HC Deb 10 June 1985 vol 80 cc298-9W
Mr. Home Robertson

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what amount of British aid will be provided, directly or indirectly, in the current financial year to assist the Palestinian residents of the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza; through which agencies this aid is being channelled; and what was the total sum for the last financial year.

Mr. Raison

The aid provision for the current financial year is expected to be as follows:

Agency £
St. John of Jerusalem ophthalmic hospital 100,000
Co-operation for development 57,000
United Nations Association International Service 39,000
British Council 75,000
Not yet allocated l93,000
TOTAL 364,000

The equivalent figure for 1984–85 was £240,000.

In addition we provided £5 million in 1984–85, and are providing £5 million in 1985–86, to the core budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA). In 1984, 27 per cent. of UNWRA's budget was devoted to the provision of amenities for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza.

The European Community also provides humanitarian aid to Palestinians through UNWRA in the form of food aid and assistance to educational projects. (The community contribution to UNWRA was £16.5 million (United Kingdom share £3.6 million) in 1984 and will be £21.3 million (United Kingdom share £4.9 million) in 1985.) Some of this is used in the West Bank and Gaza. In addition the community assists the Arab populations of the West Bank and Gaza through its programme for nongovernmental organisations, through small-scale rural development projects and by providing scholarships to Palestinian students. These programmes are the responsibility of the Commission and no figures are yet available for 1984 or 1985.

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