§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made since September in providing a telephone link and other communications facilities in Hargeisa, Berbera and the north of Somalia generally, Republic of Somaliland.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydEarlier this year the BBC world service in Somalia increased its output to broadcast 19W missing persons letters for an hour over each week to the whole of Somalia including the north. On 12 December in recognition of the crisis in Somalia it began a new dawn service bringing local and international news including news of Somali matters at the UN to the whole country.
We have provided an expert to investigage how we may assist with the improvement of communications in the area and to advise Save the Children Fund (UK) on the development of its communications links throughout the country. We are considering his recommendations.