asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will list the countries which will receive aid in 1968; and the amounts in each case.

The Estimates for Overseas Aid (Bilateral) will when it is published shortly show amounts of aid for specific countries in cases where those amounts have been settled. Further information will be made available as subsequent allocations are determined.

What can the Minister do to combate the widespread prejudice and ignorance about overseas aid, much of it fostered by hon. Gentlemen opposite?

All of us who believe that the aid programme is a proper and necessary part of our policy ought to do everything that we can to speak, write and argue in favour of it in every way possible.

What is the global total likely to be?

The basic aid programme will be £205 million. There will be certain additional items. I have described those in answer to previous Questions. The total of the additional items cannot be announced, because some are still being negotiated.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what criteria are taken into account before it is decided to give Government aid to a foreign country.

The main criteria are the needs of the countries concerned and their capacity to make effective use of aid. While the main motive is to raise the living standards of the developing countries, we recognise that donors and recipients share mutual benefits, e.g., by the promotion of trade.

While accepting the need for overseas aid, would the Minister not think that one of the criteria and conditions which we should impose is that of friendship?

That would need closer definition. Clearly, political relationships play a part in determining the pattern. If a country breaks off diplomatic relations with us, that has an effect. I hope that the hon. Gentleman is not suggesting that we should turn aid on and off like a tap because of temporary difficulties.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will name the countries now in receipt of British aid which have no normal diplomatic relations with Her Majesty's Government.

Tanzania is the only country receiving significant assistance though we are also continuing to assist four trainees from Syria.

Has the Minister any policy on this matter? Does he also include countries which have defaulted on repayment of loans to us under this heading?

There are some countries in the latter category. I cannot give details without notice. I answered a Question on this point a few weeks ago. Most countries in that category would be receiving technical assistance only, and the sums would not be very large.

Will the Minister look at the other side of the medal where, as in the case of Somalia, we have exchanged ambassadors in the last week or two after five years in the wilderness? Is there not a case for sympathetic consideration concerning Somalia? I hope that the Minister will bear this in mind.

I will bear it in mind. I think my hon. Friend will appreciate that the present financial limits on the aid programme do not leave much room for manœuvre.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what volume of private capital was invested in developing countries and multilateral agencies during 1966; what percentage change this represents from the corresponding figures in 1965; and what is the expected figure for 1967.

The estimated value in 1965 was £148 million. For 1966 a provisional estimate of £133 million is available. Both these figures are liable to substantial revision and it is too early to say whether the difference of 10 per cent. between them reflects the true position. No information for 1967 is yet available.

In view of the widespread and well founded belief that the transfer of resources to developing countries is far better entrusted to private than to public agencies, is it not to be regretted that even the tentative figures which the right hon. Gentleman is able to present to the House show such a sad decline?

Developing countries need a flow of both official aid and private investment. Neither one can do the total job. As for the figures, the hon. Gentleman might like to know that the provisional estimate for 1965 proved to be wrong. The final figure was 50 per cent. higher than the provisional one. So it is really too early to draw conclusions from the figures which I gave.

Would the Minister not agree that the Government's general policy of inhibiting additional investment overseas is not in the best interests of the developing countries?

It is not the Government's policy to inhibit private investment in developing countries.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development when he expects to make an announcement about the British contribution to the International Development Association.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will state the Government's policy in regard to the new proposals for the replenishment of the funds of the International Development Association made by the President of the World Bank on 18th January.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, Her Majesty's Government are prepared to contribute £21·6 million per annum to a replenishment at a level of $400 million per annum over three years as proposed by the President of the World Bank, provided other contributors also agree. This represents an increase in resources of 60 per cent. over the last replenishment, with Britain's share in dollar terms remaining at 12·96 per cent.

Will the Minister accept that this is welcome news? Can he say whether he has any plans for a personal meeting with the new President of the World Bank?

Not at this stage, but I hope that a meeting will be possible before very long.

We on this side welcome the Government's decision. But bearing in mind that hitherto this country has gained substantially from the aid that has gone through the I.D.A, have the Government yet made up their mind about the proposals for giving the Americans balance of payments protection in respect of their contribution to the I.D.A.?

Yes. We are willing to enter into special arrangements with I.D.A. and other contributors, providing there is general agreement, to enable the United States to postpone payments due to them, or at least to limit their demand to the amount of procurement in the United States, as long as other funds are still available. This would have the effect in certain cases of postponing their payments while other countries pay first. It would not alter their final liability in the three years' period.

