HL Deb 14 December 1983 vol 446 cc339-40WA
Lord Chitnis

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they do not report in their background brief Crisis in Central America that the entire second stage of the Agrarian Reform Programme in El Salvador has been shelved indefinitely.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)

The background briefCrisis in Central ,America did not purport to give a comprehensive account of all developments in the area. A subsequent background brief, Developments in El Salvador, released in November, pointed out that implementation of the second stage of the 1980 Agrarian Reform Programme had been suspended.

Lord Chitnis

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What evidence they have to substantiate their claim in their background brief Crisis in Central America that the Agrarian Reform Programme in El Salvador is continuing to make steady progress under President Magana'?

Baroness Young

Published sources have confirmed that progress is being made, e.g. the article entitled.Agrarian Reform in El Salvador, published in the November edition of the Journal of Latin American Studies.

Lord Chitnis

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why their briefing paper Crisis in Central America states that the Agrarian Reform Programme in El Salvador allows a maximum holding of 100 hectares for each private owner when the reform does not at present affect properties of less than 500 hectares except those leased by tenant farmers.

Baroness Young

As stated inCrisis in Central America, the Agrarian Reform Programme of 1980 provides, inter alia, for a limit of 100 hectares for each private owner. The question of how to implement this objective is at present the subject of considerable debate in El Salvador.

Lord Chitnis

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why their briefing paper Crisis in Central America makes no reference to human rights in El Salvador or to the work of human rights organisations.

Baroness Young

Crisis in Central America did not attempt to provide comprehensive information on each of the countries in the area. However, reference was made to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in El Salvador, and a subsequent background brief, Developments in El Salvador, released in November, dealt in more detail with violations of human rights.