HC Deb 02 July 1984 vol 63 cc42-3W
Mr. Barnett

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the totals of public expenditure on bilateral overseas aid for the agricultural sector in 1979 and in 1983; how much of this was for project aid expenditure on agriculture and livestock in the renewable natural resources sector; how much was expenditure on multi-sector projects where agriculture was a major sector; how much was expenditure on non-project aid directed towards the agricultural sector; and what proportion of the total bilateral aid programme each of the figures represents.

Mr. Raison

It is not possible to allocate all bilateral overseas aid expenditure to economic sectors but project aid expenditure can be so allocated. The following table shows project aid expenditure in the renewable natural resources and other agriculture-related economic sectors for 1979, 1980 and 1983:

expenditure on bilateral overseas aid for the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa in 1979 and 1983; how much of this was for project aid expenditure on agriculture and livestock in the renewable national resources sector; how much was expenditure on non-project aid directed towards the agricultural sector; and what proportion of the total bilateral aid programme each of these figures represents.

Mr. Raison

It is not possible to allocate all bilateral overseas aid expenditure to economic sectors but project aid expenditure can be so allocated. Statistics on the regional breakdown of this expenditure are not available prior to 1980. The following table shows project aid expenditure on sub-Saharan Africa in the renewable natural resources and other agriculture-related economic sectors for 1980 and 1983.

1980 1983
£m per cent. £m per cent.
Total project aid expenditure in renewable natural resources and other agriculture-related economic sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa 30.6 11.9 25.6 8.3
of which project aid expenditure on agriculture and livestock 18.3 7.1 14.8 4.8
Total project aid expenditure allocable to economic sectors 256.8 100 308.4 100

Where a multi-sector project has agriculture as the major sector, all expenditure on the project is recorded as in the agriculture sector. Expenditure on such multi-sector projects cannot be separately identified in the table.

The figures do not include the costs of financing personnel from the aid programme. The total number of students, trainees, experts and volunteers financed in the renewable natural resources field of assignment or study in 1980 was 1,163; they were 5 per cent. of the total numbers financed. The corresponding figure for 1983 was 1,182, representing 6.6 per cent. of the total numbers financed.