HL Deb 29 June 1988 vol 498 c1697WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will provide a breakdown of the spending over the last three years of United Kingdom and European Community aid to the occupied territories of Palestine (which amounted to some £3 million in 1987, plus £450,000 of emergency aid in 1988, (Official Report, 8th June 1988, col. 1439).

The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Trefgarne)

British Bilateral Aid to the occupied territories over the last three financial years was as follows:

UK Bilateral Assistance £'000 1985/86 1986/87 1987/88
UK Bilateral Assistance 310 350 849
In addition Britain contributed £5 million in each of the last three years to the United Nations Relief and works agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) for their operations in the occupied territories and in neighbouring countries.

Details of expenditure by the European community in the occupied territories in the period in question are not readily available. Commitments amounted to the equivalent of £2.5 million in 1987–88 and to the equivalent of £5 million in total over the period 1981–1986. The EC also contributed £14 million to the UNRWA programme in 1987 and £12 million in each of the preceding two years, together with food aid valued at some £2.5 million a year.