HC Deb 27 July 1989 vol 157 cc802-3W
Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance in terms of(a) programme and (b) value was made available in 1988–89 to (a) El Salvador, (b) Honduras, (c) Guatemala, (d) Costa Rica, (e) Panama, (f) Nicaragua, (g) Cuba, and (h) Belize; and what is projected for 1989–90.

Mr. Sainsbury

Figures for the financial year 1988–89 are not yet available for all these countries. Latest provisional figures of bilateral aid in the calendar year 1988 are as follows:

£ thousand
El Salvador 154
Honduras 1,212
Guatemala 4
Costa Rica 1,550
Panama 988
Nicaragua 180
Cuba 2
Belize 3,176

This aid was in the form of technical co-operation, apart from:

  1. (a) Commonwealth Development Corporation investment of £817,000 in Costa Rica and £340,000 in Belize;
  2. (b) Capital aid of £1,547,000 for Belize and £615,000 for Honduras;
  3. (c) Financial aid under the aid and trade provision of £854,000 for Panama; and £47,000 for Belize;
  4. (d) £20,000 provided to Costa Rica and £180,000 to Nicaragua for relief measures following Hurricane Joan; further relief was provided in 1989;
  5. (e) £140,000 provided to El Salvador for refugee relief.

These figures do not include our contribution through the European Community or to development projects jointly funded with British voluntary agencies.

In 1989–90 we expect our aid to the region to remain at about the same level.