asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of work undertaken by RAF Hercules on famine relief in Ethiopia; and for how long that work will continue.

Two RAF Hercules and their detachment, including a team from the Royal Corps of Transport, have been operating in Ethiopia since November 1984. Up to 22 October they had airlifted 15,934 tonnes of relief supplies and dropped a further 11,704 tonnes. The operation is much appreciated in Ethiopia. As I announced on 22 July at column 723, we have offered to keep the British detachment in Ethiopia until the latter part of December.