§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends that Commonwealth States should continue to receive the bulk of British aid given to Africa.
§ Mr. WoodYes. Because of their development needs and our traditional ties with them, Commonwealth countries will continue to receive the largest share of our bilateral aid to Africa. At the same time, our aid to certain other countries in Africa is increasing, and I hope that the expansion of the aid programme as a whole will make further diversification possible.
§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the future of British aid to Turkey in view of the political situation in that State.
§ Mr. WoodWe expect to continue to play our part in assisting the development of the Turkish economy in consultation with the Government of Turkey and in conjunction with other bilateral and multilateral donors, including our fellow members of the Community.
§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the proportion of aid given to Turkey is greater in comparison with the amounts given to the majority of Commonwealth states.
§ Mr. WoodMany factors are taken into account in determining the allocation of British bilateral aid to developing countries. No comprehensive comparison of the allocations to Turkey with those to all independent Commonwealth countries is therefore possible. In 1971, however, in proportion to population, 22 Commonwealth countries received more British aid per head than Turkey and six received less.