§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence the Government have about food supplies in Romania; what amount of food and medical aid has been sent to Romania since the revolution; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWe do not yet have any reliable statistics on food supplies in Romania. The Romanian authorities have requested several hundred thousand tonnes of food from western countries. A European Commission team examined these needs in Bucharest on 15 and 16 January and we expect proposals for a food aid package soon.
Substantial quantities of urgent medical aid have already been sent to Romania from both public and private sources. The United Kingdom is providing immediate help in the form of medical equipment and literature, but figures for the total quantity are not yet available. We are now considering how best we can, in co-operation with other donors, respond to Romania's longer-term needs.