§ LORD MERRIVALEasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are their 1970–71 Capital Aid and Technical Assistance Programmes for the Malagasy Republic, and whether they are prepared to encourage private investment there.
§ LORD BETHELLMy Lords, the capital aid which the Malagasy Republic is receiving in 1970–71 amounts to£6,220. It will be used to purchase a second mechanical decorticator as an extension to the ground-nut scheme. We shall consider further assistance in this field when the findings of a feasibility study are available later this year.
The technical assistance programme for the Republic in 1970–71 provides 3 teachers of English for the English Language Centre in Tananarive at a cost of£16,000; 24 Volunteer English teachers at a cost to Her Majesty's Government of£9,000; and teacher training courses in Britain for 15 Malagasy students at a cost of£9,700; 2 Technical Assistance Officers on short-term assignments to install equipment for the ground-nut scheme and to carry out the feasibility study I have referred to, and a visit by a contractor's engineer to install a language laboratory, costing altogether£5,500; a language laboratory, audio-visual aids, books, additional furniture, and the balance of the capital cost of the English language centre, which will cost£17,900. The total cost of the technical assistance programme is estimated at£58,100. Her Majesty's Government has no objections to an increase in the flow of private investment to the Malagasy Republic.
House adjourned at one minute before nine o'clock.