§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she will publish details of assistance made available to the Government of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in each year since 1968–69; and what has been the total sum available for such disbursements in each year.
§ Mr. TomlinsonNet disbursements by calendar year have been as follows:
1968 1,993,400 1969 478,500 1970 502,900 1971 839,300 1972 571,500 1973 607,700 1974 1,302,700 1975 954,700 1976 1,150,100 1977 figures not yet available The main part of the expenditure has been in the form of ex gratia loan advances in lieu of pensions to pensioners of the former colonial Government. These pensions are the responsibility of the PDRY Government, but they have not paid them for some years, and Her Majesty's Government have been obliged to step in to alleviate hardship to pensioners. The figures also include a relatively small amount, currently totalling about £40,000 per annum, for training of Yemenis in the United Kingdom.
No specific amounts are made available to PDRY for disbursement each year.
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§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Minister of Overseas Development what projects are currently planned or under way in the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in which the Crown Agents are involved; and what is their value to the United Kingdom.
§ Mrs. HartI understand that the Crown Agents have in hand the following project management contracts in the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen: installation of telephone switching facilities; design and construction of the Mukalla-Wadi Hadramaut road and the Aden-Taiz road; and installation of air conditioning in various public departments. I cannot give figures for the value of these projects, since this information is confidential between the Crown Agents and their principal. None of the work in question is being financed under the United Kingdom aid programme.