§ 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 were the conclusions of the biennial meeting of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America in Bolivia and what contribution the British delegation made to them.
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America, at its meeting in La Paz at the end of April, passed a number of resolutions of which the most important concerned the international development strategy, protectionism and industrial restructuring. These resolutions embodied the aims of the Latin American members for the subsequent UNCTAD V Session in Manila. The non-regional members placed reservations on paragraphs that they could not support. Their role is necessarily limited but the British delegation did what it could to play a positive part.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, in thanking the Minister for that very full reply, may I ask him this: While one recognises that many of the Governments are themselves responsible for the gulf between riches and poverty, is there not a need, as suggested by the chairman, the leader of the Netherlands delegation, for the industrialised nations to contribute 960 towards ending the critical poverty of 59 per cent. of the population by reform of financial and trading institutions and by seeking a stabilisation of commodity prices?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, we already do what we can in the way of aid for countries in this region, but the noble Lord will realise that we live in hard and difficult times and it is not always possible to do as much as we would like.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, is it not the case that a Select Committee of this House, chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Roberthall, made a series of important studies in this matter and made recommendations? These were published about six months ago. Have the Government paid due attention to them?
§ Lord TREFGARNEMy Lords, yes, indeed we have.