HC Deb 11 May 1988 vol 133 cc123-5W
Mr. Hunter

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment is available to him on the level of economic growth in Zimbabwe in each year since 1983.

Mr. Mellor

The rate of economic growth in Zimbabwe as measured by the estimated growth in the gross domestic product is as follows for each year since 1983:

Year Per cent.
1983 -4.2
1984 2.6
1985 9.3
1986 2.3
1987 0.3

SourceIMF staff papers.

Mr. Hunter

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the extent to which Zimbabwe has benefited from joining the Lome convention and improved access to European Community markets.

Mr. Mellor

Over the five years to 1990 Zimbabwe will get 73 million ecu (about £50 million) in planned aid from the European development fund, in addition to benefiting from SADCC and other regional projects. Zimbabwe also receives loans from the European Investment Bank and emergency aid, and is eligible for finance under the stabex scheme.

Under the Lomé convention, Zimbabwe's exports of its industrial products and the great majority of its agricultural products enter the Community free of tariff and other restrictions.

Mr. Hunter

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list current development projects in Zimbabwe for which United Kingdom national, Commonwealth or European Community assistance is given and the value of that assistance.

Mr. Mellor

Under the bilateral aid programme to Zimbabwe, Britain is currently financing the following projects at a total cost of £28.598 million:

Project £ million
Land Resettlement Grant 1981 20.000
Project Loan 1982
Water Bowsers 0.475
Veterinary Faculty Equipment 0.740
Land Rover Rehabilitation 0.707
Cold Storage Commission Equipment 0.757
Kwekwe Roasting Plant 0.317
Migrant Pest Control 0.050
Tractor Rehabilitation Grant 1986 1.200
Rural Development Grant 1986
Lister Diesels Assembly 1.897
Lister Diesels Rehabilitation 0.385
Dairy Marketing Board 0.490
Nyanyadzi Irrigation 0.280
Cotton Marketing Board 1.300
28.598

In addition, we expect to spend about £6 million in 1988–89 on technical co-operation activities.

The Commonwealth fund for technical co-operation is currently funding with grants estimated at £67,800 a number of projects in Zimbabwe involving the provision of experts.

Projects in Zimbabwe currently being financed by the European Community from the fifth and sixth European development funds are as follows:

Total allocation £ million
Grant funding
Veterinary faculty, University of Zimbabwe 5.17
Fruit and vegetable development programme 0.43
Matabeleland South Rural Water Project 0.76
Aid to Grain Marketing Board 0.96
Microprojects programmes III 2.07
Technical assistance to Zimbabwe Development Bank 0.34
Regional tsetse and trypanosomiasis control 5.76
Regional railways training 1.38
Agriculture Finance Corporation 2.41
Expert development programme 3.03
Konyati and Gatske-Gatske communal lands 2.07
Reintegration of qualified nationals 0.52
Special loan funding
Smallholder coffee, fruit, vegetable. irrigated food crop development 2.90
Tsetse and trypanosomiasis control 2.69
Matabeleland South Rural Water Project 2.07
Aid to Grain Marketing Board 3.88
Agricultural Finance Corporation 13.79
European Investment Bank risk capital
Zimbabwe Development Bank 3.10

The United Kingdom share of this total of £53.33 million is about £9 million.

Mr. Hunter

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list United Kingdom contributors to Zimbabwe through national, Commonwealth and European Community action in each year since 1983.

Mr. Mellor

United Kingdom bilateral aid expenditure and the estimated British share of Commonwealth and European Community aid expenditure to Zimbabwe since 1983 have been as follows:

(£000s)
1983 1984 1985 1986
United Kingdom bilateral aid 19,453 15,062 23,636 12,242
Estimated United Kingdom share of European Community aid 1,590 4,470 700 600
Estimated United Kingdom share of Commonwealth aid 79 89 107 78

Mr. Hunter

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what other measures he has taken, or proposes to take, to assist the Zimbabwe Government to strengthen their national economy and to decrease their dependence on the economy of the Republic of South Africa.

Mr. Mellor

All our bilateral aid to Zimbabwe aims to strengthen the national economy. In addition, we support the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference, of which Zimbabwe is a member.