§ Lord BROCKWAYasked Her Majesty's Government:
What conclusions were reached at the Geneva Conference of Ministers 740WA representing a hundred countries to consider how a repetition of last year's famine in Kampuchea (Cambodia) can be averted, how the country's long-term food security can be guaranteed, and how the necessary funds can be raised; and what contributions, political, organisational and monetary, the United Kingdom proposes to make to save thousands of lives.
§ Lord CARRINGTONCopies of the chairman's summing up of the meeting and of the speech by my honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Blaker) have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. My honourable friend regretted the existence of political and other obstacles to the effective distribution of relief aid to all in need, and pressed for their urgent removal. Enough funds have now been raised to give some ground for hope that future harvests will be sufficient for the needs of Cambodia, a fertile country which in normal times has traditionally produced a surplus of rice. The United Kingdom will be making a national contribution to the current appeal of £1 million. This, together with our share of the joint contribution of the European Community, will bring our total contribution to the Cambodia relief programme to over £11 million.