HC Deb 12 May 1988 vol 133 cc219-20W
Miss Lestor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects are run in Fiji by the Commonwealth Development Corporation; what money is involved in each of them; and what periods the commitments cover.

Mr. Mellor

The Commonwealth Development Corporation is now involved in seven projects in Fiji. It has either provided loan money or taken up equities in each project. The companies or institutions involved, with the amounts, are as follows:

Position at 31 December 1987
Equity Fiji $ million Loan £ million
Fiji Citrus Products 0.23 0.32
Fiji Development Co Ltd 0.53 0.94
Fiji Electricity Authority 13.15
Fiji Pine Commission 3.61
Fiji Sugar Corporation 4.02
Tropik Wood Industries Ltd 2.00 4.16
Fiji Forest Industries Ltd 1.55
TOTAL 2.76 27.75

The equities are not held for any set term. The loans have agreed terms for payment of capital and interest to CDC over varying periods up to the year 2000. The CDC is also negotiating a loan of £5 million to the Fiji Development bank, for on-lending to small farmers and fishermen, to be disbursed by CDC between 1988 and 1991.

Miss Lestor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there has been any new technical co-operation with Fiji since May 1987.

Mr. Mellor

Technical co-operation with Fiji concentrates on manpower support and training. Since May 1987, 17 new awards for training in the United Kingdom have been made and the following new appointments in Fiji have been financed or supplemented from the bilateral country programme:

  • Financial Adviser to Posts and Telecommunications
  • Director, Roads and Airfields
  • Principal Utilisation Officer, Forestry
  • Director, Water and Sewage.

Miss Lestor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the level of United Kingdom aid to Fiji since May 1987; and if he will give figures for the equivalent period for 1986–87.

Mr. Mellor

Assistance to Fiji from the Overseas Development Administration from May 1987 to the end of March 1988 totalled £971,938. The amount for the equivalent period in 1986–87 was £1,003,971. This excludes expenditure by the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

Forward to