§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they decided to confine their aid to Liberia to humanitarian assistance and not to provide any funds for development; whether they intend to respond to the United Nations Secretary-General's appeal to the international community to support post-election Liberia; and whether, in particular, they will offer to 269WA fund the services of a British expert in planning the resuscitation of the rubber industry, to provide employment for thousands of ex-combatants.
§ Lord WhittyPart of our £5.925 million of humanitarian assistance to Liberia since 1 April 1995 supports post-election NGO programmes on primary health care, reintegration of war-affected children and water and environmental sanitation for displaced persons and must take priority over industrial reconstruction. A DFID mission is planned for early next year which will examine the situation in-country and deliver a future strategy on Liberia.