Could my right hon. Friend confirm that for every £ we contribute to I.D.A. we still get 30s. worth of orders?

Yes. I think that is the approximate figure. Therefore, it is in our interests, as well as those of the developing countries, that the activities of the I.D.A. should be expanded. The 60 per cent. expansion to which I referred is welcome. Indeed, Her Majesty's Government would have preferred to see a larger expansion still, and we were prepared to go to a doubling of the existing level.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what will be the value of the British contribution to the world food programme in 1968; and how this compares with the contribution in 1967.

The disbursements to the World Food Programme in 1967 and 1968 are not separate contributions but form part of a pledge of $6·2 million covering the whole of the three year period, 1966–68. Disbursements in any one of the three years are not comparable since they reflect the rate at which the World Food Programme is able to take up the total pledge. The disbursements in 1967 totalled £410,000; in 1968 they are expected to be £1·2 million.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether he is having any discussions with the Minister of Agriculture to determine in what way we could contribute to the food programme without putting any stress on our own balance of payments?

My Department keeps in touch with the Ministry of Agriculture about the nature of our pledge. Half of our pledge is in commodities, and those that we offered are dried eggs, dried milk and canned fish. These commodities represent the kind of things that we can offer with the least strain to ourselves, as well as being useful in terms of the needs of the programme.

As world population is rising much faster than world production of food, can the Minister say what steps have been taken internationally to reduce the growth in world population and to increase world food supplies?

The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that the World Food Programme is an official one and only part of the total effort being made. Concerning population control, it is clear that increasing attention is being paid to that by the developing countries, and in various ways countries like our own are able to help to a great extent. Certainly we want to do more than we are doing and we are making it clear to many countries concerned.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the number of non-graduates supported by the Government with the current British volunteer programme.

The provisional total is 936. Of these 552 are people with higher qualifications and 384 are school leavers.

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that there are certain useful jobs of work which can be done by people with ordinary manual skills provided they have had some special training? Will he say what discussions he has had with the trade unions and other organisations that might be able to help in this work?

Yes. I am very keen that people from industry should play a larger part in this programme than has been the case so far. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary had meetings with employers' organisations and trade union leaders during last year about this matter and we are trying in various ways to follow it up.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether there has been any increase in this figure over the last year or two and does he share the view that this is an important part of the work that needs to be done?

The total number of volunteers in 1967–68 is 1,540. That unfortunately is lower than the figure for the previous year, though higher than any preceding year. The total for 1968–69 is 1,950, and the Government will do all they can to help the voluntary bodies in reaching this target

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if, when examining the effect of devaluation on overseas aid, he will give priority to the technical assistance programme.

Yes, Sir. Technical assistance accounts for nearly one fifth of our aid programme this year and the proportion is likely to be higher next year.

Can my right hon. Friend confirm that when the effects of devaluation are taken into account the technical assistance programme will not have to suffer?

We have already announced that we are making adjustments to the salaries and allowances of technical assistance personnel serving in countries which have not devalued. I do not think it will be possible to increase the total size of our technical assistance provision next year, but bearing in mind that the whole programme takes the effects of devaluation, the proportion spent on technical assistance will be somewhat larger.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will make a statement on the aid proposed for Zambia.

Development aid for which my Ministry is responsible is expected to amount to about £4·9 million in 1967–68 and £4·0 million in 1968–69. These figures do not include contingency aid related to the effects of the illegal declaration of independence, which is administered by the Commonwealth Office.

Can the Minister say whether the £15 million already voted has been used? Does he agree that it would save a lot of money both here and in Zambia if the Government came to an agreement with Rhodesia?

I think that both parts of that question are for the Commonwealth Secretary. The first part about the £15 million relates to contingency aid which, as I said in my original reply, is not administered by my Department.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether in deciding the aid to Zambia account is taken of the enormous financial bonus accruing to that country as a result of the long-sustained steep rise in copper prices over the last six months?

Concerning development aid administered by my Department, the main emphasis in future will be on technical assistance, because Zambia is still poor in terms of skilled personnel, although from the capital point of view it has been helped by the developments to which my right hon. Friend referred.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will make a statement on the financial talks with the Government of Mauritius.

