AID AND EXPATRIATES' PENSIONS

HL Deb 15 May 1978 vol 392 cc118-20WA

Lord ORAM

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether aid to an overseas country is reduced pro rata when the United Kingdom takes over the payment of pensions to expatriate officers who served in that country; and whether such payments continue to be included in the statistics of aid to that country.

Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOE

No. Such pension payments are, of course, included in our total aid programme and in the statistics of our gross spending of bilateral aid. This recognises the fact that we have relieved overseas Governments of a charge on their own revenues. However, pension payments do not reduce the amount of other aid available to the countries concerned. Many factors influence the allocation to particular countries of the aid available under a growing programme.

House adjourned at twenty-four minutes before nine o'clock.