HC Deb 15 January 1985 vol 71 cc86-7W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the percentages of gross national product spent on overseas aid by the following countries compares with that spent by the United Kingdom: (a) the United States of America, (b) Japan and (c) the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Mr. Raison

In 1983 British aid was 0.35 per cent. of GNP. By comparison the USA's share was 0.24 per cent. and Japan's 0.33 per cent. The USSR is not a member of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development which collates aid statistics, and does not itself publish this information. However, it is estimated that the USSR's development aid represented 0.19 per cent. of GNP in 1983.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British Government financed personnel are currently working overseas as part of aid programmes; in which countries they are working; what tasks they are performing; and what is the estimated total cost to the Government of such programmes.

Mr. Raison

The latest complete information is for 1983. There were 738 fully funded and 1,779 partly funded personnel, and 1,041 volunteers serving in over 100 countries overseas under the aid programme at 31 December 1983 at a total cost of just over £70 million. They were working in a wide variety of disciplines including renewable natural resources, public administration, education and health. A list of the countries where they worked and details of the full range of disciplines are given in tables 19 and 14 respectively of the 1984 edition of "British Aid Statistics", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many overseas students or trainees are currently studying in the United Kingdom as part of United Kingdom overseas aid programmes; at which establishments such students are studying; what courses they are on; and what is the estimated total annual expenditure on any such schemes.

Mr. Raison

On 31 December 1983, the latest date for which official aid statistics are available, 5,336 students and trainees from developing countries were on courses in the United Kingdom financed by the British overseas aid programme.

The additional information which my hon. Friend has requested is not immediately available, but I will write to him shortly.