We are expecting to hold financial talks with the Mauritius Government in the latter part of March. Their purpose will be to discuss British development aid to Mauritius in the Mauritius financial year 1968–69.

Is it not unprecedented for a country not to know the development aid that it will get for the next three years before it becomes independent? Is not this an entirely new principle which has never been applied to any other country becoming independent?

No. I am a fairly new Minister, but I think the procedure here has been followed before and is being followed in other cases currently.

Will the right hon. Gentleman—

Order. The hon. Member must wait until I call him. Mr. Braine.

I beg your pardon, Mr. Speaker. Will the right hon. Gentleman be a bit more forthcoming? He referred to development aid in the future. I understand that Mauritius is already getting budgetary aid. Do the talks to which the right hon. Gentleman referred cover the question of budgetary aid and when will these talks be completed?

The talks will take place in the latter part of March. I cannot say for how long they will last. Clearly it will be in the interests of both parties to complete them expeditiously. The Mauritius Government have already undertaken to balance their recurrent budget from next year, and therefore we are not contemplating budgetary aid for the future, but development aid.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what steps the British High Commissioner in Kenya is taking, in view of recent representations made to him, to investigate the reason- ableness of valuations of land offered under the million-acre scheme.

The British High Commissioner in Nairobi is in constant touch with the Kenya authorities on the administration of the land transfer schemes which are being assisted by British farmers is valued in accordance with the agreements between the British and Kenya Governments.

In view of the allegations that the British High Commission is not carrying out the responsibility laid on it under the agreement between the two Governments, either in the million-acre scheme or the 400,000-acre scheme, will the right hon. Gentleman set up an independent judicial inquiry to investigate these allegations, both in the interests of the British High Commission, and of the Government?

No, Sir. I do not think that there is a case for that proposal. I will always consider representations made to me. With regard to the million-acre scheme, to which the original Question relates, the main difficulty arose towards the end of the scheme in the Cherangani area. The British High Commission made representations to the Kenya Government, which resulted in new offers being made. Sixteen farmers received new offers, and 13 have since accepted them.

Is it not a fact that the Government agreed that if the offer fell outside an agreed bracket, which was taken broadly as 20 per cent., the British High Commissioner had a right to intervene? Why has he not intervened in the cases submitted to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton), and the cases which I submitted to him?

In my supplementary reply I referred to the instances when he intervened with some success. If there are other cases, perhaps I could have more details from the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what contribution his department is making to the deliberations of the United Nations Committee for Trade and Development at New Delhi.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary and four officials from my Ministry are members of the United Kingdom delegation. My Ministry has taken the lead in all preparations for the conference concerning developmental matters.

In the light of the Stikker Report, will the right hon. Gentleman say what he and his colleagues have done to facilitate private investment in the developing countries?

It is a continuing concern of my Ministry to try to encourage private investment in developing countries, and we do this in a large number of ways.

In view of what the right hon. Gentleman has said, may I ask why, in an extremely long speech, the President of the Board of Trade made no reference to the Stikker Report, and no reference to the advantage of private investment in the developing countries?

I think that perhaps the hon. Gentleman might like to question my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade about this, but I make the comment that he, like other leaders of delegations, had to confine within a fairly short time a speech which covered a vast area of both trade and development polices.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how many feasibility studies have been financed by his Department in 1966 and 1967; what was the cost to Her Majesty's Government; and how many British and foreign firms, respectively, received contracts as a result of these studies.

In 1966, 16 feasibility studies were commissioned by the Ministry of Overseas Development at a cost to Her Majesty's Government of £128,400. In 1967, 28 studies were commissioned. The cost to the British Government was £291,500.

As at 1st February this year, 15 of these studies had not been completed. Decisions of the overseas Governments or other authorities in relation to the studies that have been completed have not yet been communicated to me.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether he is satisfied that action of this nature has put our overseas firms on equal competitive terms with the firms of other competing countries which rely on consultants often sponsored by themselves?

We now normally require an assurance that any project carried out in accordance with the recommendations of one of these feasibility reports will not be financed in such a way that British companies can be precluded from tendering. I think that that gives the hon. Gentleman the kind of assurance that he wants. I think that, generally, these feasibility studies are helpful to British trade as well as being helpful to the countries in which they take place.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what his Department is contributing in technical aid to help the civilian population in Vietnam; and what arrangements he is making to co-operate with voluntary organisations.

