International Economic Co-operation

HC Deb 28 July 1976 vol 916 c291W

15. Mr. Roper

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Conference on International Co-operation.

Mr. Hattersley

The four Commissions of the Conference on International Economic Co-operation have held five sessions during 1976. The fifth session made some progress in establishing the detailed work programme for the rest of the year, leading to a ministerial conference in December 1976. Disagreements arose over the question of how debt and the purchasing power of developing countries should be handled in the remainder of the conference. It was agreed that the co-chairmen of the conference would maintain contact to seek an agreed basis for the continuation of the conference's work in September.