§ Mr. G. M. Thomsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the total amount of loans and grants made to Colonial Territories and Commonwealth countries in each of the 153W past three financial years; and if he will give an estimate of the amount of loans and grants proposed for 1962–63.
§ Mr. BarberDisbursements of grants and loans provided bilaterally from United Kingdom Government funds to Colonial Territories and independent Commonwealth countries have been as follows in the last three years. (Figures for 1961–62 are not yet available, and figures for the calendar year 1961 have been used):—
£ million — 1959–60 1960–61 1961 Colonial Territories Grants 41.4 40.1 49.6 Loans 17.3 32.9 44.2 Independent Commonwealth countries Grants 5.0 10.4 13.4 Loans 34.7 35.4 36.2 Details of the amounts provided in the form of grants and loans to individual countries and territories in 1959–60 and 1960–61 are available in Table 278 of the Annual Abstract of Statistics, October, 1961. Corresponding details for 1961–62 are expected to be available in an early issue of the monthly Digest of Statistics.
Provision for part of this assistance is made from Votes; the remainder is provided from the Consolidated Fund "Below the Line". For the year 1962–63 the following provision for bilateral assistance to Colonial Territories and independent Commonwealth countries has been made in the Class II Estimates:—
154W
£ million Colonial Territories Colonial Development and Welfare Funds (mainly grants) 22.7 Other Grants 14.3 Other Loans 0.5 Independent Commonwealth countries Grants 7.7 Loans 1.3 Colonial Development and Welfare Funds (mainly grants) 0.4 Assistance from the Department of Technical Co-operation for Colonial Territories and independent Commonwealth countries (mainly grants) 22.8 (In addition provision of £1.5 million has been made for the United Kingdom's contribution in 1962–63 to the Indus Basin Development Fund.)
Figures for the further amounts which are expected to be provided from the Consolidated Fund in 1962–63 will be included in the Financial Statement to be published on 9th April, 1962, in respect of the following items:—
- Loans to Colonial Governments;
- Loans to Colonial Development Corporation;
- Loans under the Export Guarantees Acts.
The figure for loans under the Export Guarantees Acts will cover a relatively small proportion of loan assistance to non-Commonwealth countries; otherwise this figure relates to loan drawings by independent Commonwealth countries. It is not customary to publish a breakdown by countries of prospective drawings on these loans for a period ahead.
Apart from the contribution to the Indus Basin Development Fund, the figures above do not include contributions to multilateral organisations which provide assistance to all member countries, including Commonwealth territories.