Mr. Tom Clarke asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the level of emergency support being provided by Her Majesy's Government to assist with the present Crisis in Mozambique.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the level of emergency support being provided by Her Majesy's Government to assist with the present Crisis in Mozambique.

In response to my hon. Friend the Member for Monklands, West (Mr. Clarke) the Minister told the House of the Government's attitude towards South Africa, but the reality is that South Africa continues to be the major determinant of the Crisis in Mozambique and continues to fund the terrorists fighting in that country.

After the immediate Crisis in Mozambique, the big job will be to help with the reconstruction when it will draw down on many of its reserves, but it will need more support.

I do not know whether noble Lords have been struck over the past few days by the coverage of the Crisis in Mozambique--the last of a number of weather crises which have occurred over the past few months--and the short-term nature of the solutions which have been put forward.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department first asked the Ministry of Defence to provide helicopters to help in the Mozambique Crisis.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department first sought helicopters to assist in the Mozambique Crisis.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department has hired helicopters from Captain McKenzie of Nairobi to help in the Mozambique Crisis.

Until about 4 o'clock, there will be a debate entitled "The Government's Handling of the Mozambique Crisis" followed by a debate entitled "The Protection of Green Fields and the Imposition of House Building Targets".

Resolved, That this House commends the Government for its speedy and effective response to the humanitarian Crisis in Mozambique.

I beg to move,That this House notes with concern that the Government's response to the humanitarian Crisis in Mozambique was hampered by indecision and delay, and that infighting between Ministers in the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence contributed to the delay in sending helicopters and boats to assist in the rescue of the people of Mozambique; deeply regrets that lives were lost as a result; deplores the absence of 'joined up government' and the failure by the Prime Minister to intervene until Her Majesty's Opposition and the media exposed the Government's failings; calls upon Ministers to accept responsibility for such delays; and seeks assurance that the response to any future disasters will be more immediate and co-ordinated.

The House should judge the Government's handling of the Mozambique Crisis not by the standards of tabloid headlines or unrealistic counsel of perfection but by the words and promises of the Secretary of State.

In the medium term, it will be important for the House to debate the failure of the international community's multilateral agencies to respond to the Crisis in Mozambique, and to others.

I quote from The Observer - my favourite Sunday newspaper - of 5 March, which said:The British Government was last night accused of cynically attempting to manipulate public opinionmsurely not - over its humanitarian response to the Mozambique Crisis after announcing an extra £70 million in aid - only to be forced to admit the figure was less than the amount it had already announced would be spent on aid to the country prior to the recent flooding.

I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof: commends the Government for its speedy and effective response to the humanitarian Crisis in Mozambique.

The House will see that my officials had been commissioning and sending help long before there was any media interest in the Crisis in Mozambique, and that we will remain engaged after the media has moved on.

There were obviously failures in communication and in responsibility, but it is not fair to blame the British Government, who have done more than any other country to assist during the Crisis in Mozambique.

The real Crisis in Mozambique has nothing to do with flooding; it is to do with HIV and AIDS.

I thank the Secretary of State for that answer, but she will be aware that, during the Mozambique Crisis, I contacted her office on behalf of helicopter companies in Aberdeen.

Every time that I consider major disasters, such as the Mozambique Crisis or the refugee crisis in Kosovo, I am more convinced of the need for a mechanism to facilitate the rapid deployment of military equipment.