We expect to spend about £367,000 on aid to Vietnam in the current financial year, of which £285,000 will be on the Vote of my Department. Depending on the nature and cost of the requests we receive from the Vietnamese Government, I would expect my Department to spend between £200,000 and £300,000 on technical aid in 1968–69. These figures do not include expenditure from the grant of £250,000 which we are providing for emergency aid.

As regards the voluntary organisations, we are working very closely with them.

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that reply. Does not he agree that the best way we can help to rehabilitate the country is by providing technical aid, and that we should carry on with this for as long as we possibly can?

I agree with that. There is a later Question about our future plans in regard to medical aid, in particular, which plays the biggest part in our technical assistance programme.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that any aid or assistance given should get through to the right people? Will he tell us something about the co-ordination between the British Embassy and the voluntary organisations?

It is true that we must ensure that aid gets through to the people who need it, and the staff of the British Embassy are working hard on these matters. They are working hard both in relation to the official aid, which is financed by Her Majesty's Government, and the aid which is now flowing to an increasing extent from voluntary organisations in this country.

In view of the great public interest in this matter, will the right hon. Gentleman consider issuing a White Paper or a Report showing in detail how this money is being spent?

I will consider that, although I must say that from replies to this Question and others on the Order Paper quite a lot of information will be available to the House.

As Vietnam consists of North Vietnam and South Vietnam, will my right hon. Friend say how the aid is distributed between those two countries?

Government aid is entirely to South Vietnam. [HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"] No request has been received from the Government of North Vietnam for official aid from this country. If a request were received, it would certainly be considered. The funds from voluntary bodies are going to both parts of Vietnam.

On a point of order. In his reply my right hon. Friend said that this aid was being given to Vietnam. He has now said that it is being given to only one part of Vietnam, South Vietnam.

The hon. Member knows that that is not a point of order.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what medical assistance he intends to send to Vietnam.

We expect soon to increase the British medical team to 26 or 27 for work in the children's hospital and in two large residual refugee camps to be established in Cholon; to provide more equipment and supplies for the expanded activities of the British medical project; and to provide substantial equipment for provincial hospitals to replace equipment destroyed or damaged in the recent fighting.

These proposals conform to requests made to us by the South Vietnamese Minister of Health and are based on advice from my Chief Medical Adviser who has just returned from Saigon.

While nurses seem to be volunteering in large numbers for service in Vietnam, is there still a shortage of doctor volunteers? If so, will the Minister consider sending some Service doctors to help in civilian hospitals?

I think that the sending of Service men, whether doctors or anyone else, would have very great complications. As for the recruitment of doctors and nurses, as I said in reply to an earlier Question, we hope to build up the team to 26 or 27, but it is too early to say what success we are having in this recruitment. It is true that nurses are coming forward more readily than doctors, but we hope to fill all the vacancies in both categories.

Will the Minister consider making overtures to ensure that the aid is equitably spread between North and South Vietnam, because many people in North Vietnam are suffering from the vicious American bombing?

I have already made it clear that our aid is going to South Vietnam, that this is in response to requests from South Vietnam and that we have had no requests for aid from North Vietnam.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development since the pensions of widows payable from the Ceylon Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Fund are payable in Ceylon rupees and they are therefore suffering a loss in income, what steps he is taking to mitigate the effects of the British devaluation on their incomes.

The loss in income arises not from the British devaluation, but the greater Ceylon devaluation. We are in consultation with the Ceylon Government on means by which the sterling value of these pensions might be maintained, and we are continuing to base supplements payable from British funds on the original sterling value.

Should Ceylon do nothing about the basic pension, will the Government augment it, bearing in mind the fact that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor said about our devaluation that the poor would not really be affected?

I think that that point is a little premature. Consultation is going on through the High Commission in Ceylon, and I hope that this will be successful. The hon. Gentleman will not expect me to say anything at this stage which might prejudice that discussion.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether, since the Index of Retail Prices has risen by 6·2 per cent. from the last time that the pensions of members of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service were supplemented, and the hourly wage rate index has risen by 10·2 per cent. during the same period, he will consider making a further supplement available for pensioners of those Commonwealth countries that have not increased pensions to expatriate officers in the meantime.

Pension supplements to overseas pensioners are governed by the Pensions (Increase) Acts, 1962 and 1965, and correspond to those granted to United Kingdom public service pensioners. The Government's policy relating to public service pensioners was stated by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary in his speech on 26th January. ߞ[Vol. 757; c. 796.]

