HC Deb 08 February 1983 vol 36 c302W
Mr. Ernie Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid, during recent months, has been supplied to Son Sann, former premier of Cambodia; whether any such aid has been sent in goods or in money; and if he is satisfied that measures have been taken to prevent the misuse of this aid, such as took place in the Thai border refugee camps, where much of the aid was seized by the Khmer Rouge and sold on the black market to buy arms.

Mr. Raison

None. We have agreed in principle to provide some medical supplies and such items as mosquito nets and hammocks through our embassy in Bangkok to several refugee camps under the control of Son Sann and his non-Communist associates; but the details of the arrangements have still to be settled and approved by me. They will be designed to prevent any misuse of the aid.

So far this financial year we have given £.100,000 to the International Committee for the Red Cross and £300,000 to the world food programme for the relief of Cambodian refugees generally along the Thailand-Cambodia border. In response to the latest appeal by the United Nations Secretary-General, we also intend, subject to the approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, to give a further £100,000 to the Red Cross, to be passed on through British voluntary agencies if possible.

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