§ Lord Beaumont of Whitleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in pursuit of the "contraceptive security" advocated by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development on 20 January (HC Deb, col. 843), they anticipate any problems arising from the United Kingdom's obligations under GATT and WTO; and, if so, what their plans are for solving them. [HL726]
§ Baroness AmosThe term "contraceptive security" is one used to describe conditions where all women and men can access a range of affordable, high-quality contraceptives through public and private channels, enabling them to control their fertility and protect their sexual and reproductive health. The Government, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank and many other donors accept that considerable external support for free and subsidised commodities will be required for some time to meet the reproductive health needs of those in the poorest countries. UNFPA is examining options for strengthening the role of the private sector in contraceptive provision in some developing countries as one way to help ensure the long-term availability of contraception.
The Government do not anticipate problems arising from UK obligations under GATT and WTO.