§ Dame Joan Vickersasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government has taken on Recommendation No. 515 in reply to the Second Report on the activities of the World Food Programme which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 22W 1st February, 1968; and what is their contribution to the Programme.
§ Mr. MulleyWe have undertaken to make available to the World Food Programme a total of £2.68 million in commodities and cash for the calendar years 1969 and 1970. This represents by far our largest contribution to the Programme since its inception. It comprises a regular pledge of £620,000 for each of the two years; an allocation of £1.2 million from our first year's obligation under the Rome Food Aid Convention; and a further £240,000 in cash towards freightage, insurance and administration of the latter contribution.
The Recommendation that the activities of the World Food Programme be expanded to include food production requisities, in particular fertilisers, is still being considered by the Inter-Governmental Committee of the World Food Programme.
As a major contributor to the World Food Programme, Her Majesty's Government is naturally concerned to ensure that the closest co-operation is maintained between the World Food Programme and other multilateral and bilateral programmes.