HC Deb 15 January 1992 vol 201 cc572-3W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial or logistical support Her Majesty's Government have given to the organisers of the '92 global forum to be held in conjunction with the Earth summit at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June in the current year.

Mr. Baldry

The Government are contributing to international funding to enable government experts and representatives of non-governmental organisations from developing countries to attend UNCED and its preparatory committees. It is also providing financial support to British NGOs to enable them to contribute to United Kingdom preparations. It is the Government's priority to concentrate effort on ensuring the widest possible participation of governments and NGOs in the United Nations conference itself rather than the other events that are being held in parallel in Rio de Janeiro.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if has has any plans to meet(a) the British chambers of commerce and (b) non-governmental organisations in regard to plans for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June.

Mr. Baldry

My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside has held a number of meetings with environment and development nongovernmental organisations and with representatives of the business community, including the United Kingdom section of the International Chamber of Commerce, on British preparations for UNCED. Further meetings are planned between now and the conference itself.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what preparations or proposals his Department has made for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June;

(2) if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in preparing proposals and reaching agreement on international environmental protection protocols and conventions for the Earth summit at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June.

Mr. Baldry

The Department of the Environment is responsible for co-ordinating the United Kingdom's preparations for UNCED in close consultation with other Government Departments and the non-governmental community. A number of wide-ranging British proposals have been put forward in the preparatory committees and in the parallel negotiations for conventions on climate change and biological diversity which we hope will be signed in Rio de Janeiro in June. A booklet on the United Kingdom's overall approach to UNCED has been prepared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.