§ 2.37 p.m.
§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government to what extent the United Kingdom Government is financially and technologically giving aid to the Nigerian Government, particularly in respect of war damage and rehabilitation.]
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, in the current financial year our financial disbursements to Nigeria are likely to be some £7 million, over half of which will be spent on telecommunications development and the Niger Dam.
In addition, about £1.5 million will be spent on technical assistance in the form of surveys, supplementation of salaries for British officers serving under contracts with Nigerian authorities, the training of Nigerians in the United Kingdom and the provision of experts and consultancies.
Some £400,000 will also be spent from a loan for reconstruction, and we aim to place orders for goods and services for relief and rehabilitation which will commit the balance of the £3.3 million remaining from the £5 million which was announced for this purpose at the end of the civil war in January, 1970.
§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that encouraging reply, may I ask him whether we have failed in any respect to supply goods or other materials to the Nigerian Government at their request? May I also ask the noble Lord whether he can give a general report on the condition of people in Eastern Nigeria?
§ LORD ABERDAREYes, my Lords. We have not failed in any requests that have been put to us. The situation in Eastern Nigeria shows slow but substantial progress.
§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, arising out of that answer, may I further ask whether there are any signs of gross 323 malnutrition or whether this is substantially declining?
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, it is declining. According to the information that we have, the current feeding programme is based on providing supplementary feeding for 6,500 people suffering from severe malnutrition, 50,000 suffering from moderate malnutrition, 65,000 suffering from other illnesses, and 50,000 in vulnerable groups in the East Central State.
§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALEMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that the Nigerian authorities estimate that perhaps as many as 150 soldiers on both sides in the civil war were blinded; that at the request of the Nigerian Government St. Dunstan's, which is the British society for blinded ex-Servicemen, have sent a high-powered mission there to find out the facts and to make recommendations; and that within the limits of our constitution it is our desire to help them in any way we can?
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I am most grateful to my noble friend, and I think all of your Lordships would wish to express your admiration for the work done by St. Dunstan's, and particularly what they have been doing to help the Nigerian authorities. I would also add that the Save the Children Fund are still maintaining five relief teams in Nigeria and have done magnificent work in the distribution of food supplies.