§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Prime Minister if she will make it the policy of Her Majesty's Government to increase the funds they provide for famine relief by an amount equal to the estimated value added tax revenue received in connection with the fund-raising activities of Sport Aid; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterI applaud the Sports Aid initiative and the remarkable effort which has been put in to it by thousands of people throughout the world. I hope to meet Mr. Omar Khalifa, the Sudanese athlete, in
180Wand Featherstone prisons, respectively, were disciplined for (a) assaults on prison officers and (b) assaults on other prisoners in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Mellor[pursuant to my reply, 8 May 1986, c. 206]: The information available centrally relates to the number of offences punished and is given in the table. Data for 1985 are not yet available.
connection with Sports Aid at the weekend. Successive Governments have, however, taken the view that to allow special VAT relief or matching refunds for charitable fund raising events is not the right way to help in such circumstances. Nevertheless, our contribution to famine relief in Africa has been very considerable: it amounted to £81.4 million in 1984, £96.5 million in 1985, and £27 million in the first quarter of 1986 alone. We shall continue to play our part in the international relief effort.