§ 6. Richard OttawayTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the agenda for the world summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg in September. [29129]
§ Clare ShortThe UK Government are working to try to ensure that the world summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg in September commits the international community to work for the systematic reduction of poverty in a sustainable planet. It is only on this basis that the world community will be able to agree on the need to manage the resources of the world sustainably. My own hope is that the summit will bring the development and environment agendas together and thus strengthen the international commitment to poverty eradication.
§ 10. Chris McCaffertyTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the United Kingdom's involvement in the preparation for the world summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg in September. [29133]
§ Clare ShortThe UK is fully engaged in preparations for the world summit. The Prime Minister was the first world leader to announce his intention to attend. A Cabinet Committee has been established, under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister, to co-ordinate the Government's approach. We are working hard—within the EU and internationally—to ensure a successful outcome at Johannesburg.