HC Deb 17 July 1974 vol 877 cc427-8
7. Mr. Terry Walker

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans lie has to meet the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. David Ennals)

My right hon. Friend looks forward to meeting the Secretary-General as soon as this is mutually convenient.

Mr. Walker

It is very important that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State meets the Secretary-General of the United Nations, because the United Nations has a great part to play in the maintenance of world peace. This has been underlined in the last few days, due to the Cyprus emergency. I hope that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will take an early opportunity to meet the Secretary-General.

Mr. Ennals

I assure my hon. Friend that there have been a number of discussions with the Secretary-General. I had a long meeting with him myself at a special session of the General Assembly, and our representatives in New York are in constant touch with the Secretary-General, as is indicated by the number of occasions he has expressed deep appreciation for the rôle of Her Majesty's Government in the United Nations.

Mr. Blaker

When the right hon. Gentleman meets the Secretary-General will he discuss with him the Secretary General's views about the likely world food situation over the coming decade? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Secretary-General and other people in responsible positions, such as the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, have expressed gloomy views about the probability that the world food situation will deteriorate over the coming years? Is he also aware that this is very relevant to the question whether it is likely that in future years we shall be able to buy food more cheaply outside or inside the EEC?

Mr. Ennals

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to draw the attention of the House to what is a serious problem. The stocks of food in the world have never been—certainly not in the past 20 years—at a lower level than they are now, and there is also a problem regarding fertilisers. There has been discussion on this matter in the Food and Agriculture Organisation and recently at a meeting of a working party at which we were represented, and it will be a central issue at the World Food Congress which is to take place in November this year, in which we shall play an active part.

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