§ Harry CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations the Government will be making at Cancun on the effect of subsidies on cotton produced in developed countries on the economies of less developed countries; and if she will make a statement. [125082]
Mr. Mike O"BrienThe UK Government are committed to the Doha mandate aimed at achieving substantial reductions on trade distorting domestic support and reductions of, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies. We will push for progress on both these areas at Cancun. That way we will achieve benefits for all Developing Countries in all sectors.
The UK Government also recognise the important role of commodities like cotton for development and poverty reduction in many developing countries. For this reason we welcome the fact that four West African countries-Benin, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso—have come together to identify their common interests on cotton and argue their case in the WTO. The UK Government have provided "50,000 to the nongovernmental organisation IDEAS who will offer technical assistance to these countries to strengthen their WTO case. It will, however, be important to ensure that the focus of negotiations at Cancun remains on achieving substantial reductions in agricultural support across all products to maximise gains for developing countries as a whole.