§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he has taken, or proposes to take, to assist the Botswana Government to strengthen their national economy and decrease their dependence on the South African economy.
§ Mr. Chris PattenAll our bilateral aid to Botswana aims to strengthen the national economy. In addition we support the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference, of which Botswana is a member.
§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list United Kingdom contributions to Botswana through national, Commonwealth and European Community action in each year since 1983.
§ Mr. Chris PattenUnited Kingdom bilateral aid and the estimated British share of Commonwealth and European Community aid to Botswana since 1983 have been as follows:
£'000s 1983 1984 1985 1986 United Kingdom bilateral aid (1) 13,289 15,975 8,775 12,805 Estimated United Kingdom share of European Community aid 330 1,180 500 1,120 Estimated United Kingdom share of Commonwealth aid (2) 108 83 113 147 Figures for 1987 are not yet available. (1) These figures include expenditure by the Commonwealth Development Corporation of: 3,332 6,570 2,700 6,027 (2) Figures cover the period July-June.
§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list current development projects in Botswana for which United Kingdom national, Commonwealth or European assistance is given; what is the value of that assistance; and if he will specify the means or agencies through which assistance is given.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe British bilateral aid programme to Botswana is currently funding with grants a range of technical co-operation activities including the provision of expert personnel, training for Botswana in the United 167W Kingdom and consultancies. We expect to spend about £5.5 million in 1988–89. This is a Government-to-Government programme.
The Commonwealth fund for technical co-operation is currently funding with grants estimated at £490,000 a number of projects in Botswana involving the provision of experts.
Projects in Botswana currently being financed by the European Community from the fifth and sixth European development funds as part of the Lome conventions are as follows:
Total cost of project (£ million) Grant Funding Sheep and goat development (phase 2) 1.12 Services to livestock owners (phase 2) 1.80 Francistown rural training centre 0.87 Wildlife, tourism and environment 1.47 Airborne geophysical survey 1.38 Trade promotion 0.77 Conservation Kalahari ecosystem 1.40 Manpower development programme 3.08 Kasane airport 4.19 Special loan funding National development bank 0.56 Services to livestock owners 1.07 Pacapye water supply 1.31 European Investment Bank Risk Capital Risk capital Francistown abattoir 1.40 Botswana Development Corporation 2.10 The United Kingdom share of the EDF grants, special loans and risk capital projects totalling £22.52 million is £3.7 million.