§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Brazil about the destruction of the rain forest.
§ Mr. EggarMy right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised this question during the visit to London on 9–10 March by the Secretary General of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He left Sr Flecha de Lima in no doubt as to the strength of feeling in this country about the rate of destruction. I also conveyed our concerns during that visit, as I also had done earlier in conversation with the President of Brazil during my visit in November 1988.
I refer the hon. Member to my speech on the rain forests issue in the debate on 13 March following the Consolidated Fund Bill.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further programmes he intends supporting in Brazil to assist in arresting the destruction of the tropical rain forest.
§ Mr. Chris PattenFollowing discussions with the Secretary-General of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his recent visit to London, we are considering, at his request, what support further to that being provided for the Maraca rainforest we could give to scientific work or technical assistance for the rain forests. We shall also be discussing these issues with the Secretary-General of the Brazilian Ministry of the Interior when he visits London later this month.