ZIMBABWE: AID (Hansard, 22 April 1980)

§ The Earl of KIMBERLEY
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, we have raised the question of aid to Zimbabwe with our Commonwealth colleagues and other friendly Governments. As a member of the Commonwealth, Zimbabwe is now eligible for the technical co-operation and advice normally available to Member States.
The United States Government have announced an independence grant of 15 million dollars for Zimbabwe, in addition to a contribution of 5 million dollars for UNHCR work in Zimbabwe; both these commitments are for the financial year ending 30th September 1980. In addition, the United States Government have proposed to Congress the allocation of 25.3 million dollars for Zimbabwe in the following financial year.

§ The Earl of KIMBERLEY
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. He did not give a figure of how much the Commonwealth contribution might be. Would he not agree that, in spite of these generous amounts from the United States and also the £75million from the United Kingdom, this is still a very small amount, considering that Zimbabwe may well become one of the bastions of the Free World in Central Africa?

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, the details of commitments given by other Commonwealth countries are a matter primarily for those countries and for Zimbabwe, which is, after all, now an independent nation. In any event, a number of Commonwealth countries have not yet announced precisely the aid they propose to give, although many of them have said that in principle they will be ready and willing to do so. As for Zimbabwe becoming a bastion of the Free World, I am not sure I would have chosen precisely those words, but I certainly recognise and agree that the new nation will require substantial support in the years to come, and the programme that we have announced indicates the importance we attach to this matter.

§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOE
My Lords, while welcoming the noble Lord's statement about American aid, which is immediate and therefore especially valuable, and noting that the Commonwealth also will give aid, may we ask the Government, after their magnificent achievement in getting Zimbabwe to independence with so little bloodshed, not to spoil the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar at this point? The £75million spread over four years which the Government propose to give is, we feel, while understanding the need for cuts, almost grossly inadequate at this stage. Is the noble Lord aware that at Lancaster House the suggestion was that for the whole land problem £200 million should be available immediately? Is he also aware that we were rather disturbed by his rather grudging response to the noble Earl's comment about Zimbabwe being a bastion of the Free World? Are the Government aware that Zimbabwe is potentially a centre of stability in one of the most important areas in Central Africa?

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, I certainly agree with the noble Baroness that we hope that Zimbabwe will become a centre of stability in Southern Africa, as she suggests. I am not sure I quite understand the meaning of the words "a bastion of the Free World", and that was why I hesitated before endorsing those words when expressed by my noble friend. As for United Kingdom aid, my noble friend the Secretary of State announced on 15th April our allocation 639 of £75million. It is a three-year commitment but it will in fact be spent over four years, which is quite normal. A three-year commitment is never spent over three years; it always takes rather longer to spend it than to cover the commitment. I perhaps ought not to repeat the details of that Statement now, but some of that £75million is, of course, available now for purposes as necessary.

§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS
My Lords, can the noble Lord confirm that Zimbabwe, as a member of the Commonwealth, will have access to the resources of the Commonwealth Development Corporation separately from and independently of the £75million we are making available for the three years from Treasury funds in this country?

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, I am speaking without a note on that matter, but I feel sure it is the case.

§ Lord GRIDLEY
My Lords, can my noble friend be a little more specific? To what projects is this aid to Zimbabwe to be applied, and how is the amount of necessary aid calculated?

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, the precise purposes for which aid is to be applied will be discussed with the new Zimbabwe Government when our team goes there early in June.

§ Lord BROCKWAY
My Lords, while supporting the request from my Front Bench for an increase of the British contribution, may I ask the noble Lord this: Is not a tremendous debt due to the Commonwealth, because at the Commonwealth Meeting, at Lusaka there were initiated the proceedings which have led to the recognition of the independence of Zimbabwe? Have not the Government made an appeal to all countries to contribute towards the reconstruction of Zimbabwe? Has not that appeal gone out quite recently, so that it is not possible now to say what the Commonwealth countries have contributed?

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, that is exactly so. As I said earlier, we are not yet in a position to say precisely what the other Commonwealth nations will be giving. In any event, it is not wholly 640 a matter for us: it is a matter for the Governments concerned and for Zimbabwe. Reconstruction is, of course, a most important matter and I can say that £7 million is now available from the British aid allocation for this purpose.

§ Lord HARMAR-NICHOLLS
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that many people will be rather puzzled at him being urged to give an almost open-ended commitment at these early stages? One must take into account that, in making this initial grant, it will in no way prevent added grants being made later if circumstances and projects warrant it. However, to suggest at this early stage that the figure should be almost, as I have said, an open-ended one, would perhaps not give the type of impression that we want to give as to the real independence of Zimbabwe.

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, in the light of all the things that have gone before over so many years, we certainly recognise that the new Zimbabwe has a special claim upon our limited aid budget. Indeed, we were able to go beyond that, as my noble friend announced on 15th April, and certain additional allocations were made to the aid budget specifically for Zimbabwe. However, I can assure my noble friend that there is no question of an open-ended commitment.

Baroness VICKERS
My Lords, in view of the fact that other countries have been mentioned besides the Commonweath and the United States of America, may I ask my noble friend whether the EEC is contributing anything in view of the Lomé Convention?

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, there is no announcement yet from the EEC on these matters, but I had the pleasure of dining with M. Cheysson while I was in Salisbury and lie was certainly keen to do what he could.

§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOE
My Lords, I am sorry to return to the point, but what worries those of us who are deeply concerned with the matter is that we wonder whether the Minister is aware that the need for aid arises now. Of course, Zimbabwe is potentially a rich country in minerals and everything else; but may I say that to 641 make an offer of only £7 million at this time, despite the extra over the next three years, does not fulfil what is needed to keep the stability which both sides of the House wish to see?

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, if I may say so, I think that the noble Baroness is mistaken. Mr. Mugabe is quite satisfied with the aid figure that we have allocated. He expressed publicly his gratitude and satisfaction at what we have been able to do. Moreover, the timing of the aid mission, which has been criticised in some quarters, has met with the Zimbabwean Government's full agreement.

§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOE
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that there are occasions when one says, "Thank you very much", hoping to get some more pretty quickly?

§ Lord TREFGARNE
My Lords, those were not the words of the Prime Minister.