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Botswana

My Lords, I shall go back to the basic research to ascertain the facts for certain—but the figure is big enough. Debswana, the diamond mining joint venture between the Government of Botswana and De Beers, is a key player in the national economy, realising about 80 per cent of the country’s export earnings, 40 per cent of GDP and 50 per cent of government revenue. This wealth has been distributed to the population through the provision of social services such as education and healthcare and investment in infrastructure. There is a significant challenge to the government and the nation, and it is HIV/AIDS, which a number of noble Lords have mentioned. I do not know what the true cost to the economy is, but it is obviously substantial. UNAIDS reports that some 37 per cent of the sexually active adult population are infected. However, in recent months, the Government of Botswana have produced a figure of 17 per cent, based on their own impact survey of the total population, from cradle to grave. What is certain is that there is a massive infection and the government are working hard to bear down on it. Some 90 per cent of the budget for HIV/AIDS is met from the government’s own resources, with the donor community making up the 10 per cent balance. Some 58,000 Botswanans receive anti-retroviral treatment completely free of charge. That equates to over half of the 110,000 that UNICEF estimates need such therapy. By 2008, the Botswana Government expect to provide treatment to all Botswanans who require it. These figures are unquestionably difficult, by any standards. There are differences between the figures for the sexes: the female incidence rate is 1.7 times the male rate. The programmes required for prevention of mother-to-child transmission are fundamental, which is why the government are providing drugs to 73 per cent of pregnant HIV-positive women. The number of people who underwent routine HIV testing during 2005 increased, too. DfID is supporting a £7.65 million regional HIV/AIDS programme through the Southern African Development Community. Key elements of the programme are the social marketing of male and female condoms; prevention activities in high transmission cross-border sites; support for national AIDS councils; and promotion of behaviour change. Noble Lords wanted to know what we are doing, and that is among the things that we are doing. It is certainly true that President Mogae has led a public campaign which is itself of considerable importance and contrasts with some of the other programmes in the region. The issues of environment are also important. There is a DfID identification programme which has been established to address Africa-wide issues of desertification. It is true to say that that needs to work with some urgency, given the fragility referred to by the noble Lords, Lord Chidgey and Lord St John, which is plainly to be seen. I turn quickly to the issue of the San. The issue of the San of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve attracts a good deal of attention here. The British High Commission in Botswana regularly discusses the San issue with the Government of Botswana and interested parties. In recent years they have made several visits to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and relocation areas such as the New Kade, the latest being in June 2005. Our High Commissioner to Botswana has raised the issue on several occasions since his arrival in October 2005, and we place it high on our agenda. We look to the Government of Botswana to address effectively the social and cultural differences between the different communities. However, I say to the noble Lord, Lord Pearson, as this issue came up recently in a Question, that there is no doubt that the Botswana Government, dealing with a country overall the size of France and an area of natural reserve the size of Switzerland, are bound to try to respond to some of the demands of the people of that country for proper levels of education for their children and proper opportunities. Those things may not be desired by every one of the San population, but there is no question but that a great many people want, and aspire to, those things for the future, and for their families. We are following the legal case closely, but we understand those aspirations, and we do not believe or accept that clearing sites in order to mine for diamonds plays any part in these programmes. There is no sound evidence of that whatever.