§ Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations why a British military force at a cost of over £900,000 was employed in Ghana during the Nkrumah régime; on what principles of selection such assistance is accorded to African states; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BottomleyI would refer the hon. Member for Dorset, South (Mr. Evelyn King) to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Dorset, West (Mr. Wingfield Digby) on 2nd March last about the cost of military aid to Ghana. Rather less than half the figure of £928,000 which I gave on that occasion as the cost to the United Kingdom of military aid to Ghana in 1965–66 is accounted for by the cost to Her Majesty's Government of maintaining the British Joint Services Training Team in that country. Ghana contributes a similar sum.
It is in no sense a military force.
Military training teams such as this are sent to Commonwealth Countries at the request of the Government of the country concerned. There is therefore no process of selection by Her Majesty's Government. The only circumstance in 601W which a request for assistance of this nature would be likely to be refused would be if it proved impossible to meet the cost or to provide the necessary volunteers from our currently overstretched defence forces.