Nicaragua (Hansard, 28 November 1989)

§ Mr. Macdonald
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to resume direct aid to Nicaragua following the conduct of free and fair national elections; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if United Kingdom development aid will he made available to meet the needs of the Nicaraguan people after the February 1990 elections are held, regardless of which party or parties form the next Government.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told President Ortega in May, we will judge Nicaragua's performance on the facts. As regards aid, we have to set priorities and we focus mainly on Commonwealth countries, with which we have close ties, and on the poorest countries. We do, of course, take into account changes in circumstances.

§ Mrs. Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria Nicaragua is required to meet before Her Majesty's Government will provide bilateral development aid to meet the needs of the Nicaraguan people.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
Our aid priorities concentrate on the developing Commonwealth countries and on the poorest countries. We recognise, nevertheless, the case for helping other developing countries also. The most recent figures published by the World Bank indicate that there are 60 countries with per capita incomes lower than Nicaragua's. Nevertheless, we are contributing, through the European Community aid programme, to Nicaragua. Our share of200W EC commitments in 1988 totalled £3.3 million. We also provided bilateral emergency aid of over £260,000 in 1988 to assist following Hurricane Joan. In addition, since 1985–86, we have supported from our aid programme 42 projects in Nicaragua jointly funded with Oxfam, CAFOD and Christian Aid at a total cost to the aid programme of £247,000.

§ Mrs. Clwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings Violeta Chamoro had with Ministers or officials during her visit to the United Kingdom; and under what terms United Kingdom development aid was offered to Nicaragua.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
Senora Chamoro was received by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and by officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The subject of bilateral development aid was not raised from either side.