§ Q15. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Health and Social Security in providing aid to the cholera and famine affected areas of East Pakistan and India; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterYes. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has standing arrangements with the Department of Health and Social Security and with private British charities which enable relief operations to be mounted at any time without delay. These enabled us to respond quickly when the needs of India350W were made known. As to East Pakistan, I would refer the hon. Lady to the statement which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made yesterday.