§ Lord Boardmanasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress is being made with plans to mark the Australian Bicentenary in 1988.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)The Britain-Australia Bicentennial Committee, under the chairmanship of Sir Peter Gadsden, is co-ordinating Britain's participation in this event. It is the Government's intention to invite Parliament to vote some £1,000,000 to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for use on the bicentenary. It is envisaged that £850,000 of this should be used in 1987–88 to provide a specially commissioned sail training ship as Britain's official gift to Australia and the balance to cover other bicentenary events and administrative expenses. Appropriate estimates will be laid before Parliament in due course.