§ Lord BROCKWAYMy 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 whether an investigation has been made into reports submitted by War on Want, Oxfam and Christian Aid that British aid projects in Honduras have been closed and British volunteers arrested and expelled from their posts.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, according to reports received from Her Majesty's Embassy in Honduras, there has been some unrest in one region of that country. Following clashes in the town of Juticalpa between peasants and the Honduran Army, one British voluntary aid worker Miss Kathy Byrne, together with some American and French charity workers, was arrested, and taken to the capital, Tegucicalpa, where she was released next day. All were advised not to return to Juticalpa. The work of four other British volunteers has been affected to some extent as a result of the disturbance, but I understand that no British aid projects have been closed down; no British volunteers have been arrested, apart from the temporary detention of Miss Byrne; and none has been expelled.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that very full reply, following the investigation. May I ask him whether, after the devastation of hurricane Fifi, over £300,000 was contributed from Britain for the aid of the 1250 victims; that aid projects, including clinics, were set up; money spent on seed for the next harvest; and that this was done in association with the peasants' co-operatives? As a result of the military coup last April, have not these peasants' co-operatives been destroyed and British aid for the victims very seriously affected? Will Her Majesty's Government continue to do all they can to enable this British aid to remain?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I can certainly give that assurance. We are, of course, very concerned that aid donated—either privately, to the extent that my noble friend has described (£300,000 from private sources in this country); or officially, for instance £80,000 towards the provision of Bailey bridging to help overcome the effects of the hurricane and £150,000 from public funds in this country to the UNICEF special appeal—should be properly spent for the purposes for which they were given. I have no reason to believe that so far they are not being used in this way. I should like to join my noble friend in paying tribute to the charity organisations, particularly Oxfam, War on Want and Christian Aid, operating with Caritas, for the magnificent work they are doing in Honduras and in other parts of the world.
§ Earl COWLEYMy Lords, can the noble Lord give some details about the projects in which these volunteers were involved in Honduras? Can he further give the House the assurance that these people were not involving themselves in the internal politics of Honduras?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, they were there as voluntary aid workers, to help the people of Honduras. I should be very much surprised if they were engaged in any form of political activity.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask the Minister whether there is any consultation with the Embassies of the United States of America and Canada, whose aid workers have also been affected—including priests and nuns, who were deported?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSYes, of course, my Lords; our Embassy would naturally and normally be in touch with other Embassies whose nationals might 1251 have been affected. We are primarily concerned with the purport of the Question in relation to British nationals, and I am very glad to report that no British national has disappeared or been expelled, that only one was arrested, and that she was released within 24 hours.