International Development

Tuesday 21st December 2010 Ministerial Corrections

Western Sahara: Food

[Jeremy Corbyn]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assessment he has made of (a) the food security situation in Western Sahara and (b) the implication for food security in that country of the arrival of recent settlers;

(2) how much his Department spent on agricultural development in Western Sahara in each of the last five years; and what proportion of that expenditure was in respect of the (a) Saharawi population and (b) Moroccan settlers;

(3) how much his Department spent on emergency food aid in Western Sahara in each of the last five years; and what proportion of that expenditure was in respect of the (a) Saharawi population and (b) Moroccan settlers.

[Official Report, 13 December 2010, Vol. 520, c. 447W.]

Letter of correction from Mr Stephen O’Brien:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) on 13 December 2010. The full answer given was as follows:

[Mr O'Brien]

The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have a bilateral aid programme in Western Sahara and has not provided direct emergency funds to the country in the last five years. We support Western Sahara through our share of the budget of the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO). ECHO has provided €133 million in humanitarian aid to Western Sahara since it was established. DFID monitors all humanitarian situations on an ongoing basis.

The correct answer should have been:

[Mr O'Brien]

The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have a bilateral aid programme in Western Sahara and has not provided direct emergency funds to the country in the last five years. We support Western Sahara through our share of the budget of the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO). ECHO has provided €165 million in humanitarian aid since it was established. DFID monitors all humanitarian situations on an ongoing basis.