HC Deb 24 October 1988 vol 139 cc17-8
81. Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made in his allocations of aid to countries in sub-Saharan Africa of the impact of negative growth in the economically active sections of the populations of those countries consequent upon the AIDS epidemic.

The Minister for Overseas Development (Mr. Chris Patten)

We have made major financial contributions to help support programmes aimed at combating AIDS. We are providing £5.63 million over five years in support of the World Health Organisation's co-ordinated national AIDS programmes in five African countries. We have contributed £7.75 million to the World Health Organisation's global programme on AIDS, which is working with over 150 countries, including 44 in Africa. In addition, we are supporting research into the long-term demographic, social and economic support of the disease.

Mr. Butler

Does my hon. Friend agree that sub-Saharan African countries should be completely open about the scale of the problems that they face when they make their applications to him?

Mr. Patten

Fortunately, we have found that we have been able to conduct an increasingly open dialogue with sub-Saharan African countries about this problem, which is a global problem, not just one for Africa. We have been helped considerably by operating principally through the World Health Organisation and its admirable special programme on AIDS. I went to Geneva last week to discuss it with the WHO and am extremely impressed by the progress that it has been making.

Sir John Stanley

What steps are the Government taking to try to get a greater international follow-up to the initiative taken and the work started by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer last year to alleviate the debt burden of the sub-Saharan African countries?

Mr. Patten

My right hon. Friend is correct to imply that many of the countries most affected by AIDS are also most afflicted by the burden of debt. I am delighted to say that progress has been made since the Toronto economic summit towards implementing the initiative of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It seems that the first reschedulings under the Paris club should start this month. I am sure that the whole House will want to congratulate my right hon. Friend on the success of the initiative.