§ Viscount Craigavonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking to encourage the incorporation of population issues, both formally and informally, into the agenda for the United Nations conference on the environment and development to be held in Brazil in 1992; and what prominence they will give to population issues in the United Kingdom national report to be submitted in preparation for the conference.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness):The UK delegation to the second meeting of the preparatory committee for 90WA the conference, which met in Geneva from 18th March to 5th April, made a statement requesting the Secretary General of the conference (Dr. Maurice Strong) to prepare a report on population issues for the next meeting of the preparatory committee in August. At our request, the Netherlands, on behalf of the European Community, did the same. The Minister for Overseas Development plans to raise this issue when she sees Dr. Strong on 18th April. The Government's White Paper on the environment, This Common Inheritance, published last autumn, will form part of the UK's national report to the conference. Pages 49–50 cover population issues. We shall continue to urge in all the appropriate fora that population issues are properly addressed in the conference.