HL Deb 13 October 1981 vol 424 cc367-8WA
Lord Brockway

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will report—

(1) on the progress of the World Food Programme in improving transport in Africa and in distributing the surplus maize crop in Zimbabwe to other countries in need; and

(2) what part the United Kingdom has taken in these projects.

Lord Carrington

The World Food Programme have arranged for a new rail service to move about 500 tonnes of Zimbabwean maize daily through Mozambique to Beira for use in Mozambique and transshipment to other African countries, as well as for maize to be sent to Zambia by road.

I understand that donors have already undertaken to provide over 60,000 tonnes of maize from Zimbabwe as food aid and the World Food Programme believe shipments could well reach 100,000 tonnes before the end of the year. Included in this total are 7,000 tonnes which Britain has supplied to Zambia and 5,000 tonnes we are providing to Mozambique, as well as 10,000 tonnes being provided by the European Community for Tanzania, of whose cost we shall meet our budgetary share.