§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 21 October,Official Report, column 320, what percentages of the United Kingdom and EC food for Somalia have come from EC food surpluses; and what commodities have been sent.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 5 November 1992]: A list of the commodities provided under United Kingdom food aid to Somalia was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) on 29 October—columns 799–800. Information on commodities provided as EC food aid was contained in the letter sent to the hon. Member by my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development on 22 September, a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Much of the food aid is provided through grants to NGO's, including the International Committee for the Red Cross, which are themselves responsible for the purchase from the most appropriate source, whether in the EC or elsewhere. The type of food provided for Somalia has not been determined by the availability of particular commodities in surplus in the EC, but rather by the requirements of those affected by the famine. The source of purchase is equally determined by timing, availability of food and transport, and price, rather than by the need to reduce EC surpluses.
No part of United Kingdom food aid for Somalia has come from EC intervention stocks. As to the percentage of EC food aid provided to Somalia from intervention, I shall write to the hon. Gentleman when we receive the information which we have requested from the European Commission, but I would not expect it to be a large proportion.