HC Deb 10 December 1969 vol 793 cc138-9W
Mr. Colin Jackson

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what encouragement is given by her Department to skilled technicians to volunteer for assistance in training in basic technical skills in developing Commonwealth countries.

Mrs. Hart

By its support for the societies participating in the British Volunteer Programme my Department assists their efforts to recruit skilled technicians to serve as volunteers overseas. My Department and the British Volunteer Programme seek the co-operation of both sides in industry in releasing young skilled technicians for this purpose.

Mr. Colin Jackson

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how many requests were received by her Department, and from which developing Commonwealth countries, for volunteers at skilled technical level for the years 1966 to 1968, respectively.

Mrs. Hart

The number of requests for volunteers at the skilled technician level from developing Commonwealth countries for the years 1966–67, 1967–68 and 1968–69 were as follows. (The figures in brackets show the numbers posted by the voluntary societies.)

1966–67 1967–68 1968–69
Central and Southern Africa
Botswana … 12 (6) 8 (3) 10 (4)
Lesotho … 11 (4) 4 (1) 3 (2)
Malawi … 25 (12) 13 (8) 13 (10)
Swaziland … 8 (4) 3 (1) 7 (2)
Zambia … 14 (6) 6 5
East Africa
Kenya … 25 (11) 19 (15) 19 (13)
Tanzania … 20 (3) 19 (11) 17 (12)
Uganda … 12 (4) 9 (5) 5 (3)
West Africa
Gambia … 3 3 (1) 2 (1)
Ghana … 15 (6) 12 (8) 12 (4)
Nigeria … 32 (29) 40 (3) 31 (6)
Sierra Leone … 6 (2) 2 (2) 9 (2)
India Ocean
Seychelles … — — 1 (1)
Mediterranean
Malta … 3 (2) 4 (3) 3 (2)

1966–67 1967–68 1968–69
Oceania
Fiji 3 (1) 1 (1) 1 (1)
Gilbert and
Ellice Islands 7 (3) 5 (5) 4 (4)
New Hebrides 3 (2) 3 (1) 2 (2)
Papua—New Guinea 4 (2) 6 (5) 9 (6)
Solomon Islands 7 (3) 3 (2) 3 (3)
Far East
Brunei 1 1 —
Ceylon — 7 (6) 8 (5)
Hong Kong — — 3 (1)
India 15 (4) 28 (15) 14 (15)
Malaysia 14 (10) 4 (3) 3
Pakistan 10 (2) 7 (1) 5 (4)
Singapore — 2 (2) —
Caribbean
Barbados 5 (1) 5 (2) 4 (2)
British Honduras 5 (3) 4 (3) 3
Guyana 7 (3) 4 (4) 8 (3)
Jamaica 10 (7) 14 (5) 12 (8)
Montserrat 3 (1) 4 (2) 2 (1)
St. Vincent 4 1 (1) 2 (1)
Trinidad and Tobago 4 10 2
Virgin Islands — 1 (1) 12
Associated States
Anguilla — — 2 (1)
Dominica 6 (1) 6 (1) 3 (1)
Grenada — 1 2
St. Kitts-Nevis 1 (1) 3 (1) 1
St. Lucia — 4 (2) 2 (1)
Totals 295 (133) 265 (124) 244 (121)