§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether there is a minimum population of St. Helena below which the Government considers the island to be unsustainable; and if he will make a statement. [174759]
Mr. Gareth ThomasDFID has no such limit in mind and remain committed to supporting St Helena. However, DFID recognises that population decline has been a problem in recent years and is supporting the island government's efforts to address it.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been the cost to the UK taxpayer of maintaining St. Helena over the past 25 years for which figures are available. [174761]
Mr. Gareth ThomasDFID's bilateral spending on St. Helena between 1977 and the end of the UK Financial Year 2002–03 totalled over £233 million. This included some modest support, totalling less than £200,000 annually in recent years, for the St. Helena "dependency" of Tristan Da Cunha. Final figures for 2003–04 are not yet available, but are expected to add a further £11 million approximately to that total. St Helena also receives some assistance from the FCO Good Governance Fund and Economic Diversification Programme, amounting to nearly £1.5 million since 1999. In addition, the UK government share of European Union financial commitments to St. Helena since 1981 is over £500,000. DFID and the FCO departmental administration costs are not broken down by individual Territory.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will estimate the annual(a) saving to the UK and (b) benefit to the economy of St. Helena of providing air access for St. Helena. [174762]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe information on which to base that estimate is not available. DFID should have a better idea, however, when current work to assess and compare future physical access options for St. Helena is completed later this year. I refer the hon. Member to my Written Statement on 19 April 2004,Official Report, column 1WS.