Namibia (Hansard, 18 April 1989)

§ Mr. Robert Parry
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for the United Nations peace plan of recent outbreaks of violence in Namibia.

§ Mrs. Chalker
Recent events in Namibia have demonstrated that implementation of the United Nations plan for Namibian independence can be a success only if all parties abide by their undertakings in that plan. We have been active diplomatically in helping to put the United Nations plan back on track.

§ Mr. Parry
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there are any immediate plans to deploy the 7,500 United Nations troops in Namibia as specified under United Nations Security Council resolution 435.

§ Mrs. Chalker
This is a matter for the United Nations Secretary General. We have made it clear that, as a100W permanent member of the Security Council, we would consider promptly and sympathetically any request by the United Nations Secretary General for reinforcing the United Nations transition assistance group. He has made no such request.

§ Mr. Parry
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Nations troops were in Namibia on 1 April; how many were proposed to be there under the original United Nations plan; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Chalker
The strength of UNTAG's military component on 1 April was over 750. The full strength of UNTAG's military component is 4,650 as recommended in the United Nations Secretary General's report of 23 January. This is a reduction from the original level of 7,500 set out in 1978. The rate of deployment of UNTAG was for the United Nations to decide, once authorisation had been given by the General Assembly. We regret that delays, not of our making, in the Security Council and the General Assembly gave the secretary general inadequate lead-in time.

§ Mr. Atkinson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East,Official Report, 10 April, column 359, when he expects a decision on how the 10 million ecus earmarked by the European Community for the Namibia development trust are to be spent: and if he will make a further statement.

§ Mrs. Chalker
No decision has yet been taken on how the sum to which my hon. Friend refers is to be spent. It has not however been earmarked for the Namibia development trust. The Namibia development trust is simply one organisation which will be eligible to receive funds if it submits suitable projects. The European Commission is well aware of the need for assistance to Namibia to be strictly impartial during the transition to independence.