HC Deb 28 June 1961 vol 643 cc36-8W
35. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Lord Privy Seal what contributions in cash, kind and services have been made to date by the United Kingdom and other countries, respectively, to the United Nations operations, both civil and military, in the former Belgian Congo.

Mr. Godber

The following is the reply:

(1) Contributions by Her Majesty's Government

  1. (a) Assessed share of the cost of United Nations operations in the Congo (see (2) below):
    • 1960 (July 14-December 31)—$3,768,002.
    • 1961 (January 1-October 31)—$7,706,785.
  2. (b) Contribution to the United Nations Special Fund for the Congo: $3,000,000, and;
    • Famine Relief: Food shortages in Leopoldville area—£10,000.
    • Famine in Kasai Province—£5,000.
    • 150 army tents for hospital use in Kasai province.
    • 37
    • (Large sums of money were donated voluntarily by the British public for the Kasai famine).
  3. (c) Airlifts in support of the United Nations operation:
R.A.F. aircraft have carried out numerous tasks, principally in support of Commonwealth contingents to the United Nations Force. The total amounts moved to date are:
  • Men—12,000.
  • Freight—500 tons.
Her Majesty's Government agreed to waive reimbursement in respect of these operations up to an amount of $520,000.

(2) Assessed Contributions to the Cost of the United Nations Congo Operation Details of assessments, and of amounts paid will be found in United Nations Document No. ST/ADM/SER.B/144 of the 16th of May, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

(3) Waiver of Claims to Reimbursement in Respect of Airlift Cost Member Nations who have made significant contributions to the task of transporting the United Nations Force to the Congo agreed to waive their claims to reimbursement of the costs for the period up to the 31st of December, 1960. Figures are:

$
Canada 650,000
U.S.S.R 1,301,750
U.K. 520,000
U.S.A. 10,317,622

(4) Contributions to the United Nations Special Fund for the Congo

Country Pledged Received
$ $
Australia 750,000 750,000
Cambodia 2,040 2,040
Canada 1,000,000 1,000,000
Denmark 600,000 600,000
Haiti 2,000
India 105,000 105,000
Iran 25,000 25,000
Ireland 25,000 25,000
Liberia 250,000 83,333
Morocco 39,526
Netherlands 1,000,000 131,012
Norway 490,616 490,616
New Zealand 280,000 280,000
Philippines 10,000
Sweden 1,391,304 1,391,304
Tunisia 10,000
United Kingdom 3,000,000 3,000,000
United States 10,000,000 10,000,000
TOTAL 18,980,486 17,883,305

(5) Contributions to the United Nations Force in the Congo Strengths of the various contingents have varied during the eleven months that the United Nations Force have been in the Congo.

The following table gives approximate figures for contingents at present in the Congo:

Austria 60
Brazil 30
Canada 290
Ceylon 10
Denmark 60
Ethiopia 2,480
Ghana 1,660
India 4,700
Ireland 670
Italy 130
Liberia 450
Malaya 1,100
Nigeria 2,080
Norway 100
Pakistan 540
Sweden 840
Switzerland 20
Tunisia 3,160

(6) Governmental Contributions to the Food and Agriculture Organisation Famine Relief Programme (excluding contributions by Her Majesty's Government shown above)

Offers or donations made to the Food and Agriculture Organisation were as follows:

Maize: United States, Nigeria.

Rice: Portugal, United Arab Republic, Vietnam, United States, Spain, Netherlands/Surinam, Pakistan, Cameroun.

Dried Fish: Norway, West Germany, Portugal.

Palm Oil: Norway.

Dried Milk: United States, Norway, West Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, South Africa.

Miscellaneous Foodstuffs: Portugal, Morocco, Norway, France.

Hospital Tents: France.

Transport: United States.

The Government of Tanganyika donated £1,000 to the United Nations for famine relief work in August, 1960.

The figures in the reply are based on the latest available reports but are not fully up to date in all cases. Whilst the reply is exhaustive so far as contributions from Her Majesty's Government are concerned, we do not have complete details of all contributions in kind and services from other countries.

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