§ Sir Robert HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests the United Kingdom Government have received from(a) the Yemen Government, (b) the Aden port authority and (c) other organisations (i) to tender for projects and (ii) to assist (1) financially and (2) technically with the Aden port redevelopment programme; and if he will make a statement. [11684]
§ Dr. Liam FoxThe United Kingdom Government have received no requests to tender for projects. All requests for technical assistance are channelled through the Government of Yemen.
614WIn 1995 the Overseas Development Administration provided assistance to the Government of Yemen in evaluating competing proposals for the development of the Aden container terminal. In late 1996, the ODA received a request for assistance in undertaking an impact study including preparation of programme specifications for the future of the port development programme. Consultants began their work on this assignment in early January.
The Aden port and free trade zone development project is a large commercial undertaking where the lead is predominantly taken by the private sector company Yeminvest. The World bank is providing limited assistance to the Yemeni authorities on the public sector aspects of the project. ODA grant-funded consultancies form an important part of the planning phase of this project.
§ Sir Robert HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the United Kingdom aid programmes to Yemen during the current financial year for(a) bilateral and (b) multilateral aid indicating the amount of funding; and if he will make a statement. [11685]
§ Dr. FoxFigures are not yet available for expenditure in this financial year, but the outturn is expected to be similar to 1995–96.
The bilateral programme is funding the Liverpool Port Consultancy Portia to undertake an impact study and preparation of programme specification on Aden port. Other activities this year include British partnership scheme funded projects. These range from support for the electronic engineering faculty at Hadramawt university and for the Central Statistical Office to English tuition at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ODA also commissioned an appraisal of the Al Gamhouria hospital in Aden. This assignment was completed in the first half of 1996. The balance of the budget for this year is meeting the cost of continuing postgraduate education commitments in the UK. Following very heavy flooding in eastern Yemen in May and June, the ODA funded nearly £500,000 of emergency assistance which was delivered through the Red Crescent and other non-governmental organisations.
Figures are not available for multilateral aid expenditure in this financial year. In the past six years, approximately £22 million—UK share £5 million—has been committed by the EC in the form of economic and development assistance to Yemen. It is expected that commitments and disbursements should continue at roughly the same level and pace over the next two years.
§ Sir Robert HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each year since 1991 the total aid support for Yemen, indicating the amount spent on (a) bilateral aid, (b) emergency aid, (c) pensions and (d) the United Kingdom contribution to multilateral aid programmes. [11683]
615W
§ Dr. FoxAid to Yemen since 1991 has been as follows:
Total aid to Yemen 1990–91—1995–96 £ thousand 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 Total Bilateral aid1 5,296 4,984 7,707 4,053 4,410 1,477 of which: Emergency aid — — 74 89 672 — Pensions 488 461 434 518 371 887 1Source: British Aid Statistics 1996 edition.
£ million 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 Total multilateral aid1 2 3 3.3 2.7 2.4 of which: EC 0.2 0.2 1.0 0.6 0.4 UN 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.3 0.5 1Source: Multilateral share exercise.