Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: The underlying objective of the whole aid programme is to build on and to promote self-help.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: Self-help is central to the whole aid programme. I must tell my hon. Friend that most poor people in developing countries are extremely self-reliant. Our aid programme tries to help village and neighbourhood committees to look after water supplies, to maintain drains, to run kindergartens and to do other similar things. My hon. Friend might like to consider that when we spend between 80 and...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: I apologise for the absence of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, who is in former Yugoslavia today. My right hon. Friend has not recently discussed Afghanistan with representatives of the United Nations.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: We have regular contacts with United Nations representatives. In recent months, we have supported two Security Council presidential statements calling for an end to the hostilities and for support for the programme of humanitarian aid. The United Nations is seeking to re-establish its presence in Afghanistan. A proposal is under consideration to put a mission from the UNHCR back in the country.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: We are fully joining in international efforts to bring a halt to the bloodshed. On 8 June, the Security Council approved the deployment of an expanded United Nations force. We have offered 50 trucks to the United Nations Aid Mission in Rwanda, UNAMIR, and we are considering whether we can do more. We have supported the French initiative to mount a humanitarian mission until the expanded...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: I have outlined the humanitarian assistance that has been given to help refugees in the humanitarian zone and the neighbourhood, and a mission is assessing whether we should be doing more. I can confirm that the French have established a humanitarian zone and that people can live there safely. A Security Council resolution of 1 July established a commission of experts to analyse the...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: The hon. Gentleman has heard what Isaid and he has been in correspondence with my ministerial colleagues. I can only reiterate that the provision of British equipment is the result of what has been requested of us by the United Nations. Of course, we are not the only country that has responded in that area. A number of countries have offered logistical support, including ourselves, America,...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: I am not aware of any detailed conclusions that have been reached; but of course I shall be happy to answer a question from my hon. Friend when those details are available.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: Certainly it would be wrong of the right hon. Gentleman to blame the British Government and I defend the British Government—
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: No. I appreciate that the right hon. Gentleman was seeking to cast blame widely—including, in part, on the British Government. We have responded to the request of the Secretary-General for the supply of equipment. We have made that equipment available; it is being inspected by United Nations people at the moment and will be ready for deployment when the United Nations is ready. It is not...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: I am glad to say that exports to the Asia-Pacific rim region rose by 28.5 per cent. in 1993 to £13 billion, and that since 1990 total export promotion effort at the Foreign Office posts in Asian and Pacific rim countries has risen by 23 per cent.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: My hon. Friend is quite right. As I have said, the export promotion effort has risen substantially: we have created 40 new front-line commercial jobs at posts in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Singapore and Hanoi, and at the British trade and cultural office in Taipei. My hon. Friend can rest assured that a great deal of effort is going into meeting...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: Some facts speak clearly for themselves. In 1992, exports to China were up 72 per cent. and in the first quarter of 1994 they were up 22 per cent., so we are on course to do the same again this year. I do not accept what the hon. Gentleman has said. There have been assurances from Chinese Premier Li Peng and from the Vice Premier and Foreign Minister that China will not discriminate against...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: All I can say is that we are doing extremely well. I cannot give precise comparisons because they are difficult to make. I believe that we are making an enormous effort to help British exporters, who are responding.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: The Secretary of State is worried about developments in Nigeria. The Nigerian Government claim to want a speedy transition to democratic government, but their actions contradict their claims: their decision to put Chief Abiola on trial cannot help to achieve that end. Meanwhile, their regressive economic policies are stifling industrial production and domestic and foreign investment and...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: I can, of course, confirm that we wish Nigeria to return to democratic civilian government. Last June's elections were the most free and fair in Nigeria's history. It is important that Nigeria should have a President who is acceptable to all, and it must be for Nigerians to resolve whom that should be.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, in conjunction with our European partners and the American Government we have imposed certain sanctions against the Nigerian military: visa restrictions, bans on high level visits and on military training, and restrictions on defence sales. Those will remain in force for the time being.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: We take every opportunity in all international forums to urge action against child prostitution.
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: As the hon. Lady knows, I have myself been in touch with the Sri Lankan high commissioner on all these matters. I can tell her that there is a great deal of police co-operation between Britain, Sri Lanka and other countries. The national crime intelligence service has a paedophile unit which gathers information on known British rings and liaises with its counterparts in the region of which...
Mr Mark Lennox-Boyd: I do not think that my hon. Friend's suggestion is a matter for the Foreign Office.
