§ Mr. Sandysasked the Prime Minister whether he will now give the latest estimate of the total cost of Britain's involvement in the Rhodesian crisis from the date of unilateral declaration of independence until the end of 1966, and of the special aid given or promised to Zambia, in this connection, calculated on the same basis as the estimate of about £100 million given by him to Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in September; and whether he has communicated this revised estimate to the other Commonwealth Governments.
§ The Prime MinisterThe direct cost to the Exchequer in 1966 (including aid to Zambia) was about £15 million. The cost to the balance of payments, excluding any effect of the Rhodesian situation on the price of copper, cannot be precisely estimated but was of the order of £40 million. The Rhodesian situation was one, but only one, factor affecting the price of copper which, as the House will know, was higher last year on average than in 1965. Clearly no precise estimate of this effect is possible. But our best estimate now is that per-152W haps something like £10–15 million of the additional import cost of copper last year compared with 1965 might be attributable to the Rhodesian situation. As to the information which we from time to time give to our Commonwealth partners, it would be contrary to practice for me to reveal details and the right hon. Gentleman will remember that the figure he quotes in his Question derives from a confidential document whose contents have improperly become public knowledge.