§ 54 and 55. Mr. Reevesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) the United Kingdom contribution to the new United Nations Special Fund, of which the opening meeting of the Governing Council took place on 26th January, 1959;
(2) what system of liaison or coordination is proposed between the Colombo Plan and the new United Nations Special Fund for aid to underdeveloped countries.
§ Mr. R. AllanAs my right hon. and learned Friend informed the right hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Creech Jones) on 19th November last, Her Majesty's Government have pledged the sterling equivalent of $1 million to the Special Fund during its first year.
The Special Fund was only recently formed and no formal machinery for liaison with any organisations outside the United Nations has yet been established. However, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the first report by the Managing Director on 1st January, 1959, which is in the Library. In this he states that the Fund will consider effective co-ordination of the assistance given to a project with other multi-lateral and bilateral programmes. I feel quite sure that the Managing Director would include the Colombo Plan among such programmes.