§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's proposals relating to women and sustainable development for the Earth summit II. [3758]
§ Clare ShortOne of the messages the UK will be stressing at the Earth summit II is that environmental sustainability and the elimination of poverty go hand in hand. I firmly believe that empowering women is a major key to poverty reduction. My Department will be refocusing its efforts to support the aim of halving the proportion of people living in abject poverty by 2015.