A THE MINISTRY OF OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT S MUCH of the work of the Ministry of Overseas Development is connected with the Commonwealth, it has been thought useful to include information about the Ministry and its associated bodies and committees in the Year Book. The Ministry originally came into being in October 1964. It absorbed the Department of Technical Co-operation, which was set up in July 1961, and took over relevant sections of work from the Foreign Office, the Commonwealth Relations Office, the Colonial Office and the Treasury. In 1970 the Government decided that the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs should have responsibility for the work hitherto performed by the Ministry and in November of that year, the Ministry of Overseas Development was formally dissolved and its functions transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Its work then became the charge of a Minister for Overseas Development who had, by delegation from the Secretary of State, full charge of the functional wing known as the Overseas Development Administration, Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This decision was reversed during 1974 and in June of that year the Ministry of Overseas Development was formally re-established. In June 1975 the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was given overall responsibility as Minister of Overseas Development, with a separate Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office exercising responsibility as Minister for Overseas Development. Under these arrangements, the separate Ministry of Overseas Development remained in being. The central purpose of the Ministry is to formulate and carry out British policies for helping the developing countries to raise their living standards. In doing this the Ministry works in harmony with the policies of the overseas departments and other departments concerned. It is responsible for: the British economic aid programme as a whole and its detailed composition; the terms and conditions of aid; the size and nature of the programme for each country; the management of financial aid and technical assistance; relations with international aid organisations; the British interest in United Nations programmes of technical assistance; and relations with voluntary bodies concerned with aid and development. The only exceptions to this are that in relation to dependent territories, Britain's aid is handled by a joint division of the Ministry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Ministry is not responsible for military aid, which remains under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. On the administrative side the Ministry of Overseas Development is organised into a number of Divisions headed by Under-Secretaries. Of these one deals with organisation and finance; another with general aid policy, the development policies of the European Economic Commission and the role of private invest AA ment in development; and a third with multilateral aid agencies and some of the UN specialised Agencies. Others deal with Africa; Asia; and the Western Hemisphere-the Geographical Departments which form part of these are responsible for the capital aid and technical assistance programmes to the countries within these regions and for dealing through British diplomatic posts with the governments concerned regarding these programmes. The remaining Divisions deal with various aspects of technical assistance and are responsible with the Ministry's professional advisers for organising the resources of Britain to provide this form of aid and for contacts with the many organisations in Britain outside as well as inside the Government which contribute to this. The subjects dealt with include agriculture and other natural resources; science and technology; schools and teacher training; social education; universities and technical education; recruitment for service overseas and the terms and conditions of service of personnel serving abroad; policy on the organisation of training in Britain; voluntary organisations and the young volunteers programme; assistance in the medical field and population control, and Britain's relations with UNESCO and FAO. An Information Department operates outside the divisional organisation. The Economic Planning Staff is responsible for the Ministry's work in the economic and statistical fields including the provision of advice, personnel and training where requested by overseas governments. It is divided into three Divisions. Each of the economists in the Geographical Division is responsible for studying the economic problems of group of recipient countries as a basis for the working out of aid programmes that will best contribute to their economic development. The International Economics Division takes part, from the economic point of view, in the formulation of general aid policies, and undertakes research into economic trends which affect the rate of progress of the developing countries. Both Divisions work closely with the operational depart ments concerned. The Statistics Division provides statistical services including compilation of statistics of aid. The Ministry of Overseas Development has a staff of professional advisers on technical subjects and is also advised by members of organisations partly or wholly financed from its funds. Subjects covered include education, medicine, a wide range in the field of natural resources (including agriculture and geology), engineering, building, social development and a number of others. When engineering advice of a specialist nature is required, which falls outside the fields of its own Advisory staff, such as telecommunications, it is able to call on the experience of the Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations. Development Divisions are maintained in Beirut (Middle East Development Division), Bridgetown, Barbados (British Development Division in the Caribbean), Bangkok (South-East Asia Development Division), Nairobi (East Africa Development Division), and Blantyre (Southern African Development Division) These consist of a Head of Division (Assistant Secretary or equivalent grade), Specialist Advisers and supporting staff. They advise the Ministry on the scope and content of British aid to their respective areas and provide technical advice to governments, particularly on development projects. Four specialist units engaged in the provision of technical assistance are attached to the Ministry of Overseas Development; they are the Directorate of Overseas Surveys, the Tropical Products Institute, the Land Resources Division 1 the Centre for Overseas Pest Research. Three independent bodies operate in junction with the Ministry in the field of educational aid the British uncil, the Inter-University Council for Higher Education Overseas, and the uncil for Technical Education and Traning for Overseas Countries. Details these organisations are given in Part VIII of the Year Book (Committees, cieties and Organisations in Britain concerned with the Commonwealth). |