§ Mr. Churchillasked the Lord Privy Seal if, in the light of the deteriorating international situation in the Horn of Africa, Her Majesty's Government will consider redistributing resources within the overall total of overseas aid so as to provide greater assistance to the Somali Republic especially in view of that country's close links with the United Kingdom and the scale of the refugee problem which confronts it in consequence of military intervention by Cuban and Warsaw Pact forces.
§ Mr. Neil MartenThe level of assistance to Somalia, as with other developing countries, is kept under close review, but there are no plans for any immediate increase. In addition to development assistance running at about £1.5 million a year, we have contributed some £4 million in cash and in kind over the past two years for refugee relief. We also contribute to multilateral agencies, such as the European Development Fund, the World Bank and432W United Nations agencies, through which Somalia receives substantial sums of aid: in 1979, the United Kingdom share of such assistance was estimated to be £2.8 million.