Bosnia-Herzegovina (Hansard, 7 February 1995)

§ Mr. Home Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the condition of the Neretva hydro-electricity generation complex and its associated transmission system in central Bosnia; how many people could be served by this electricity supply; if he will estimates the cost of reinstating the system; and if he is involved in any plans to reinstate it.

§ Mr. Baldry
Of the Neretva hydro-power stations, only the Rama power station is currently operating, at a much reduced capacity. If the Neretva system were connected to the national grid it would help provide 709 MW of power to the whole of Bosina Herzegovina compared with 1,160 MW for the thermal system. Following an ODA review in January 1994, it was decided to continue to support thermal, rather than hydro, power stations due to the prohibitive cost of the large-scale civil engineering repairs that would be required. For the past one and a half. years, the ODA has undertaken a £9.8 million programme to restore basic electricity supplies to central Bosnia by assisting in vital repairs to thermal power stations and transmission lines and helping to maintain coal output.

§ Mr. Home Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the projects funded by his Department during the last three years, and planned for the future, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, giving the cost of each project and the contributions made by other agencies or Governments.

§ Mr. Baldry
During the three years of the conflict, the ODA has provided over £173.5 million in emergency aid to the former Yugoslavia—£94 million bilaterally and over £79.5 million through the European Union.
Copies of an information sheet which gives financial and factual information, details of contributions to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the 1994 summary of overall donor assistance to the former Yugoslavia and a list of all the projects undertaken by the EEU, will be placed in the Library of the House at the earliest opportunity.

§ Mr. Home Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the condition of the principal supply routes to and within Bosnia-Herzegovina; and what plans he has to support the repair and maintenance of those routes to facilitate the supply of humanitarian aid.

§ Mr. Baldry
Although local authorities are still responsible for the original roads, the maintenance and repair of principal supply routes in the former Yugoslavia are dealt with primarily by the engineering units of UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and UNPROFOR, the United Nations protection force. The ODA has seconded two road engineers to the UNHCR for the last two years to assist with the upkeep of the supply routes. All aid routes are accessible, subject to weather conditions.