HL Deb 03 November 1983 vol 444 c684WA
Lord Newall

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What financial help they will guarantee to British companies bidding for contracts to help to rebuild Beirut, and what aid they intend to give to the Lebanon for this and related purposes.

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

We cannot guarantee to provide financial help for British companies bidding for contracts overseas. Matters relating to ECGD cover rest between the individual exporter and that department. We have recently contributed £0.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and £0.4 million to the Internation Committee of the Red Cross for work in Lebanon, and will be taking our share of the cost of the European Community aid programme; United Kingdom companies will be able to bid for the contracts provided from that programme. There are at present no other proposals for bilateral aid to Lebanon.