HC Deb 22 May 1972 vol 837 cc258-9W
54. Mr. George Cunningham

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why he is unable to make a special allocation of economic aid to the Sudan to assist measures towards reconciliation of north and south in the present financial year.

Mr. Kershaw

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 15th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Dodds-Parker).—Vol. 837, c. 2.]

Mr. George Cunningham

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much economic aid was provided to the Sudan in 1970–71 and 1971–72; and upon what projects was it spent.

Mr. Wood

British economic aid to the Sudan in 1970–71 was £571,000, £175,000 of it in capital aid and £396,000 in technical assistance. The principal items of technical assistance were the provision of training courses in this country (£200,000) and the provision of British personnel in the Sudan £145,000). The capital aid provision covered miscellaneous capital goods.

Provisional figures for 1971–72 show that our aid that year was £712,000. £388,000 of this was capital aid and £324,000 technical assistance. All but £50,000 of the capital aid provided was spent on renewing 40 gates at the Sennat Dam. The training of Sudanese personnel and the provision of British personnel cost £188,000 and £92,000 respectively out of the total provision of technical assistance. We also assumed liability for the payment of expatriate pensions previously paid by the Sudanese Government. I estimate that these amounted in 1971–72 to 335,000.

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