§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement on the proceedings of the United Nations conference convened in Rome earlier this month to consider the funding of an International Fund for Agricultural Development, arising from the decisions taken by the World Food Conference in November 1974.
§ Mrs. HartSixty-five countries, as well as several multilateral aid institutions, were represented on 5th-6th May at the consultative meeting in Geneva on the proposed International Fund for Agricultural Development. The meeting agreed to set up an ad hoc working group to consider and make recommendations on the establishment and operation of the Fund. The target date for the establishment of the Fund is January 1976. The United Kingdom representative reaffirmed Her Majesty's Government's readiness to make a contribution to the Fund if it seems likely to add usefully to international efforts for agricultural development. I believe that there are hopeful prospects of adding to the resources available for this purpose. We propose to play a constructive part in the working group, which is expected to have its first meeting in early July.