§ 2. Mrs. Maria Fyfe (Glasgow, Maryhill)What steps she is taking to encourage consumer interest in fair trade products. [79104]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. George Foulkes)I, my right hon. Friend and officials in our Department take every possible opportunity to promote fair trade products and support ethical trading in mainstream business.
§ Mrs. FyfeI thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Will he join me in congratulating both those who have persuaded their local shops to put fair trade products on their shelves and the shops that have taken part in raising the sale of such products to new heights? Does he agree that the House has helped by buying its coffee and tea as fair trade products; and that if local authorities and other bodies followed suit, it would give great practical help in dealing with poverty in the developing world while allowing us to enjoy the quality of the products?
§ Mr. FoulkesI am grateful to my hon. Friend. I hope that she will join me in congratulating our Department's Parliamentary Private Secretary, who, as Chairman of the Catering Committee, has ensured that the House has fair trade coffee and tea. The Secretary of State has also written to 500 major companies asking them to follow suit by stocking fair trade coffee in their vending machines. The House's example could be followed by others, including local authorities. I hope that hon. 209 Members will encourage their local authorities to provide fair trade coffee and tea. It would come much better from ordinary Members than from big brother Government.
§ Mr. Bowen Wells (Hertford and Stortford)Talking of fair trade, will the Minister consider the report, published today, of the World Trade Organisation on fair trade for bananas? Will he call together all the parties involved so that we can negotiate fair trade for bananas from the vulnerable producing states of the Caribbean?
§ Mr. FoulkesI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman—I nearly said "my hon. Friend". Yesterday, I met representatives of the Caribbean banana exporters and came to a similar conclusion. We need a negotiated settlement acceptable to everyone. The WTO ruling suggests some ways forward, which we are examining with the other Departments involved, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. We hope that we can find an agreed way forward as quickly as possible.