May I ask by how much prices have to rise before pensioners are thought of again?

These matters were dealt with by my hon. Friend in the speech to which I referred. He said that the Government would continue to keep this matter under review, and balance the claims of public service pensioners against other claims on the public purse.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the estimated value of orders placed in the United Kingdom during 1967–68 as the result of multilateral aid programmes and of untied aid programmes by countries other than the United Kingdom; and how this compares with the value of orders placed in this country during the same year as the result of United Kingdom tied aid programmes.

Orders placed in the United Kingdom from multilateral programmes in 1967–68 are hard to quantify but should be about £30 million. Other countries' untied aid amounted to £330 million in 1966. Some will have been spent here but the value cannot be accurately estimated. Orders directly attributable to British tied aid should be about £100 million in 1967–68.

Would my right hon. Friend not agree that the figures for untied aid and multilateral aid are very encouraging for our own economic self-interest and that we should give a lead in the development of this sort of aid internationally?

Yes, Sir, the figures are encouraging. It is my policy that the proportion of aid going through multilateral agencies should increase to some extent, and this will be apparent in next year's programme. On the general untying of aid, it would probably benefit this country if all aid throughout the world were untied, but this country clearly cannot, on its own, untie its aid, unless others are prepared to do the same.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what will be the net cost of the British overseas aid and development programme in 1967–68 and 1968–69 as compared with the gross targets for those years after the receipt of interest and capital repayment on loans to the developing countries; and whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed analysis of such repayments.

The gross target for the basic aid programme in each year is £205 million. Figures for actual disbursements cannot yet be given. Capital repayments and interests together are expected to amount to about £53 million and £58 million respectively in the two years. I shall, with permission, circulate details in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that the amount of aid now

It is reasonable that a proportion of aid should be in the form of loans, but these loans should take account of the economic circumstances of the countries concerned. That is why one of the most important improvements in our aid programmes came about two or three years ago, when we moved in the direction of interest-free loans. About 90 per cent. of our new loans since then have been interest-free.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will now stop all aid in any form to Egypt.

No, Sir. In fact the only direct aid my Ministry is giving to the U.A.R. at present is to pay the cost of one Egyptian trainee in Britain. The British Council is also providing some training facilities in this country for a number of Egyptians.

I welcome the scanty nature of that aid. Does the right hon. Gentleman not accept that, while Egypt is spending large sums on arms which menace her neighbours and wilfully casting away revenues by keeping the Suez Canal closed, it is wrong to ask the British taxpayer to help her?

I do not think, from the figures which I have given, that the British taxpayer is contributing a significant sum in this respect. It is probably in the interests of the U.A.R. and its neighbours for economic progress to take place in the U.A.R. Therefore, I see no ground for stopping the rather modest programme which we have at present.

Is there not some discussion proceeding now between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the U.A.R. about a £20 million loan for Egypt? Will my right hon. Friend understand that there will be no question of provision of this kind to Egypt—[An HON. MEMBER: "Why not?"] May I be allowed to put a question with the consent—I was proceeding and I was interrupted, Mr. Speaker—I object to interruptions—

Order. The right hon. Gentleman must not interrupt himself.

May I put my point? Can it be understood that there can be no question of aid to Egypt unless it abandons its intransigence in the area?

I think that my right hon. Friend means the short bridging loan which has been provided by a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, to assist Egypt to repay her debt to the I.M.F. This is a matter of a loan for a few weeks only, and the responsibility for it falls right outside my Department.

Would the right hon. Gentleman agree that no loan or underwriting of an international loan should be made available to Egypt except on condition that the blocked sterling balances belonging to many hundreds of British subjects in Cairo are released?

If the hon. Gentleman wants to pursue the question of the short-term bridging loan, he should do so with the Foreign Secretary. I do not agree personally with the view which he just expressed.

Should not aid to Egypt be in the form of advice on how to clear the Suez Canal and open it to international shipping, thus enabling Egypt to earn her own living?

Certainly, all of us would join my hon. Friend in the hope that the Suez Canal should be opened as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if he will make a statement on his visit to the British Virgin Islands.

