HC Deb 29 February 1968 vol 759 cc1734-5
13. Sir G. Sinclair

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what contribution his department is making to the deliberations of the United Nations Committee for Trade and Development at New Delhi.

Mr. Prentice

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary and four officials from my Ministry are members of the United Kingdom delegation. My Ministry has taken the lead in all preparations for the conference concerning developmental matters.

Sir G. Sinclair

In the light of the Stikker Report, will the right hon. Gentleman say what he and his colleagues have done to facilitate private investment in the developing countries?

Mr. Prentice

It is a continuing concern of my Ministry to try to encourage private investment in developing countries, and we do this in a large number of ways.

Mr. Braine

In view of what the right hon. Gentleman has said, may I ask why, in an extremely long speech, the President of the Board of Trade made no reference to the Stikker Report, and no reference to the advantage of private investment in the developing countries?

Mr. Prentice

I think that perhaps the hon. Gentleman might like to question my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade about this, but I make the comment that he, like other leaders of delegations, had to confine within a fairly short time a speech which covered a vast area of both trade and development polices.