§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the estimated total of aid by the United Kingdom in 1975–76 to the 25 least developed countries; and what percentage this represents of the total aid programme.
§ Mr. PrenticeI can never give an accurate forecast of the outturn of a particular programme or programmes during a current financial year. The 25 least developed countries, as defined by the United Nations, are likely to receive some 11 per cent. of our bilateral aid in 1975–76, or 8½ per cent. of the total aid programme. But on my present expectations some 60 per cent. of the aid which I can identify as specifically allocated to individual countries is likely 77W to go to "the poorest countries", defined as those with a gross national product in 1972 of under $200 a head.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Minister of Overseas Development what relationship United Kingdom aid to underdeveloped countries bears to those of the other members of the EEC on a per capita and percentage of GNP base.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe information is as follows:
Net official development assistance per head (1974) Net official development assistance us percentage of Gross National Product (1974) $ Belgium 27 0.49 Denmark 33 0.54 France 31 0.60 Germany 23 0.37 Italy 4 0.14 Netherlands 32 0.62 United Kingdom 13 0.38 For the EEC States who are not members of the OECD Development Assistance Committee—Ireland and Luxembourg—information is less readily available.
For Ireland in 1974 aid appropriations amounted to about $2 per head and represented about 0.10 per cent. of GNP.
For Luxembourg aid appropriations in 1974 amounted to about $7 per head and represented about 0.16 per cent. of GNP.