HL Deb 02 November 1993 vol 549 cc111-2WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the text currently being negotiated under the GATT is in every respect fully compatible with the Declaration on Sustainable Development, to which they committed the United Kingdom at Rio in 1992.

Lord Strathclyde

The Government are confident that the results of the Uruguay Round currently being negotiated in GATT will fully support the principles set out in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. The Uruguay Round will provide for a substantial liberalisation of world trade, and for the introduction of new rules and disciplines in services, intellectual property and agriculture. The result will be a substantial non-inflationary boost to world income, much of which will be of direct benefit to developing countries. Such a boost will both accelerate the process of development and help provide the resources necessary for the proper protection of the environment.