Malawi (Hansard, 27 November 1989)

§ Mr. Chris Mullin
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British Government employees are currently based in Malawi; and what are their duties.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
Thirty-one British Government employees are currently based in Malawi. Sixteen are employed at the British high commission in Lilongwe in normal diplomatic service duties. Fifteen are employed at the office of the British development division in southern Africa, also in Lilongwe, which manages our aid programmes in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
There are also 13 technical co-operation officers, employed by the British Government, who are on loan to the Government of Malawi.
98W

§ Mr. Mullin
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the fund-raising activities of British diplomats in Malawi during the last two years.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
British diplomats themselves are not involved in any fund-raising activities in Malawi. The Association of Diplomatic Women in Lilongwe, which represents all wives and women staff in the diplomatic community there, organises fund-raising events and gives the proceeds to private charities in Malawi. Members of British diplomatic families have taken part in these events, in particular an annual fair.

§ Mr. Mullin
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made since 1979 to the Government of Malawi regarding human rights in that country.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The Government of Malawi are fully aware of our views on human rights, which have been made known on a number of occasions in various fora, including the United Nations. My right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised the issue in Malawi during her visit there in 1987. We are aware of recent developments and are monitoring them closely.