HC Deb 03 December 1976 vol 921 cc293-4W
Mr. Spearing

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will make a statement about his discussions with the voluntary agencies associated with the Voluntary Committee on Overseas Aid and Development (VOCAD) and the Standing Conference of the United Nation's Second Development Decade on the establishment of a consultative council and a development education fund.

Mr. Prentice

Last summer I invited a small working party composed of people from certain voluntary agencies to consider proposals I had made about the establishment of a consultative council. I discussed the Working Party's recommendations with a cross-section of agencies earlier this week. I have now decided to set up a Council on International Development with a membership of about 40 people selected both from organisations whose primary interest is in development questions or developing countries and from industry, trades unions and other organisations whose interests are affected by or could have an effect upon Britain's relations with developing countries. Members will be appointed as individuals. I hope that the Council will provide an opportunity for a regular and efficient dialogue on development matters between Ministers at my Ministry and a wide circle of people representative of the interests of our national community.

It is proposed that the Council will hold its first meeting in the early part of 1977.

Subject to the approval of Parliament, I also intend to allocate £150,000 from the aid programme to a development education fund for expenditure on education and information work on overseas development matters, this work to be carried out in the United Kingdom by non-governmental organisations. This is the first time that official funds will be available for such purposes and I am setting up a small committee to advise me on their use. The Voluntary Committee on Overseas Aid and Development—VOCAD—itself is to be wound up at the end of this year, but its education unit will continue as an independent organisation. I have undertaken to support the unit for at least two years from the development education fund.