§ 35. Miss Vickersasked the Lord Privy Seal, whether he is aware that the Secretary General of the United Nations has recommended that the meetings of the United Nations Committees on Population, Statistical, Human Rights, and the Social Commission and Status of Women Commission shall not take place in 1964; and what action is being taken by Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. P. ThomasThe answer to the first part of the Question is, Yes, Sir. Her Majesty's Government intend to give the Secretary-General's recommendation their full support.
§ Miss VickersDoes not my hon. Friend think this is a very retrograde step? Does he not think it is a pity that some of these committees should not be 31 amalgamated if there is going to be too much work to have them individually staffed? If they are going to miss one year, can we be certain that they will start again in 1965?
§ Mr. ThomasI would not agree that this is a retrograde step. There are part of wider proposals which were put forward by the Secretary-General with the object of relieving the excessive burden placed on the Secretariat by the increasingly congested programme of conferences and meetings on economic and social matters.
§ Miss VickersWill my hon. Friend see that we take the matter up to ensure that these committees do meet in 1965?
§ Mr. ThomasCertainly I will take that matter up. So far as the present proposals are concerned, we have already announced that we will give the Secretary-General our full support.