§ 44. Mr. Cyril D. TownsendTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role he sees for the global environmental facility in helping developing countries with their environmental problems.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe role of the global environment facility is to help developing countries act to reduce threats to the global environment. It will finance costs that are justified only by their global benefits. It will play a key role in helping to finance responsibilities accepted by developing countries under the conventions on climate change and biological diversity, which we hope will be agreed over the coming months.
§ Mr. TownsendWill my right hon. Friend confirm that that excellent facility is not supported from the aid budget? Does she agree that it should be reinforced and strengthened so that the developing countries can play their full part in dealing with the world's acute environmental problems?
§ Mrs. ChalkerI can, indeed, assure my hon. Friend that the £40.3 million for the GEF is additional to and separate from the development aid budget. In addition, there is up to a further £9.4 million for the Montreal protocol fund. We very much hope that that money will help many countries to phase out CFCs much earlier than they might otherwise have done.