Food and Agriculture Organisation (Minister's Speech)

HC Deb 17 November 1955 vol 546 cc771-2

39. Mr. Hurd

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the proposals he made last week in Rome to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations for reviewing this organisation's expenditure so as to concentrate efforts on field work of direct benefit to the countries where nutritional standards are low.

Mr. Amory

Her Majesty's Government support the F.A.O. and are anxious to continue to participate fully in the good work it is doing. In my speech at the recent conference in Rome I paid a tribute to the organisation's achievements and promised our continuing support. I stressed the desirability of concentrating its resources on practical work in the field of direct benefit to countries where productivity and nutritional standards are low. I agreed as to the necessity for an increase in the budget for the next two years, but doubted the necessity for an increase as large as the draft budget suggested.

I have sent my hon. Friend copies of my statement and have had copies placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Hurd

Can my right hon. Friend state what has been the outcome of the discussions about the budget and the amounts of money that should be devoted respectively to the headquarters organisation of F.A.O. and to work in the field? Has any decision been reached?

Mr. Amory

No. Discussions on the matter of the budget are now proceeding in Rome. I should like to say that in every year that I know of the F.A.O. budget which was actually agreed to has not come up to the level of the budget first proposed. However good the work that is being done, I think that it is a good plan to scrutinise existing expenditure carefully before proceeding to new expenditure.

Mr. Gooch

Is it not a fact that the Minister went to Rome, not to ask for a review of the organisation's expenditure, but to deliver an ultimatum to the Director-General that he must reduce expenditure?

Mr. Amory

No. I want to make it quite clear that, both in my speech and generally in the discussions, I said that we agreed as to the desirability of some increase in the total budget, but we were anxious to see that both the existing expenditure and the additional expenditure were concentrated as far as possible upon practical activities.