§ Mr. Simon CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British aid to Malawi.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAt the Consultative Group in May 1992, we and other donors agreed to withhold new balance of payments and restrict other forms of aid, pending improvements in Malawi's human rights record. We welcome the decision to hold a referendum on the one-party system and other indications that the Malawi Government are beginning to address human rights issues. It is essential that the referendum is conducted fairly and those calling for democratic changes are allowed to campaign freely and openly. We continue to urge the Malawi Government to make further improvements in human rights.
We keep our position on aid under regular review, but for the moment we are concentrating new aid on humanitarian relief and projects to help the poorest. So far this year we have allocated £12.3 million of humanitarian relief, including £0.5 million of medical supplies offered during November.