§ Mr. Canavanasked the Prime Minister how many Sri Lankan soldiers are at present being trained under the British aid programme at Camberley and Hereford and at other military and police establishments in the United Kingdom; what type of training they are receiving at these centres; and how many of the trainees are Sri Lankan Tamils.
§ The Prime MinisterThe numbers of persons undergoing training and the nature of the training are confidential between Governments. There are, however, a few junior Sri Lankan service personnel currently on courses in Britain. Their racial background is not our concern.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Prime Minister whether she will review the Government's military assistance programme to Sri Lanka, particularly its security training programme in the United Kingdom, in view the fact as recently reported by Amnesty International and others that Sinhalese members of the security forces have been responsible for acts of violence against Tamils in. Sri Lanka.
§ The Prime MinisterNo. Sri Lanka has in the past received a small amount of military assistance in the form of various training courses in Britain for individual officers on the same basis as officers from other Commonwealth and friendly countries.