I spent three days in the British Virgin Islands earlier this month in order to see something of the development problems of this small British dependent territory and of the efforts which are being made to solve them. It is clear that economic growth depends largely on the development of tourism. I am glad to see that steady development is taking place, mainly in the private sector. Her Majesty's Government are helping considerably with the improvement of the airport, and the new comprehensive school among other things. Our total aid next financial year is expected to be over £400,000 approaching 20 per cent. higher than this year.

I am glad to hear that Answer. As the British Virgins use dollars—[Laughter.]—as the British Virgin Islanders use dollars as their local currency, does the right hon. Gentleman intend to increase our financial aid, in view of devaluation, by the amount of devaluation?

Yes, Sir, the figures have been adjusted to take into account the effects of devaluation.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development which of the 70 nations voting on the Trusteeship Commission in favour of the resolution deploring the Gibraltar referendum or abstaining, receives aid from Great Britain.

As the reply is long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the number then considerable or not? If so, is it not rather surprising? Does the Minister take into 'account the attitude of a country towards self-determination when considering allocations?

As I said in reply to an earlier Question, the political attitudes of a country, in the long run, have some effect, but it would be wrong and against our interests as well as those of developing countries if we were to look at a specific instance like a vote in the U.N. and say that we would turn off aid immediately to the countries concerned.

What does my right hon. Friend consider to be "the long run"? It would be wrong, surely, if we gave aid on the basis of political considerations rather than of need.

I mean, for example, that, if a country were to break off diplomatic relations with us, it would be unlikely that any new aid agreements would be reached with that country.

Would the right hon. Gentleman do all he can to help Gibraltar, especially because, since yesterday, Gibraltarians may have great difficulty in coming here?

It has been made clear many times from this Box that the British Government stand by Gibraltar and their relations with Gibraltar.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what assistance has been sent to Vietnam by his Department since the escalation of the fighting.

As the list of supplies and equipment is rather long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. One additional nurse joined the medical team in Saigon on 21st February.

I would thank the Minister for his personal interest in Vietnam. Will he remember that both West Germany and Japan are doing ten times as much as we are to relieve civilian suffering in South Vietnam? Will he press his colleagues to let him be more generous?

The emergency aid which we are giving is gratefully appreciated in South Vietnam, and our supplies were among the earliest to reach Saigon. We are doing something of value here. In reply to a later Question. I will give details of our future intentions.

Has an adequate amount of aid been sent to North Vietnam? Would my right hon. Friend not agree that this would be coincident with our position as co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference and conducive to the cause of peace?

We normally respond to requests for aid from countries concerned. We have had no such request from North Vietnam, but if one were received we should, of course, consider it.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what action he has taken to assist industry to use its unused capacity to meet overseas needs.

My Ministry tries to take account of surplus capacity when administering the aid programme. The choice of goods financed under the programme is, however, primarily governed by the development requirements of the recipient countries and it is not usually practicable to relate credits specifically to surplus capacity.

What contribution was offered by private industry at the U.N.C.T.A.D. Conference which was held recently in Delhi?

The U.N.C.T.A.D. Conference is a conference of Governments and we did not, at the last one, relay any offer from private industry.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman recall that this was one of the more imaginative proposals contained in the 1964 Labour Party manifesto? Is he now saying that it was totally impracticable?

No, Sir, it is not totally impracticable and something is being done about it. It is difficult to operate this on a large scale because of the difficulty of relating specifically the requirements of a developing country, in terms of its development plans and so on, to surplus capacity here, particularly since there is often a time lag between the time when a plan is drawn up and the availability of goods in a particular place.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that a great deal of interest is being shown in this matter on both sides of the House? Will he do his utmost to see that unused capacity in various parts of the country, including the North-East, in regard to, for example, ships and engineering, is made use of for the benefit of countries in Africa and elsewhere?

Yes, Sir. I am aware of that, and all sections of my Department receive bulletins at regular intervals of surplus capacity in various parts of Britain of which they should take account in the planning of their programmes; but there are limitations on the effect of this, for the reasons I have given.

asked the Postmaster-General what estimate he has made of the effect of future mergers in the British computer industry upon the supply of equipment for the National Giro.

As far as I am aware, there should be no effect. The future needs of the National Giro are adequately covered in the contract already placed for British computer equipment.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage of fully-paid letters for addresses in London, and posted in time for the last collection in London, are delivered by first post the next working day.

I am unable to give precise figures, as the regular monthly returns on which we base our statistics do not take account of place of posting. However, test checks made from time to time in London give results rather better than the national average.