HC Deb 14 March 1969 vol 779 cc368-9W
Mr. Ian Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will instruct the United Kingdom respresentative at the Committee of Ministers' Deputies of the Council of Europe to move to secure the implementation of paragraphs 5 and 6 of Resolution No. 398 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development at New Delhi, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly on 28th January, 1969.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts

The resolution is still under study by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Her Majesty's Government supported the recommendations adopted by the New Delhi United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Conference calling for tariff preferences for developing countries, a scheme for supplementary financial measures, and an aid target of 1 per cent. of Gross National Product. Our policy on each of them has been stated in this House on various occasions. International discussions in which we are actively involved, are continuing on tariff preferences and on supplementary financial measures. We cannot be specific about the year in which we shall fulfil the new aid target. It depends upon the progress we make in dealing with the balance of payments problem, and this was recognised at New Delhi when we committed ourselves to using our best endeavours to reach the new target as soon as economic circumstances permitted.