HC Deb 23 June 1958 vol 590 cc1-2W
3. Mrs. Butler

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals have been made by United Kingdom delegates to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations during the last five years for the elimination of malnutrition among children in East and Central Africa; what steps have been taken to implement decisions reached; and what is the number of Food and Agriculture Organisation experts who have assisted in this work in Kenya, Tanganyika, Zanzibar, and Central Africa, respectively, for the same years.

Mr. John Hare

Her Majesty's Government consistently support the Food and Agriculture Organisation in its efforts, with other agencies, to improve nutrition in the less developed parts of the world.

At the F.A.O. Conference held in November last Her Majesty's Government supported the expansion of the work of the Nutrition Division. The Programme of Work and Budget for 1958–59 referred as follows to Africa south of the Sahara: Attention will be given to education in nutrition, school feeding, and to the study of protein rich foods other than milk, particularly groundnut preparations and fish flour. With respect to such foods, research work and acceptability trials under F.A.O. guidance will be undertaken. School feeding programmes will call for preliminary surveys and assistance in organisation Further appraisal of nutrition problems and measures to solve these will be needed; the joint F.A.O./W.H.O. seminar (1959) on the organisation of nutrition services and nutrition programmes and the evaluation of nutrition problems will contribute to this end The growing tempo of nutrition work in Africa will increase the need for journeys to and within Africa on the part of the regular staff and for the employment of consultants.

F.A.O.'s work in this field is on the following lines:

  1. (i) Bringing together workers in different countries to discuss their problems.
  2. (ii) Co-operating with other bodies such as W.H.O., U.N.I.C.E.F. and the Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa south of the Sahara.
  3. (iii) Arranging technical help, to countries seeking it, through funds provided by the United Nations Expanded Technical Assistance Programme.
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  4. (iv) Advising the Medical and Agricultural Departments of Governments, including those in East and Central Africa.

Exact information on the number of experts employed, or of the volume of work undertaken by F.A.O. during the past five years in British East and Central African territories is not available. At least sixteen experts in one branch or another of this subject have worked under F.A.O. auspices in these territories during the period in question.