§ 38. Mr. Ian BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on providing overseas aid targeted to help street children.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydImproving the health and social development of children is a major objective of the ODA and we aim to provide for children to be the direct beneficiaries of our programmes.
§ Mr. BruceI thank my hon. Friend for that excellent reply and I thank the Prime Minister for having put this country's moral stamp of approval on the programme for helping street children by visiting the street children centre in Rio. Can my hon. Friend confirm that the Foreign Office is looking in particular at Guatemala and trying to persuade it to take positive steps to help street children?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydYes. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, who is shortly to make a statement, visited the San Martino refuge in Rio de Janeiro last week. The United Kingdom's interest in the fate of these unhappy children is well recognised and understood by experts in Brazil. We are a leading country in this area.