§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received any request from the Government of Ethiopia for assistance in respect. of combating locusts or the East African Army worm; and what information he has concerning the threat from the pests to the assistance already given by the United Kingdom to that area of Africa.
§ Mr. Chris PattenWe have received no such request from the Government of Ethiopia. We have received a report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation of threats to Ethiopia and neighbouring countries from swarms of desert locusts and are monitoring the situation closely.
Britain has provided over £3 million for migratory pest control in Africa over the past 12 months, including £790,000 to combat locusts and army worm in Ethiopia.