§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if it is his policy to instruct the United Kingdom delegation to the Inter American 145W Development Bank to support all proposals for technically sound projects for Nicaragua which are submitted to the European group for discussion; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if it is his policy to instruct the United Kingdom delegation to the Inter American Development Bank to support all proposals for the reconstruction of infrastructure in (a) Nicaragua and (b) El Salvador which are submitted to the European Group for discussion; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what instructions have been given to the British delegations at the Inter American Development Bank and the World Bank concerning proposals for (a) Nicaragua and (b) El Salavador; if there has been any change in these instructions since 1980; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindEach proposal, whether for infrastructure or any other purpose, is considered on its merits. Such consideration has to have regard to the project's feasibility in the circumstances prevailing in the country, to its technical merits and to the recipient country's standing in relation to all the International financial institutions. Voting instructions during the period since 1980 have therefore varied from project to project.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all proposals which have been discussed by the European group but not submitted to the full board of the Inter American Development Bank; and if he will state the reasons for their non-submission.
§ Mr. RifkindThere have been no such proposals. Project proposals are considered only within the European constituency of which the United Kingdom is a member when the bank issues a formal project document; and where such a document is issued, the project automatically goes before the executive board.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of all loans and credits approved by the Inter American Development Bank to Nicaragua since 1979 together with any conditions which were attached to the loans.
§ Mr. RifkindYes. The only conditions attached to the loans were those normal for the type of loan to any recipient country.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions since 1982 on which the United Kingdom, as represented by the European executive director on the board of the Inter American Development Bank, has lodged an official protest; and if he will place a copy of such protests in the Library.
§ Mr. RifkindThere have been no such protests.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all loans and credits to (a) Nicaragua and (b) El Salvador since 1979 which have been discussed at (i) the board of the Inter American Development Bank and (ii) the European group to the Inter American Development Bank stating in each case the outcome of the discussions.
§ Mr. RifkindDuring the period in question the following projects were discussed by the executive board of the Inter American Development Bank:146W
Nicaragua US$ million 1979 Credits for Farmers and Livestock Producers 98.00 Rio Blanco-Siuna Road 32.00 plus Small Projects and Technical Co-operation totalling 8.67 Total 138.67 1980 Farm Credits Programme 65.00 plus Small Projects and Technical Co-operation totalling 7.40 Total 72.40 1981 Forestry Development 8.00 plus Small Projects and Technical Co-operation totalling 1.83 Total 9.83 1982 Asturias Hydroelectric project 34.00 plus Small Projects and Technical Co-operation totalling 1.49 Total 35.89 1983 Fishery Rehabilitation Programme 30.70 plus Small Projects and Technical Co-operation totalling 0.76 Total 31.46 1984 None 1985 (to date) None Source: 1979–1984 Bank Annual Reports
All were approved
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El Salvador US$ million 1979 Livestock Production 16.30 Second Stage Health Care Programme 27.00 Pre-investment Investigation: Economic and Social Development 4.50 plus Small Projects and Technical Co-operation totalling 1.68 Total 49.48 1980 Agricultural Credit 16.50 Agrarian Reform Programme: Input for Co-operatives 45.40 Export Financing 1.50 Total 63.40 1981 Rural Roads 30.80 Farm Marketing Programme 15.60 Export Financing 2.00 plus Technical Co-operation totalling 0.12 Total 48.52 1982 Industrial Credits 40.00 Credit for Short-term Export Finance 0.50 San Lorenzo Hydro-electric project 66.00 Farm Research and Extension 12.90 Export Financing 2.50 plus Technical Co-operation totalling 0.10
US$ million Total 122.00 1983 Pre-investment Programme Second Stage 7.50 San Marcos Bridge Construction (River Lempa) 6.00 plus Small Projects and Technical Co-operation totalling 1.66 Total 15.16 1984 Industrial Recovery 60.00 Farm Credit 40.50 plus Technical Co-operation totaling 0.70 Total 101.20 1985 (to date) Rural Water Supply (Stage III) 21.00 Total 21.00 Source: 1979–84 Bank Annual Reports
All were approved
The United Kingdom is represented on the board by an executive director, currently a German Government official, who also represents his own Government and those of six other European countries. Those eight countries do not meet in advance of board meetings, but they convey their instructions separately to the executive director.