§ 2.54 p.m.
§ Lord BARNBYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how and by whom Zambia is being compensated for economic losses attributed to enforcing sanctions on Rhodesia, and from what sources other than the United Kingdom such aid derives.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, we have responded to Security Council Resolution 253 of Session 1968 which requested member States to expand 713 assistance to Zambia to help solve the economic problems resulting from Security Council decisions. I cannot myself comment on the purpose of the aid programmes of other Governments.
§ Lord BARNBYMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord this question: In view of the large amounts of aid which, according to the replies given to Questions asked in this House, have been given to Zambia, amounting to around £90 million before the most recent announcement, and in view of the reports in the Press of the apparent inability of the Zambian Government to maintain proper protection for the farmers and because of the well-known disregard by Zambia for agriculture, would it not have been natural for the Government in making all these grants, to encourage more attention to be given to agriculture in Zambia?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, the noble Lord has raised a number of important questions. This aid to Zambia since 1966 has indeed been vital to the maintenance of stability and security in a key country in Southern Africa, a country which has proved, and will prove in the future, helpful to the purposes of democracy in Southern Africa. As to the amount of aid, I have an elaborate table which I will make available to the noble Lord and to the House in the usual way in the Official Report. For the moment, may I say that last year the total amount of aid we made available to Zambia was £29 million. This year it will be some £22 million. In addition to this year's £22 million, a drop of £7 million over last year, we shall of course—as I said the other day—be making available something of the order of £20 million of special assistance as a result of the Kano agreement.
§ Following is the information referred to:
§ FIGURES FOR AID FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
§ Net official development assistance by DAC donors to Zambia for 1975–1976 is:
| $million | ||
| 1975 | 1976 | |
| Australia | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Austria | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Belgium | 0 | 0.1 |
| Canada | 6.3 | 6.0 |
| Denmark | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| Finland | 3.0 | 6.4 |
| France | — | — |
| Germany | 5.5 | 3.8 |
| Italy | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Japan | 5.6 | 0.6 |
| Netherlands | 1.9 | 2.3 |
| New Zealand | 0 | 0.1 |
| Norway | 4.8 | 6.1 |
| Sweden | 14.8 | 7.1 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 |
| United States | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| TOTAL | 46.3 | 39.1 |
§ FIGURES FOR UNITED KINGDOM AID TO ZAMBIA
| Total United Kingdom Aid to Zambia | *of which aids related to sanctions | |
| £'000 | £'000 | |
| 1966 | 6,362.1 | 3,552.0 |
| 1967 | 14,051.0 | 9,220.0 |
| 1968 | 10,793.8 | 4,708.1 |
| 1969 | 5,666.7 | — |
| 1970 | 2,568.9 | 0.7 |
| 1971 | 5,418.2 | — |
| 1972 | 4,210.0 | 617.9 |
| 1973 | 10,177.0 | 1,800.8 |
| 1974 | 8,397.3 | 1,981.7 |
| 1975 | 9,900.0 | 1,660.0 |
| 1976 | 11,373.0 | 1,987.0 |
| 1977 | 12,584.0 | 3,923.0 |
| TOTAL | 101,502.0 | 29,451.2 |
| *This column includes contingency aid, aid in respect of the Kariba North Bank Power Station, a transport loan and recent emergency goods aid. It excludes defence aid and the military element of contingency aid amounting to £7 million. |
§ Lord BARNBYMy Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply, but the noble Lord hardly replied to my question. I am bound to ask him what has happened to the very elaborate and scientific experimental scheme of irrigation and agricultural development instituted in Zambia by British interests before the mines were nationalised, which, according to all reports, has fallen into a state of complete desuetude due to the negligence of the Zambian Government.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, as to what resulted from that particular project, I will make available to the noble Lord and the House details of the story of that project. It relates to irrigation, but it comes within the ambit of this question of agriculture. Regarding agriculture—and I am glad he put the second question—a very substantial part of the aid we have made available to Zambia over the past 12 years has been related to the need to build up and develop the agriculture of the country. I have some details, but it would delay the House unduly if I were to give them now. 715 I am open—as always—to respond to the very useful technique of Questions for Written Answers.