HC Deb 14 December 1990 vol 182 cc511-2W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimates have been made of the amount of aid needed for reconstruction in South Africa, once apartheid has been dismantled, and in Mozambique and Angola, once peace is achieved.

Mrs. Chalker

It is too early to assess how much aid will be needed for these purposes. Britain remains committed to the creation of a prosperous and just southern Africa. This commitment underlies our current involvement in the region, and will continue to do so as appropriate and as circumstances change.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the size and purpose of(a) British and (b) EC aid for black South Africans.

Mrs. Chalker

The purpose of the British aid programme is to encourage the process of change in South Africa and to help black South Africans improve their abilities to play their rightful role in Government and economic and social development. In 1990–91 we expect to spend around £8 million from the bilateral programme, a figure that is set to rise in the years ahead.

The European Community aims to assist those disadvantaged by apartheid through projects which promote non-racialism, encourage democratic practices, and enjoy community support; and through non-violent organisations working for peaceful change. The European Community's South African programme amounts to the equivalent of approximately £20 million in 1990, of which our share will be about £4 million.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of all aid committed to the countries of Southern Africa and to SADCC in 1989 and 1990, stating the purpose of each allocation.

Mrs. Chalker

British bilateral aid commitments for the countries of southern Africa and SADCC cover a wide range of development activities, for expenditure in 1989 and 1990 and, in a number of cases, for the years beyond. They range from formal obligations to capital projects both large, such as the rehabilitation of Limpopo railway, and small, expenditure on which often stretches over several years, to technical co-operation where we are committed to the provision of expatriate expertise and training for local officers. The numbers of technical co-operation officers and trainees from the region both run into hundreds.

The most prominent commitments we have are for the SADCC projects and for the provision of programme aid in particular countries. Our commitment to SADCC amounts in total to £70 million, of which £10 million was pledged in 1990 and £15 million was committed in 1989 to finance the second phase of the Limpopo railway project. Programme aid pledges in 1989 and 1990, taken together, were made for Malawi (£10.5 million); Mozambique (£10 million); Tanzania (£17.5 million); and Zambia (£30 million).

In addition, Britain has pledged £10 million for Namibia, for commitment over three years from 1990, and an extra £10 million for our aid programme for black South Africans, for expenditure over four years. A pledge of £10 million was made to Zimbabwe in 1989, again for expenditure over a number of years.

Details of actual expenditure in 1989 can be obtained from "British Aid Statistics".