§ 47. Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any proposals to visit southern Africa in 1988.
§ Mrs. ChalkerMy right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to do so.
§ 66. Mr. AdleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent visit to southern Africa by the Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker).
§ Mrs. ChalkerI visited Mozambique between 28 November and 1 December, and Malawi between 1–3 December. I took advantage of a transit stop in Johannesburg for a short talk with the South African Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Kobus Meiring. In Mozambique I met President Chissano and had useful talks with Mozambican Ministers and senior officials. I visited a number of aid projects and informed the President that we had set aside £500,000 to provide non-lethal defence equipment for units deployed on the Limpopo line. In Malawi I met President Banda and informed him of our decision to make available £750,000568W for non-lethal defence equipment for use by Malawian troops deployed on the Nacala line in Mozambique. I visited a Mozambican displaced persons' camp and told the Malawians that we would meet the cost of providing 5,000 tonnes of food aid — £1 million — and donate further relief aid.