§ 22. Mr. BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the timetable for constitutional reform discussed at his most recent meeting with President de Klerk.
§ Mr. WaldegraveDuring President de Klerk's recent visit, we encouraged him to maintain the momentum of constitutional reform in South Africa. We were impressed by his commitment to move forward as rapidly as possible.
§ Mr. CabornTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what amount of British money has been made available to black political groups in South Africa; what groups have received this money and what amounts have been paid to them; what are the conditions laid down by the Government for the money to be granted; what procedures have to be adopted to make an application for the money; and who administers it.
§ Mr. WaldegraveA scheme was established in March 1990, separate from our aid programme, to help those organisations previously excluded from the political process in South Africa prepare to enter negotiations. This scheme provides practical support, on a non-discriminatory basis, to those making the transition to normal political activity.
Since the scheme's inception, we have made £75,000 available and have given assistance to the following organisations: African National Congress (c £10,500), PAC (Internal) (£2,784) and Inkatha (£4,681).
In each case, the money has been provided in the form of practical material support, designed to help the organisation concerned function as a political party and thus to help towards achieving a negotiated transition to a multi-party democracy.
Any organisations seeking help under this scheme may apply direct to the British embassy in Cape Town/Pretoria, or to any of the three other British diplomatic offices in South Africa. The scheme is administered by Her Majesty's ambassador in South Africa.