§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Overseas Development if human rights considerations, including recent Amnesty International documentation, have been taken into account in framing aid policy towards Paraguay; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. HartI am fully aware of the human rights factors in Paraguay and of the recent publications by Amnesty International. I have no proposals for further aid to Paraguay, but I do not think I should at present withdraw our modest technical co-operation programme, details of which I have provided in another answer to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will give an assurance that there will be no new projects of capital aid or technical assistance to the Government of Paraguay.
§ Mrs. HartI do not provide capital aid to Paraguay, nor do I plan to provide any. We have no new technical co-operation projects in view.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement on how the proposed agreement for technical assistance for Paraguayan cattle ranchers meets the criteria of helping the poorest of the poor.
§ Mrs. HartThere is no such agreement. I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the arrangements under which my Department has since 1972 been providing technical co-operation to a veterinary164W diagnostic unit in Paraguay, by the provision of four British staff and equipment. The unit investigates the main diseases of livestock, and its services are available to all categories of farmers. My information is that a large majority of livestock farmers in Paraguay have less than 20 head of cattle. It is estimated that of these 85,000 Paraguayan ranchers, some 77.7 per cent. are subsistence farmers of this kind: that a further 18.5 per cent. are in the marginal category with between 20 and 100 head of cattle; only 0.4 per cent. of all ranches are large commercial operations.