HL Deb 20 May 1976 vol 370 cc1463-7

3.20 pm.

Lord MERRIVALE

My 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—

(1) what links they propose to establish with OCAM (Organisation Commune Africaine & Mauricienne), bearing in mind this organisation's present concentration on economic, scientific, technical and cultural matters, the Convention of Lome, and the desire of non-francophone countries to play a greater part in OCAM; and

(2) whether they will make available information on existing economic and cultural co-operation between this country and OCAM Member States.

The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)

My Lords, we have no plans to establish links with OCAM itself in the foreseeable future, though we hope to develop stronger links with the Member States both directly and through multilateral organisations of which we are a member. The information required to answer the second part of the noble Lord's Question is lengthy and I shall, therefore, with the leave of the House, arrange for it to be included in the Official Report.

Lord MERRIVALE

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord the Minister, particularly for the second part of his Answer. Will he take it from me that I am particularly interested in information being made available, especially by the relevant Ministries and Departments, on the existing co-operation between this country and the OCAM French-speaking States in the economic and cultural fields? Furthermore, in view of the fact that most of these countries wish to diversify their relationships, should we not endeavour to play a more decisive and positive role towards such desirable increased co-operation?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, I know of the interest in this matter of the noble Lord, Lord Merrivale, and I can assure him we are doing everything we can, and which is appropriate to promote the objects he has in view.

Baroness ELLES

My Lords, can the noble Lord the Minister confirm whether the Seychelles are now applying to join OCAM, as indicated in some publications, and in view of this fact—we shall be supporting financially to some extent the Seychelles after they have gained their independence—whether for this reason more interest than previously could be shown in OCAM, as presumably now it will not only remain a francophone grouping.

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, I have no final information as to the intentions of the Seychelles Government after they achieve their independence. There is some suggestion they might apply for membership of the OCAM. I think their attachment would only marginally dilute the francophonic character of the Organisation. It might make up for the fact that the francophonic membership of the Organisation has fallen recently from 16 to 10.

Lord MERRIVALE

My Lords, following on what my noble friend has just said with regard to the Seychelles, and in view of the fact that Mauritius has been a member of OCAM since 1973, and that the noble Lord the Minister did say it is not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to have closer links with this Organisation, would he not bear in mind

UK BILATERAL AID
Gross Disbursement
£000
1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
Benin Grants 13 — — — —
Loans — — — — —
TA 17 13 31 39 58
TOTAL 30 13 31 39 58
Ivory Coast Grants — — — 27 —
Loans — — — 535 —
TA 37 41 39 62 89
TOTAL 37 41 39 624 89
Senegal Grants — — 12 — —
Loans — — — — —
TA 58 44 60 78 136
TOTAL 58 44 72 78 136
Gabon Grants 114 27 — — —
Loans — — — — —
TA 11 6 — — —
TOTAL 125 39 — — —
Rwanda Grants — — — — 13
Loans — — — — —
TA 13 12 10 1 19
TOTAL 13 12 10 1 32
CAR Grants 9 2 — — —
Loans — — — — —
TA 16 11 — — —
TOTAL 25 13 — — —
Mauritius Grants 598 95 Cr 2 Cr 13 Cr 4
Loans 894 716 1,285 1,809 1,784
TA 210 451 569 579 426
TOTAL 1,702 1,262 1,852 2,375 2,206

that, possibly in view of the Lomé Convention, one could endeavour to try to have at least closer links with the secretariat in Bangui in view of the many concrete projects for which this Organisation has been responsible? It is not just a talking shop; it has concrete projects to its advantage, and therefore, is recognised as being very useful by the Member countries who are part of the Organisation.

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS, Yes, indeed, my Lords. The Lomeé Convention, among other things, brought both sets of the associable States on much the same terms with the EEC, of which we are a Member. That is the route for increased co-operation, bilaterally and multilaterally, that this country should explore.

Following is the information referred to:

Upper Volta Grants — 30 13 21 —
Loans — — — — —
TA 2 8 7 6 27
TOTAL 2 38 20 27 27
Togo Grants — 29 23 12 —
Loans — — — — —
TA 34 30 41 51 67
TOTAL 34 59 64 63 67
Niger Grants 26 10 8 2 —
Loans — — — — —
TA 20 39 18 14 6
TOTAL 46 49 26 16 6
TRADE FIGURES
UK IMPORTS FROM UK EXPORTS TO
(£1,000)
OCAM COUNTRIES 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
Benin 892 483 54 458 183 1,555 1,737 2,031 3,605 7,144
Central African Republic 387 575 739 515 287 204 95 317 409 342
Gabon 1,569 2,506 11,108 28,397 3,759 1,050 1,808 2,833 3,565 2,828
Ivory Coast 9,091 8,946 15,228 19,928 18,836 3,524 4,106 3,937 6,529 12,288
Mauritius 17,347 27,015 28,294 47,012 103,080 8,349 8,118 10,538 19,648 23,984
Niger 38 108 123 1,381 1,485 430 1,381 577 3,380 2,667
Togo 426 170 174 542 366 3,476 2,582 3,009 3,831 10,432
Senegal 3,118 2,569 3,000 9,637 14,359 2,169 2,536 2,694 3,255 5,659
Upper Volta 24 24 19 356 718 90 110 167 414 299
Rwanda 625 514 522 640 2,516 362 348 284 534 559

CULTURAL CO-OPERATION

We have no cultural conventions with any of the OCAM countries.

The British Council have resident representatives in Senegal and Mauritius. Both arc primarily concerned with English Language teaching but the office in Mauritius also provides support to various cultural activities and organisations.

Assistance in English Language teaching is also given to several OCAM countries under the Ministry of Overseas Development's small bilateral aid programme.

The British Council are in touch with the Gabonese Government about technical and English Language courses for Gabonese students in the United Kingdom to be paid for by Gabon. The British Council expect a second Gabonese delegation at the end of May: discussions are at a very early stage, and it is unlikely that Gabonese students will begin courses before 1977.