asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the decision was taken to present an electrocardiographic recorder to the Assaf Harofeh hospital at Sarafand in Israel; and whether this is the normal practice of his Department.

Heads of mission in over 100 countries are allowed, within certain limits, to make gifts of British equipment with a developmental or welfare purpose to appropriate institutions. The presentation to the Assaf Harofeh hospital was a case in point.