§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will publish in the Official Report a table showing the disbursements of the European Development Fund for each of the years 1973 and 1974; and if she will state the measures in which she is able to influence or determine such disbursements.
§ Mrs. HartStatistics of disbursements under the European Development Fund are provided separately in respect of the three appropriations, for the years 1958–63, 1964–69 and 1970–75, agreed under the terms of the original Implementing Convention establishing the fund and of the first and second Yaounde Conventions which provided for its renewal.
289WEDF I
In 1973 10,855,000 units of account (£1=2.4 ua) were disbursed from the remainder of EDF I. The 1974 disbursements figure is not yet available: but will certainly prove to be small.
Disbursements (thousand units of account) 1973 1974 (first half) EDF EDF Category II III II III 1. Grants— (a) Investment projects in the economic and social sector … … … … … … 26,053 67,847 6,541 30,645 (b) Technical assistance connected with (a) … 646 3,831 112 1,688 (c) Technical supervision and control … … -801* 6,802 — 3,349 (d) General technical assistance … … … 348 1,195 -1* — (e) Aid to agricultural production (including price support and structural improvement) … 4,546 — 1,430 — (f) Diversification of economic structure … 11,391 — 3,702 — (g) Emergency aid … … … … … — 12,000 — 2,171 (h) Development of commerce and sales promotion … … … … … — 1,226 — 294 (i) Interest rate rebates in connection with loan from the European Investment Bank … — 478 — 1,999 (j) Administrative expenses … … … 375 44 — 293 Total … … … … … 42,558 93,423 11,784 41,019 2. Special loans (loans with specially low rate of interest) … … … … … … … 7,093 5,051 — 2,547 Total … … … … … 49,651 98,474 11,784 43,866 148,125 55,650 * Correction of statistical error. Decisions on proposals for financing from the European Development Fund rests with the European Commission, after approval of such proposals by the member States represented on the EDF Committee or, failing that, by the Council of Ministers. The United Kingdom was not a party to the conventions between the original member States and the associated African States which established the three funds and does not contribute to them. The United Kingdom therefore participates in the EDF Committee in a non-voting capacity. Similarly, the United Kingdom does not vote in Council on proposals referred to it by the Commission after non-approval by the EDF Committee.
The United Kingdom will have full voting rights on the Management Committee proposed for the new EDF, to be established under the convention now in its final stages of negotiation.
290WEDF II and III
A more comprehensive analysis of disbursements by category from EDF II and III is available for 1973 and the first half of 1974. This is given in the table below: