HC Deb 19 January 1996 vol 269 cc782-4W
Miss Lestor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of private flows from the UK to developing countries went to(a) the least developed third countries and (b) the poorest 50 countries, [8950]

Mr. Hanley

Private flows consist of direct investment, export credit and other flows.

The table gives details of direct investment and private export credit flows from the United Kingdom for the latest available years to the low income countries—56 countries whose GNP per capita was $675 or less in 1992—and to the least developed countries—48 countries defined by the UN as least developed, based on certain economic and social criteria. Some 26 per cent. of total UK direct investment went to low-income countries in 1993. Little of this was to the least-developed countries, a category which includes many francophone countries where British business has traditionally played only a small role.

Figures on export credits represented net flows—that is, disbursements less repayments. It is not possible to give proportions of the total in this case. Table 2 therefore shows individual country details only.

Country breakdowns of other private flows are not available.

Table 1: Direct investment in 1993
Low income countries £ million
Egypt 13.32
Ghana 35.96
Kenya 35.96
Malawi 4.66
Nigeria 347.65
Tanzania 2.00
Uganda 1.33
Zambia 0.67
Zimbabwe 36.63
Bangladesh 6.66
India 137.86
Pakistan 26.64
Sir Lanka 8.66
China 21.31
Indonesia 15.32
Total 694.63
Total direct investment 2,668
Total as percentage of total direct investment 26 per cent.
LLDCs
Malawi 4.66
Tanzania 2.00
Uganda 1.33
Zambia 0.67
Bangladesh 6.66
Total 15.32
Total direct investment 2,668
Total as percentage to total direct investment 0.6 per cent.

Table 2: Net private export credits 1994
Low income countries £ million
Egypt -17.23
Ethiopia 0.13
Ghana 24.07
Ivory Coast -0.83
Kenya -30.03
Lesotho 0.11
Malawi -0.75
Mozambique -0.12
Tanzania -0.01
Uganda -1.20
Zambia -0.19
Zimbabwe -8.75
Yemen -0.09
Bangladesh -0.91
Bhutan 1.45
India 12.63
Maldives -0.11
Nepal -1.38
Pakistan 2.49

Table 2: Net private export credits 1994
Low income countries £ million
Sri Lanka 27.14
China 100.95
Indonesia 69.38
Total 176.75
Total net private export credits 27.13
LLDCs
Angola -1.27
Djibouti -0.35
Ethiopia 0.13
Lesotho 0.11
Malawi -0.75
Mozambique -0.12
Tanzania -0.01
Uganda -1.20
Zambia -0.19
Yemen -0.09
Bangladesh -0.91
Bhutan 1.45
Maldives -0.11
Nepal -1.38
Total 1-4.69
1A minus sign indicates that for that year a country's repayments (as previous advances) exceeded disbursements.