§ Dame Judith Hartasked the Lord Privy Seal what pledges were given by Her Majesty's Government in the Bangladesh consortium meetings in January 1979 and in January 1980; if the pledge given in January 1979 was reduced, and at what date; and what aid to Bangladesh has been committed since May 1979 to new, as distinct from ongoing, projects.
§ Mr. Neil MartenAt the Bangladesh aid consortium meeting in January 1979 the United Kingdom pledged £30 million for project aid, £15 million for commodity aid, £2 million for invisible services, £2 million for food aid and £1 million for the Shilpa Bank.
The January 1980 consortium meeting was called at the request of the Bangladesh Government to consider food aid requirements and policy. No United Kingdom pledge was made at that meeting. At the consortium meeting in May 1980 the United Kingdom pledged 28,000 tonnes of food aid at an estimated cost of £3 million.
The 1979 pledges have not been reduced.
Since May 1979, in addition to food aid, aid totalling approximately £2.7 million has been committed to the following new projects:
- a. the drilling of a fifth well on the Titas gas field;
- b.an aeromagnetic survey of Western Bangladesh to facilitate exploration for natural gas.
A project to supply a demineralisation plant for the power station at Khulna at an estimated cost of £900,000 is at present under consideration.