HC Deb 12 June 1972 vol 838 cc187-8W
31. Mr. John D. Grant

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the World Development Movement about accepting the 0.7 per cent. of gross national product target for official aid, following the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development at Santiago; and what reply he has sent.

Mr. Wood

I have since received one letter from World Development Movement groups, and will put a copy of my reply in the Library of the House of Commons.

32. Mr. Edwin Wainwright

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the value in money of the financial and other forms of aid that Her Majesty's Government have granted to the developing nations during each of the past four years; and what these figures are compared as percentages of the United Kingdom's gross national product.

Mr. Wood

I gave these figures in answer to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Crowder) on 5th June.—[Vol. 838, c. 17.]

33. Mr. Frank Judd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now make a statement on the Government's policy towards official governmental and inter governmental aid programmes following the relevant discussions at the third United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Santiago.

36. Mr. Marten

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the aid aspects of the third United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Mr. Wood

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade will, with permission, be answering general questions on UNCTAD III at the end of Question Time. We supported resolutions to give developing countries a greater say in international monetary reform; improved terms and conditions of bilateral aid; measures of special treatment for the least developed; increased and more flexible flows of multilateral aid; and supplementary finance to relieve unexpected falls in export earnings.

We did not commit ourselves to a target of 0.7 per cent. of gross national product for official aid, but we promised to consider further increases in the official programme if it seems likely that we shall fall short of the 1 per cent. target in the middle of this decade.

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