§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the World Bank report "Sub-Saharan Africa: from Crisis to Sustainable Growth" about660W the amount by which real levels of official aid to Africa need to increase per year through the 1990s; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 8 February 1993]: The World Bank report concludes, on certain assumptions, that to achieve 5 per cent. per annum GDP growth, additional development assistance to Africa needs to grow at 4 per cent. per annum in real terms.
We agree that Africa will require a sustained high level of concessionary external assistance. However, the provision of such assistance will only have lasting impact if it is accompanied by the successful implementation of economic and political reform in individual African countries, enabling domestic resources to be used efficiently and encouraging the private sector.
We aim to maintain a significant level of development assistance for sub-Saharan Africa in the years ahead both bilaterally and through multilateral and EC channels. We have also been prominent among those calling for more generous relief of official debt and we are pleased that 11 African countries have now benefited from Trinidad terms.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the bilateral and multilateral aid programme spent in Africa has been(a) project aid and (b) programme aid for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 8 February 1993]: The figures requested are as follows:
Project and programme aid to Africa 1979 to 19911 Gross British bilateral aid to Africa Year £ millions Project aid2 Per cent. Programme aid Per cent. 1979 231 42.1 16.8 1980 257 35.7 13.6 1981 300 38.6 10.5 1982 247 43.1 13.4 1983 237 42.4 8.9 1984 268 46.9 6.1 1985 315 32.1 9.2 1986 285 31.4 15.2 1987 308 26.6 17.2 1988 427 22.7 26.2 1989 514 27.3 30.9 1990 389 32.3 13.2 1991 521 29.2 21.2 1 Data are not readily available on multilateral disbursements by project and programme aid. 2 Project aid also includes disbursenment from the Aid and Trade Provision and CDC project expenditure; it does not include Technical Co-operation projects.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the bilateral aid programme was spent in Africa for each year since 1979; and what the amount was in cash terms and in constant terms since 1979.
§ Mr. Lennox Boyd[holding answer 8 February 1993]: The figures requested are as follows: 661W
Gross bilateral aid to Africa 1979–91 Year Cash terms Constant terms (1991 prices) Percentage of total bilateral aid allocable by continent Per cent. 1979 231 551 38.3 1980 257 513 42.3 1981 300 538 40.7 1982 247 411 43.2 1983 237 375 40.6 1984 268 405 40.0 1985 315 451 45.3 1986 285 394 40.5 1987 308 406 49.5 1988 427 528 50.3 1989 514 593 53.8 1990 389 417 46.0 1991 521 521 49.4
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to increase bilateral and multilateral aid to Africa in the next financial year.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 8 February 1993]: Africa remains a priority for the overseas aid programme. Almost half of our bilateral aid is directed to Africa. The precise level of spending varies from year to year and depends upon the progress of individual projects and programmes. We will aim to make available substantial support to poorer countries in Africa with which we have close connections and which are pursuing sound development policies. We take the same view in the multilateral agencies to which we contribute.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the multilateral aid programme was spent in Africa for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 8 February 1993]: The information requested is in the table.
United Kingdom share of multilateral aid to Africa 1979 to 1990 Year United Kingdom share of multilateral aid to Africa £ million Total allocable multilateral aid £ million Allocable multilateral aid spent in Africa Per cent. 1979 N/a N/a N/a 1980 116 242 48 1981 147 316 46 1982 173 371 47 1983 189 429 44 1984 227 479 47 1985 232 432 54 1986 233 462 50 1987 239 478 50 1988 301 587 51 1989 334 615 54 1990 366 626 58 Notes:
1. The figures given are estimated by the Overseas Development Administration Statistics Department using data provided by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD on the spending patterns of multilateral agencies, and United Kingdom contributions to multilateral organisations.
2. Estimates were first calculated for 1980 and are not available for 1979.
3. The 1990 figure is a provisional estimate.