§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Overseas Development what requests have been received from Egypt during the past 12 months for technical or other development assistance from the United Kingdom.
§ Mrs. HartRequests received during the last 12 months for projects to be financed out of the capital aid loans totaling £15 million agreed in 1972 and 1973 are as follows:
Numerous technical assistance requests have been received, and those which I have agreed or expect to be able to accept include the training of Egyptians in Britain at a cost of about £130,000 in this financial year, the provision of training officers for the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, advice on the introduction of stores and purchase control in Government Departments, and a pre-feasibility study for the development of phosphate mining at Abu Tartour in the Western Desert.
- 1.Assistance to the improvement of runways, lighting and baggage-handling facilities at Cairo Airport at a cost of approximately £3 million. Contracts were completed in February and the work is in hand.
- 2.Clearance of explosives and war debris from the Suez Canal. This is a combined British-American operation and began in April; my Department is to meet the extra cost of the Royal Navy's part in the operation.
- 3.Other requests under consideration are the provision of equipment for a rural electrification project at Kom Hamada, the development of a fisheries project on Lake Nasser, and a pilot mechanisation scheme to be operated at the Kom Ombo sugar plantation.