Orders of the Day — European Communities

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 4:53 pm on 31 July 1980.

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Photo of Mr Peter Shore Mr Peter Shore , Tower Hamlets Stepney and Poplar 4:53, 31 July 1980

If the hon. Gentleman is suggesting an increase in the EEC's aid budget I shall willingly look at any proposition that is made. Britain must decide, on aid budgets, whether we have the right balance of distribution to the member countries of the Lomé convention as opposed to the poor and needy Commonwealth and other countries outside Lome, such as India and Bangladesh.

The more imaginative proposals in Brandt for switching resources to developing countries—I refer to the proposed levies on world trade and arms trade—are dismissed with just a few cursory comments.

There is to be a special session of the United Nations between 25 August and 5 September on North-South relations and the whole question of development policies. I have a specific question for the Lord Privy Seal. I understand that EEC guidelines for this special session were agreed at the Council meeting of 22 July. The House wants to know what proposals are being taken from the Council of Ministers to this special session. We know the views of the British Government from the Select Committee document to which I referred. Is this essentially the same brief that the EEC will take to the special session in New York? If it is, very little can be expected to result from that meeting except a great deal of anger and frustration.