§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all United Kingdom emergency relief for refugees from Iraq; from which ODA budget the aid is paid; and whether the ODA's budget for 1991–92 has been increased to cover the cost of emergency aid for Iraqi refugees.
§ Mrs. ChalkerTotal commitments for relief operations for refugees from Iraq in 1990–91 are estimated at £18.37 million. £3.25 million has been paid from the ODA's humanitarian aid subhead A3(9), and £2.5 million for ICRC from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office vote, clases II, vote 5. The remainder is our estimated share of EC budgetary expenditure and will be attributed to the aid programme in the usual way. The £18.37 million was allocated as follows:
- August 1990:—£2 million to the International Organisation for Migration.
- August 1990:—£0.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross and Jordanian Red Crescent.
- August 1990:—£0.25 million relief supplies from the United Kingdom.
- August 1990:—£8.25 million through the European Community
- January 1991:—US$1 million to United Nations Disaster Relief Organisation.
- February 1991:—£2.5 million to International Committee of the Red Cross Gulf Appeal
- January-March 1991:—£4.37 million through the European Community.
Commitments so far in this financial year total £21.65 million, excluding the cost of RAF airdrops and airlift operations.
Specific allocations are:
- April 1991—£0.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- April 1991—£336,000 for relief supply flights to Turkey on 5 April.
- April 1991—£350,000 for relief supply nights to Iran on 9 April and 10 April.
269 - April 1991—£30,000 grants each to Save the Children Fund and CARE (UK) for food purchases via the Turkish Red Crescent Society.
- April 1991—£50,000 grant to OXFAM for relief supply flights.
- April 1991—£650,000 through the European Community.
Our initial assistance of over £1 million in April 1991 is being met from funds earmarked for disaster relief in the ODA's contingency reserve, provision for which is in subhead A3(7). Of the £20 million announced by the Prime Minister on 5 April, £8 million is being drawn from the aid programme contingency reserve. The balance of £12 million is our estimated share of EC budgetary expenditure and will be attributed to the aid programme.
The United Kingdom is also providing daily relief supply flights to Turkey. Supplies are being distributed by Hercules aircraft and Chinook helicopters based at Dyarbakir. The costs of these airlift and helicopter operations are estimated at £1.5 million per week. Two further relief supply flights will leave for Iran on 18 April and 19 April. More will follow. The costs of these operations are also being met from the aid programme contingency reserve.
ODA's budget for 1991–92 has not been increased further to meet the costs of these relief operations. But, as I made clear to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 17 April, the Government will look sympathetically at the case for extra money.