HC Deb 20 June 2003 vol 407 c503W
Ms Drown

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on consultations between her Department and campaigners for fair trade before the 5th WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun. [120156]

Ms Hewitt

I meet regularly with representatives from civil society to discuss the Government's international trade policy. I last met with representatives from the Trade Justice Movement on 21 May to discuss how we can ensure that this is a true development round.

Campaigners for fairer trade help to raise the profile of trade and development issues. It is important that the Government and campaigners for trade justice continue to work together to ensure that the Doha Development Agenda becomes a reality.

A representative from Action Aid will be part of the official UK delegation to the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun and, as I recently announced to the House, I have accepted an invitation from Christian Aid to visit Guatemala prior to the Cancun meeting.