HC Deb 16 November 1971 vol 826 cc125-6W
Mr. Hunt

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has made to provide further development assistance to The Gambia.

Mr. Wood

Financial talks were held in London this year from 26th April to 4th May, and Her Majesty's Government have undertaken to provide development aid of £2 million initially with technical assistance over the period 1971–74, to be applied to specific projects in The Gambia's Development Programme

ST. HELENA
1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
£ £ £ £ £
Budgetary Aid 195,200 217,700 235,000 257,700 279,000
Technical Assistance 39,000 37,000 38,000 39,000 35,000
Breakdown
Students and Trainees 13,400 12,800 10,900 9,500 9,200
Wholly Financed Expert 2,500 5,100 3,800 100 2,500
Assisted Experts 21,600 18,600 21,500 25,000 21,600
Equipment 2,000
Land Surveys 300 800
Consultancies 1,000 2,000 3,900
Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme Disbursements
section 1 (Grants) 100,400 128,900 84,700 100,900 106,900
section 1 (Loans) 6,400 4,100 4,000 5,400 8,100
From 1st April, 1971, disbursements under the Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme were replaced by Development Aid. St. Helena's Development Aid allocation was £100,000 in 1970–71 and is £80,000 for the current financial year. A special allocation for the improvement of the existing water supply system was made in 1971. Disbursements on this scheme were £10,000 in 1970–71. £89,000 in 1971–72 and an estimated £14,000 in 1972–73.
Major projects approved under C.D. and W. Scheme from 1966 to 1970
£
Construction of road to Ruperts Bay 6,000
Construction and enlargement of houses 19,000
Purchase of wharf crane 25,160
Reconstruction of Rock Rose Road 8,000
Agricultural education 11,648
Agricultural development 35,826
Construction and enlargement of dwellings 9,842
Home for children in need of care and protection 5,946
Establishment of schools broadcasting station 5,840
Assistance towards 1967 housing programme 13,550
Reconstruction of Jamestown Sea Wall 11,050
Development of electricity supplies 15,500
Development of electricity supplies 6,500
Construction of road to Thompson's Hill 9,000
Improvement of water supplies at Briars and Ruperts Bay 7,500
Road construction 9,000
Housing construction at Half Tree Hollow 6,000
Housing construction at Jamestown 15,000
Construction of Sandy Bay Road 17,600
Major projects approved wider Development Aid since April. 1970-March, 1971, under general allocation
Road construction (Sandy Bay) 12,000
construction of flats, Jamestown 15,000
Development of electricity services 12,000
Half Tree Hollow housing 7,000

1971–74. The aid will be in the form of a 25-year interest-free loan for each of The Gambian financial years in that period. An agreement for the 1971–72 loan of £930,000 was signed in Bathurst on 8th November.