§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his policy to support the proposal put forward by the United Nations Development Programme to the world summit for social development, requiring donor states to devote a minimum of 20 per cent. of their development assistance to meeting basic human needs. [14916]
§ Mr. BaldryThe world summit for social development declaration called for greater efforts to be made, by donors and developing countries, to help meet basic social needs. We welcome this: the whole of the United Kingdom aid programme is about helping people in poorer countries to improve their lives.
Common definitions and measures of basic social needs have yet to be established in the international development context—we stand ready to support further work in this area.