Ethiopia (Hansard, 11 January 1988)

§ 40. Mr. Harry Greenway
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information 3W he has as to the value of current food aid programmes to Ethiopia, expressed as a percentage of gross national product of (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisations, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics pledged 2,500 tonnes of rice to Ethiopia in 1987; the cost is not known. The United Kingdom allocated 54,500 tonnes in wheat equivalent of cereals food aid in 1987 at a cost of £9.4 million. I have just pledged a further 40,000 tonnes of food aid. Comparisons in terms of GNP are not possible, since economic statistics are not prepared for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the same basis as those for OECD and IMF members.

§ 41. Sir Russell Johnston
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much long-term development aid has been provided to Ethiopia by Her Majesty's Government since 1984.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
Her Majesty's Government have no present plans to provide long-term financial assistance to Ethiopia from the bilateral aid programme. We will however, continue to respond for humanitarian reasons to emergency needs. In addition, we maintain a programme of technical co-operation and have provided funds for rehabilitation following the 1984–85 famine; expenditure on these activities taken together came to about £2.5 million in 1986.
Under the third Lome Convention, the European Community has allocated about £160 million as Ethiopia's national programme. Britain contributes one sixth of this.

§ 42. Mr. Chapman
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the position relating to famine in Ethiopia.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
I returned yesterday from a visit to Ethiopia. I believe that our own response to the emergency has been generous, but a sustained effort by the Ethiopian Government, by donors and by voluntary organisations will continue to be needed this year. In the course of my visit, I therefore announced the allocation of an additional 40,000 tonnes of food aid which we will deliver after the end of March. This will be channelled through international and voluntary agencies.
With this allocation, our contribution to the food aid needs of the Ethiopian people totals 94,500 tonnes, and the overall cost of our assistance, including our share of European Community relief programmes, totals some £35 million since the beginning of last year.
We shall continue to monitor the situation closely, and will consider if there is more that we should do.