§ Mr. Robert BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what humanitarian aid has been given to prisoners in Serbian concentration camps by direct intervention, or through the Red Cross or the United Nations.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe International Committee of the Red Cross—ICRC—takes the lead role in providing humanitarian aid to detention camps. It has committed over £18 million in humanitarian aid to all victims of the conflict throughout the former Yugoslavia so far, to which the United Kingdom has directly contributed £1.8 million. We are also channelling humanitarian aid to the former Yugoslavia through the EC, which has in turn made contributions to assist the Red Cross. In November the ICRC reported that it had visited a total of 20 detention camps containing 5,404 detainees. Of those, six were in Serbian-controlled areas and contained 4,103 detainees.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid is currently granted to his Department to(a) Austria, (b) Hungary and (c) Slovenia to assist displaced refugees from the former Yugoslavia.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydTo date we have committed over £70 million—£29.5 million bilaterally and £41 million through the EC—towards the relief programme in the former 127W Yugoslavia. Our aid is planned in co-operation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees who co-ordinates the international relief effort in the region. The priority is the supply of humanitarian relief to central Bosnia, where the suffering is greatest. But some of the aid through the EC, UNHCR and other international organisations has been used to assist displaced people in Slovenia. Figures detailing the amount of this aid are unavailable. No United Kingdom bilateral aid has been given to Austria or Hungary.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to offer more money to displaced refugees from the former Yugoslavia over and above the money granted to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees/ UNICEF/World Health Organisation appeal.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIt is already our policy to provide support to displaced people in former Yugoslavia over and above the money granted towards the UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO appeals. We are providing support to the ICRC and non-governmental organisations, as well as direct bilateral assistance in such things as the rehabilitation of existing buildings in order to provide shelter for displaced people. We have so far committed over £70 million towards the humanitarian relief effort in the former Yugoslavia. This is in addition to the cost of the 2,400 British troops we have made available to the UN protection force—UNPROFOR.