HC Deb 08 March 1979 vol 963 cc802-4W
Mr. Brocklebank-Fowler

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what was the cost to the United Kingdom aid budget of visits to India by members of her Department and associates and advisers travelling on her instructions during the 12 months to the latest convenient date.

Mrs. Hart

The cost to the United Kingdom overseas aid and overseas aid administration votes of visits to India during the financial year 1978–79 to date by staff of my Department, members of associated scientific and specialised units and associated bodies and by specialists recruited for particular purposes travelling on my instructions was just over £300,000.

Mr. Brocklebank-Fowler

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how many visits to India have been made by Members of her Department or associates and advisers travelling on her instructions during the 12 months to the latest conventient date and if she will set out the purposes of each visit.

Mrs. Hart

The number of visits to India during 1978–79 to date by staff of my Department, members of associated scientific and specialised units and associated bodies and by specialists recruited for particular purposes travelling on my instructions was 277. These comprised:

ODM staff:
Administration 13
Professional advisers 33
Associates:
Sent by ODM 79
Sent by British Council (on behalf of ODM) 152
277

The visits covered a great variety of subject areas such as agriculture, ground-water, land use, rock mechanics, hydraulics and hydrology, plant breeding, animal husbandry, plantation crops, forestry, fodders and pastures, fisheries, natural resources research, urban development, blood transfusion, community and primary health care, paediatric surgery, viral hepatitis, leprosy, malaria, nutrition, kala-azar disease, training of teachers of spastics, non-formal education, adult education, educational management and educational broadcasting. Many

Total expenditure 1978–79 (unless otherwise stated) £ Total expenditure on administration£
Department of Agriculture
Milk Marketing Board for Northern Ireland 2,390,000 950,000
Pigs Marketing Board (Northern Ireland) 753,650* 512,000*
Seed Potato Marketing Board for Northern Ireland 158,789* 142,168*
Livestock Marketing Commission 212,000* 98,500*
Northern Ireland Agricultural Trust 290,000 133,000
Foyle Fisheries Commission 242,000 196,800
Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland 640,000 336,700
Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority 488,400 105,400
Agricultural Wages Board 28,500 28,500
Drainage Council 436 436
Department of Manpower Services
Enterprise Ulster 10,796,000 1,930,000
Fair Employment Agency‡ 114,000 97,000
Equal Opportunities Commission‡ 95,000 81,000
Labour Relations Agency ‡ 433,000 413,000
Health and Safety Agency‡ 3,624 3,624
Construction Industry Training Board 1,010,000 195,000
Engineering Industry Training Board 1,450,000 160,000
Catering Industry Training Board 310,000 145,000
Clothing/Footwear Industry Training Board 270,000 120,000
Road Transport Industry Training Board 490,000 170,000
Textiles Industry Training Board 195,000 110,000
Man-Made Fibres Industry Training Board 10,000 5,000
Distributive Industry Training Board 350,000 125,000
Food/Drink Industry Training Board 715,000 130,000
Ulster Sheltered Employment Limited 220,000 40,000
of the visits were made in the form of team missions to appraise proposals for aid assistance—for example, coal sector, natural resources, urban development, family planning, fertiliser plants, foot and mouth disease vaccine plant, fertiliser education project, and coastal fisheries development. Any more detailed list of individual arrangements would be a lengthy one which I will consider supplying direct to the hon. Member if he so wishes.