§ Sir G. Sinclairasked the Minister of Overseas Development what help in aid, loans and technical assistance Her Majesty's Government have given to Ghana since their change of Government; and what plans he has for increasing this help.
§ Mr. PrenticeSince the change of Government in Ghana, Her Majesty's Government has made a loan of £4 million for the purchase of British goods and services in 1967. In addition during the period 1st April, 1966 to 30th September, 1967, my Department has given Ghana technical assistance to a total value of £500,000 and the Commonwealth Office military assistance costing about £400,000. During this period there were also small disbursements of £80,000 arising from a previous loan.
During the United Kingdom financial year 1967–68 technical assistance to Ghana is expected to cost over £½ million, which is about double the level for 1966–67, and military assistance is continuing.
Her Majesty's Government will continue to give sympathetic consideration to Ghana's needs. The question of further financial aid will be decided in the light of a meeting of donor Governments and agencies and the Ghana Government to be held in the first quarter of 1968. We shall continue to expand our technical assistance programme, and the Commonwealth Development Corporation is actively considering some investment projects in Ghana.