HC Deb 13 June 1989 vol 154 cc351-2W
Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid is provided by the United Kingdom to Central America; and what form it takes, giving figures for each year since 1985 and drawing a distinction between aid provided for reconstruction following the recent hurricane, and other aid.

Mr. Chris Patten

The latest figures for Central America are as follows. They include investment by the Commonwealth Development Corporation but do not take account of joint funding provided to non-govern-mental organisations.

Gross bilateral aid to Central America 1985–88 in current prices.
£ thousands
1985 1986 1987 11988
Costa Rica 12,685 10,038 2,584 991
El Salvador 103 239 411 154
Guatemala 0 10 1 4
Honduras 3,653 1,258 811 1,201
Nicaragua 116 86 0 180
Panama 67 70 72 988
1 Provisional.

This aid is in the form of technical cooperation, apart from (a) investment by the Commonwealth Development Corporation, which was as follows:

£ thousands
1985 1986 1987 1988
Costa Rica 12,389 9,516 2,228 258
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras 2,967 500
Nicaragua
Panama

(b) £20,000 provided to Costa Rica and £180,000 to Nicaragua in 1988 for relief measures following Hurricane Joan; further relief aid was provided in 1989.

(c) Capital aid to the following countries:

£ thousands
1985 1986 1987 1988
Honduras 164 271 241 615
Panama 854

The capital aid to Panama was provided under the aid and trade provision.

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