaragua. The emergency assistance of £250,000 that I announced to the House on 24 October has been channelled through those organisations and the United Nations Disaster Relief Office. In addition, I have made available £135,000 for Costa Rica.
Including our contribution to European Community aid, our total assistance to those two countries stands at £481,000.
§ Miss LestorWhile thanking the hon. Gentleman for that reply, may I remind him that the destruction in Nicaragua of the coffee, cotton, banana and sugar cane crops, grazing land and animals, which he did not mention, has been colossal, and that more reports of damage are coming in? Whatever aid may have been made available, it is nothing like enough to help Nicaragua to get back on its feet. Will the Minister be flexible in response to specific demands? Will he give additional funds to projects that were previously joint funded by the Government, and that have been destroyed by the hurricane? I am thinking especially of the Rama Indians at Rama Keys—an OXFAM project co-funded by the Government which was completely wiped out. Will he also consider the provision of safe water in the Bluefields area?
§ Mr. PattenWe are certainly prepared to consider helping, through our joint funding scheme, non-governmental organisation projects that may have been damaged. If the charities apply to us in the usual way, we shall consider those suggestions as positively as possible.
§ Sir Russell JohnstonThe Minister stressed the importance of taking into account need when giving aid. Leaving aside the hurricane, why is there such a difference between the aid given to Costa Rica, which was about £12.5 million in 1985, and that given to Nicaragua, which was £116,000? Should not the Government reappraise their approach to Nicaragua?
§ Mr. PattenI do not think so. The main reasons for our aid programme to particular countries are developmental need, the poverty of the countries concerned and our historic connections. In Central America there are one or two other factors such as the presence in individual 745 countries of regional institutions, but I should point out, as I think I have before, that the European Community provided about £6 million last year to long-term development in Nicaragua, and we provided over £1 million of that.
§ Mr. Jacques ArnoldWill my right hon. Friend particularly concentrate assistance on the Bluefields area, which was not only the centre of damage resulting from the recent hurricane, but has had strong connections with this country for a long time? Will he also bear in mind that the damage that has been done to the Nicaraguan economy has a lot to do with the incompetent way that the Sandinista Government have run that country?
§ Mr. PattenI take the point that politicians in some countries greatly favoured by Labour Members can do as much or more damage as natural calamities. I also take my hon. Friend's point about the importance of projects in Bluefields. I think he will know that we made a contribution to the Catholic bishop of Bluefields for emergency assistance.
§ Mr. NellistOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerNo. I will take points of order after the statement.
§ Mr. NellistIt arises out of questions.
§ Mr. SpeakerNot now.