asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department would be prepared to assist the cultivation of jojoba in the Sudan and the Sahel region to combat desertification.

Subject to the priorities attached to the use by the recipient Governments of our bilateral aid, we would be prepared to consider requests to assist in combating desertification. Whether this would include the cultivation of jojoba would depend on the particular characteristics of the area involved. We already provide assistance for international research, including institutions concerned with arid and semi-arid regions.