§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the estimated annual cost to public funds of the snuff which is provided for hon. Members outside the Chamber of the House.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasThe estimated annual cost is approximately £6.50.
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§ Mr. Neil MartenCurrent British aid commitments, carried over from the previous Government, are to meet, by agreed instalments, the remaining £2.3 million of the total grant to support the sale of four British-built cargo vessels to Vietnam and to complete the courses of English language training in Britain for Vietnamese teachers, estimated to cost £190,000 in 1979.
Earlier this year the previous Government had paid a grant of £2.9 million towards the cost of British-made gas turbines for Vietnam and instalments totalling £2.2 million from the grant for the ships; and provided 4,750 tonnes of wheat flour as emergency aid.
The European Community had included the following for Vietnam in its programme of food aid for 1978–79: 86,000 tonnes of cereals, 15,000 tonnes of dried skimmed milk, and 4,000 tonnes of butter-oil. None of this has yet been delivered; and we are discussing with our Community partners and with the Commission the feasibility of diverting this aid elsewhere in South-East Asia to help the refugees.
Figures available of expenditure in each of the past four calendar years follow. All this expenditure was made as grants.