§ 2.55 p.m.
§ Lord GisboroughMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they propose to give at the forthcoming UN Conference on Population and Development to proposals for limiting the growth of the world's population.
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, the United Kingdom recognises the need for urgent action to be taken to reduce the rate of growth of the world's population for humanitarian reasons, to achieve higher standards of living and to improve the quality of life.
The United Kingdom supports the principles set down in the World Population Plan of Action. The review and appraisal of the World Population Plan of Action and its further implementation will form a major part of the forthcoming International Conference on Population, which is to be held in Mexico City in August of this year.
§ Lord GisboroughMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Can he say approximately how many countries are concerned in regard to their population growth and in what general areas of the world those countries are? Apart from food shortages, can be say what effects the increasing population are having on these countries?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, attitudes in developing countries have changed dramatically in the last 20 years and there are now some 72 countries, accounting for almost 80 per cent. of the population of the third world, which have policies aimed at providing family planning services.
§ Lord Boyd-CarpenterMy Lords, is my noble friend aware of the fact that the best way to ensure the success of this most important conference would be to secure for it the advice and counsel of that wise man, the Prime Minister of Singapore?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, I will pass on to my right honourable friend my noble friend's thoughts and comments.
Lord OramMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that answers in another place on this subject have revealed a certain complacency on the part of the Government about this conference—a complacency which today's Answer has done only a little to correct? Can he tell the House at what level this country will be represented at the conference? Will it be at ministerial level, or what other level? Since unchecked rises in population have the effect of negating much of the development work of aid agencies throughout the world, is it not most important that this conference should have every possible success? Are the Government playing their full part to ensure that success?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, with regard to the first part of the noble Lord's supplementary question, I want to say that in this matter I was not aware there was any complacency on the part of Her Majesty's Government. We take it very seriously. The United Kingdom delegation is expected to be led by a Minister and it will include officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Overseas Development Administration and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. The leader of the United Kingdom delegation will be making a speech at the plenary session of the conference.
§ Lord RentonMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that England, taken as a separate entity, and leaving aside the small island and city states, is one of the six most densely populated countries in the world? However, thanks to an initiative in your Lordships' House in 1972, we have successful family planning arrangements which are enabling us to reduce the birth rate and stabilise the population. Is my noble friend further aware that therefore the active participation of Her Majesty's Government in this conference will be welcomed by many other countries as an example?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, what expertise and benefit we can bring to the conference with regard to family planning, we certainly will bring.
Lord WinstanleyMy Lords, further to the supplementary question asked to the noble Earl by the noble Lord, Lord Renton, can the noble Earl give the House an unqualified assurance that the Government have no intention of cutting back on birth control and family planning services here at home? Will the noble Earl further agree in that connection that, while we do not have an acute population growth problem here in Britain, the birth of any child unwanted at the time of conception is itself a serious matter?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Winstanley, tempts me down a very different path. If the noble Lord would like to put down a 627 Question on that matter I might not be able to resist the temptation.
§ Lord BrockwayMy Lords, I should like to ask the Minister two questions. First, does he not agree that authoritative surveys have indicated that the growth of population decreases with a higher standard of living? Therefore, would not the Government meet this problem by seeking world action to lift the standard of the hungry people of the third world? Secondly, does not the growth of population require greater food production? Is it not now possible that the deserts of the world could be used, by world action, to produce the necessary extra food to meet the growth of population?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, an increase in the world's population from 4.8 billion now to a forecasted 6.1 billion in the year 2000 will mean that more food is required. But taking that a stage further I really do think is another question.
§ Lord GisboroughMy Lords, will my noble friend arrange that attention is drawn at the Mexico Conference to the destruction of forests and of topsoil by the pressure of population expansion, so that studies can be made on the future decreasing ability to produce food in those areas; on the decreasing supply of timber in the future; and on the possible catastrophic change in world climate?
The Earl of CaithnessMy Lords, as my noble friend Lord Gisborough will be aware, the World Population Plan of Action in 1974 stressed the need to promote improved methods of identifying, extracting, renewing and utilising scarce natural resources, and that will again be covered in the Mexico Conference.
§ Lord BauerMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that it is highly doubtful whether population pressure or growth are significant factors in world poverty? Is he further aware of the fact that many millions of the poorest people live in abundant lands, as, for example, the Aborigines and tribes-folk?