HC Deb 01 March 1983 vol 38 cc78-9W
Mr. Henderson

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will publish figures showing the average number of hours worked per tonne of crude steel produced for each of the EC countries, the United States of America, Canada and Japan in every year since 1974.

Mr. Butcher

Information as is readily available is as follows:

Apart from a limited number of Bangladesh police officers who receive training in the United Kingdom, financed from United Kingdom aid sources—13 in the last three years trained in management, criminal investigation, and forensic techniques—no further aid has been provided or is presently under consideration for the police and security services.

Mr. Dubs

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the total commitment of British aid to Bangladesh in each year since 1972; what amounts have been disbursed in each year; what proportions have been project aid; what have been the projects assisted; and what amount has been committed to each of these projects.

Mr. Raison

1. British aid to Bangladesh is committed through signed agreements which may be spent over a number of years. Since 1972 the United Kingdom and Bangladesh Governments have signed the following agreements:

Agreement Year Value
£ million
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Loan No. 1 1972 1.435
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Loan No. 2 1972 3.4
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Loan 1973 2.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Aid Grant and Loan No. 1 1974 3.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Aid Grant and Loan No. 2 1974 9.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Commodity Aid Grant 1975 10.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Commodity Aid Grant 1977 15.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Commodity Aid Grant 1978 30.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Commodity Aid Grant 1981 15.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Commodity Aid Grant 1982 10.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Project Grant 1975 25.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Project Grant No. 1 1976 30.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Project Grant No. 2 1976 15.0

Agreement Year Value
£ million
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Project Grant 1978 45.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Population Grant 1975 1.4
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Fertiliser Grant 1975 5.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Invisible Services Grant No. 1 1976 2.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Invisible Services Grant No. 2 1976 2.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Invisible Services Grant 1978 2.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Natural Resources Sector Grant 1976 2.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Aid Grant and Loan for Purchase of Raw Materials from Lesser Developed Countries 1976 2.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Shilpa Bank Grant 1976 1.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Tea Sector Grant 1979 20.0
United Kingdom/Bangladesh Grant 1981 4.68

2. The United Kingdom and Bangladesh Governments have also signed (a) two debt relief agreements:

  1. (i) United Kingdom/Bangladesh Retrospective Terms Arrangement 1979 which relieved Bangladesh of all repayments due on aid loans up to 2002, totalling £15.935 million;
  2. (ii) United Kingdom/Bangladesh Debt Agreement 1979 which relieved Bangladesh of debts incurred by the earlier Pakistan administration totalling £30.953 million.

And (b) in 1976 a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the provision of British Technical assistance.

3. Disbursements by calendar year as follows:

(£ 000)
Project aid Percentage Total
1972 2,363
1973 2,052
1974 5,541
1975 510 3.85 13,246
1976 2,822 22.17 12,729
1977 7,375 36.44 20,238
1978 21,255 51.72 41,097
1979 12,473 41.78 29,853
1980 26,035 87.61 29,717
1981 17,698 62.31 28,404

4. Capital Aid Projects Assisted

(£' 000)
Amount committed
Police Telecommunications 720
Ashuganj Fertiliser Factory 8,000
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation Ship 3,276
Textile Mills 7,140
Inland Fisheries, Neemgachhi 435
Food Grains Storage 3,269
Sugar Farm Tubewells 275
Zia (formerly Kurmitola) Airport Refuelling Facility 500
Cotton Development Board Vehicles 145
Water Treatment Plant, Goalpara Power Station, Khulna 933
Turboaltemators for North Bengal Sugar Mill 500
IDA Population Project No. 1 (United Kingdom contributiom) 1,400
Greater Dhaka Power Distribution Phase 1 27,200
Greater Dhaka Power Distribution Phase 1A 9,100
Bholaganj Rock Ropeway 1,096
Railway Rehabilitation 29,360
Bitumen for Roads and Highways 500
Titas V Gas Well 1,210
IDA Second Deep Tubewells Project (United Kingdom contribution) 15,000
Tea Rehabilitation 20,000
Ashuganj Combined Cycle Power Plant 4,680

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