§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what conclusions were reached at the Commonwealth Conference on Food Production and Rural Development.
Baroness LLEWELLYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, the Common-wealth Ministerial meeting took place in London from the 4th to 12th March, under the chairmanship of my right honourable friend the Minister of Overseas Development. I think the best way fully to answer my noble friend Lord Brockway, is to arrange for a copy of the Report to be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend the Minister whether she is aware that those of us who have seen this Report regard it as one of quite remarkable achievement for which a great tribute should be paid to the Minister of Overseas Development? Is it not a fact that the general public, and even most Members of Parliament, are completely unaware of the decisions made at this Conference; and would the Government look for some way in which they could be made known to the public other than the proposal she has made of laying the Report in the Library of the House?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, of course I cannot speak for Members of Parliament, but I should think it unlikely that they are totally ignorant of this extremely important Conference. I should like to thank my noble friend for what he said about my right honourable friend and to echo it. I think this was an extremely important Conference, principally because the best result which came out of it was the declared intention of both developing and developed countries that a much higher priority should go towards improving development in the rural communities. I should welcome very much any assistance from my noble friend and any other noble Lords in getting greater publicity, but as your Lordships know, sadly, nothing which we do here gets much publicity.
§ Earl COWLEYMy Lords, as the noble Baroness has mentioned the importance of rural development, could she say to what extent the Government feel that Intermediate Technology can play a part in this process?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, I think Intermediate Technology is an extremely interesting subject. It is complex and although its application, as the noble Earl will know, is often rather chancey, I should like to give it all the encouragement I can.
§ Baroness EMMET of AMBERLEYMy Lords, is the Minister's reply an encouragement to my debate on fish farming on 9th April?
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEYes, my Lords. I am delighted the noble Baroness asked her question, because I was going to say, if anybody asked me, that she would be glad to hear that "food production" includes fisheries.