Overseas Aid (Hansard, 22 November 1990)

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)
My Lords, much of Britain's aid programme is devoted to poverty alleviation in the least developed countries and is directed specifically to fighting disease and malnutrition.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Are the Government aware of the need to develop UK institutions to help in the field of tropical health? Are the Government aware of the magnificent endeavours of Mrs. Lynda Chalker in the United States when, on behalf of the millions who are threatened, she spoke of the need to prevent starvation and death on a horrendous scale? Will the Government be supporting the Minister's desire to see action taken?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for the comments that he made about the Minister for Overseas Development, my right honourable friend Mrs. Chalker, and the work she has done. Of course the Government give her total support. I have seen some of the overseas development work in Africa and the Far East and it is to be recommended. The noble Lord mentioned the important question of tropical diseases. The ODA works closely with several UK institutions, especially the London and Liverpool schools of tropical medicine which are centres of international repute. This year we have committed a total of £16 million over a 5-year period to 14 new research and training programmes at the London and Liverpool schools.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, does the Minister recollect that at the recent world summit on children the Prime Minister and other world leaders signed a plan of action designed to alleviate the suffering of children in the poorest countries? Is he aware of their commitment to make available resources to meet those goals? Has the ODA adjusted its development aid policies so as to honour the pledge and so help children in the poorest countries.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, we continue to help all kinds of people in the poorest countries. As the noble Baroness will fully understand, it is not just the children who are important but also the women, for whom she has great concern. There is family planning. All types of aid are important. The current aid programme in total is £1.62 billion. That will rise to £1.72 billion in 1991–92 and to £1.86 billion by 1993–94.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for giving those figures. Will he nevertheless confirm that the ODA is now under an obligation to adjust its development aid policies to meet the aims signed by the 71 leaders, including our Prime Minister?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I apologise to the noble Baroness for not covering that supplementary question which she posed to me. We are constantly reviewing the placing of the emphasis. In a reply to an earlier Question some weeks ago, I said that the ODA was considering the matter. I understand that some work has already taken place on it.

§ Lord Dormand of Easington
My Lords, does the Minister agree that in the important problem raised by my noble friend a contributory factor is the world population explosion, particularly in developing countries? We appreciate what the Government are doing and the noble Earl will recall that we had a debate on this subject before the summer Recess. Will the Minister give an assurance that all the assistance given and work now being done by the Government will continue and increase?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I can confirm that this is a most important matter, as the noble Lord said. The population of the world has doubled since 1950; it is on an upward trend and that poses considerable problems. The majority—95 per cent. 778 —of the increase is in the worst-off areas: therefore the noble Lord's point that it is an important problem is fully underlined.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, does the Minister agree that all the surpluses about which everybody complains in food production in the EC should be channelled to the people mentioned by my noble friend?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, of course we must send food aid at the appropriate times. However, it is quite wrong for us unnecessarily to dump our excess production on other countries. It is surely much better to help them to produce their own goods.

§ Lord Rea
My Lords, will the Minister say what proportion of our gross domestic product the aid figures that he gave us represent? Can he say how soon this country will attain anywhere near the level of 0.7 per cent. of GNP which was recommended by the United Nations?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I was fairly certain that the noble Lord would ask me exactly that question. I have already answered it when he asked it in the recent past. I refer him to the Question on the Order Paper. I believe his question is a little wide of it.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that a number of British periodicals and newspapers which specialise in these matters are submitting horrendous stories of millions of people who will probably starve to death unless help is forthcoming? I give the Minister one example to contemplate: in the Horn of Africa, where the rains failed, millions now face starvation.
Mrs. Lynda Chalker carried out magnificent work in the United States and some of our British institutions are carrying out remarkable work. Nevertheless, there are also reports that, for example, in the Sudan Britons who are doing good work are—one can only assume from what we hear from the Foreign Office—being asked to leave. If the Minister cannot comment on that now, perhaps he would give me further information later.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, the noble Lord underlines another area of concern. Perhaps those who suffer most are children and that is the burden of his original Question. There have been disasters throughout the world. The noble Lord mentioned some places and I have seen the effects of hurricanes and cyclones in the South Pacific which cause equal problems. I can reassure the noble Lord that we give serious attention to these matters.