§ Mr. James Johnsonasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement on her recent aid discussions in Gibraltar.
§ Mrs. HartI visited Gibraltar from 4th to 6th April for talks on Britain's aid programme to Gibraltar after 1975–78 and was happy to announce at their conclusion that Britain and the Gibraltar Government had agreed on the next phase of British aid. This will total £14 million for the period April 1978 to March 1981 and represents a continuing fulfilment of Her Majesty's Government's undertaking to support and sustain Gibraltar in the present circumstances. £13 million will be for capital aid—of which the precise use of £1 million will be decided after a review of the progress of the development programme in 18 months' time—and £1 million for technical co-operation.
Gibraltar's development programme 1978–81 envisages capital expenditure of about £28 million in all, concentrating on housing, education, port development and public utilities. Projects in the first three sectors will represent the major areas for British assistance and I agreed in principle that the two major projects to be financed from the programme would be a new girls' comprehensive school and new and modernised housing.