§ Mr. Prenticeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increased support, financial and otherwise, will be given to the work of the Food and Agriculture Organisation during 1962, in view of Her Majesty's Government's decision to support the United Nations Development Decade; and what increase is planned for future years.
§ Mr. SoamesThe proposals for the United Nations Development Decade are still under discussion. The F.A.O. budget and the assessed contributions of individual member states for 1962 and 1963 were fixed in November, 1961, and have therefore not been affected by these proposals. Nonetheless, the United Kingdom contribution to F.A.O.'s regular budget for 1962 shows an increase of more than 50 per cent. over our contribution for 1961. How the working out of the proposals for the Development Decade may influence F.A.O.'s expenditure cannot yet be known, and I cannot at the moment say what the United Kingdom contribution to F.A.O. during the remainder of the Decade will be.