§ 38. Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the President of Uganda concerning assistance to that country.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydBoth my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Minister for Overseas Development had discussions with President Museveni during his recent visit.
§ Mr. LidingtonDoes my hon. Friend agree that the good record of economic growth in Uganda since President Museveni took power illustrates the advantages of good government in generating benefits for the entire population of such countries and the sense of tying our own overseas aid policy to that principle?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydMy hon. Friend is quite right: Uganda has been a good story in recent years. British bilateral aid stands at about £34 million a year and has remained at that level in recent years. There is a great deal of approval of Uganda's economic policies, which have led to economic growth of about 5 per cent. a year since 1987. Tomorrow, at the World bank's consultative meeting in Paris, we shall announce a new pledge of some £20 million of balance of payments support for the current year.