§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration has been given to the environmental implications of the European Community and the United States' proposals on trade-related investment measures and trade in intellectual property rights in the current general agreement on tariffs and trade round.
§ Mr. RedwoodThe Government believe that agreements such as those sought by the European Community and the United States in the current GATT Uruguay round negotiations to liberalise trade in the fields of investment and intellectual property will helpfully complement wider international efforts to tackle global and regional environmental problems. For example, by providing greater incentives and security for innovators, a GATT agreement leading to improved international protection of intellectual property would help facilitate the investment and technology flows needed to meet environmental challenges.