HC Deb 28 July 2000 vol 354 cc1083-4W
Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support Her Majesty's Government are giving to the UN Peace Plan in respect of the Saharawi people's right to self-determination. [133449]

Mr. Hain

We have supported the UN Settlement Plan for the western Sahara since its inception, and all UN efforts to bring about a just, durable and agreed resolution to this dispute. The UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, James Baker, have reported fundamental differences between the two parties to the dispute—Morocco and the Polisario Front—on the provisions of the UN Settlement Plan. They are working to resolve these differences, including the possibility of the parties agreeing to a mutually acceptable political solution. We support these efforts. And we continue to believe that a just solution depends on the people of the western Sahara having the right to express their will at the ballot box.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money has been allocated by Her Majesty's Government towards the UN proposals for a referendum on the western Sahara. [133450]

Mr. Hain

In financial year 1999, the UK contributed £1.014 million in assessed contributions towards the running costs for MINURSO, the UN mission in the western Sahara.

£ million
2001–02 2002–03 2003–04
Sub-Saharan Africa
Additional resources 20 20 20
Indicative resources for forecast peacekeeping 65 60 60
Contributions from Departments
DFID 23.5 23.5 23.5
FCO 5.0 5.0 5.0
MOD 1.5 1.5 1.5

Due to lack of time before the end of the parliamentary session, we have not been able to collate the figures for previous years. I will write to my hon. Friend shortly with these figures and arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Forward to