HC Deb 06 June 1997 vol 295 cc257-8W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will make a statement on the current provision of aid to Myanmar; [2134]

(2) if she will make a statement on her policy in respect of Myanmar. [2133]

Clare Short

In common with its European Partners, Britain suspended non-humanitarian aid to Burma in 1988. There are no present plans to change this position.

In 1995–96 (the latest year for which figures are available), British bilateral aid came to £324,000 of which £294,000 was for the support of refugees on the Thai-Burma border and for disaster relief. The remainder includes colonial pension payments (which are charged to the Aid Programme) and expenditure under Head of Mission discretionary schemes.

Britain's estimated share of net multilateral aid to Burma, all of which was for humanitarian purposes, came to £900,000 in 1995 (the latest available figure).