To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about United Kingdom contributions of aid to Ethiopia during the last five years.

United Kingdom public expenditure on aid to Ethiopia through bilateral and multilateral channels, over the calendar years 1983 to 1987, has been as follows:

£ thousands
		Bilateral	Multilateral1
	1983	3,433	11,920
	1984	7,004	14,150
	1985	28,058	23,200
	1986	9,627	n/a
	1987	8,554	n/a
1 United Kingdom share.
n/a—not available.

The bulk of this aid has been in the form of assistance for famine relief and rehabilitation. Information on the United Kingdom share of multilateral expenditure in Ethiopia in 1986 and 1987 is not yet available. Since January 1987 the United Kingdom has committed over £45 million for famine relief in Ethiopia, including our share of European Community assistance.