§ 36. Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he expects to visit the drought-affected areas of the African continent in the next six months; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Douglas Hurd)My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development hopes to visit drought-affected areas of Africa again in the new year. She did so last September. We are wholeheartedly exerting ourselves to help the victims of drought and other disasters in Africa.
§ Mr. KirkwoodDoes not the Secretary of State agree that the 100 mecu currently languishing in Community development budgets should be urgently released? Will he bring his influence to bear at the EC Development Council meeting later this week, to ensure that money is spent on establishing a special plan for African recovery? Surely there is something seriously wrong with the system that allows money to languish when thousands are starving in Africa.
§ Mr. HurdI will certainly try to speed things up. This year, Britain has committed £150 million in humanitarian help to Africa, including £63 million to drought-affected areas. A great deal is being done to help.
§ Mr. Jacques ArnoldDoes not our noble Friend Lady Chalker enjoy a high reputation because of all the work that she is doing to improve our relations with Africa, and is not this country already doing a considerable amount to aid Africa—not least in the important matter of water extraction and the water industry throughout Africa, which is part of the base of the problem?
§ Mr. HurdThat is certainly true. I am glad that—contrary to dire predictions from Opposition Members —we have been able to maintain our aid programme in the public spending review. I think that, in the circumstances, most people would regard ours as a very reputable record.