asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further consideration has been given to Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the proposals contained in the Brandt Commission's report, "Common Crisis".

As the hon. Member will know, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced to the House on 18 April that he was arranging to publish a White Paper setting out in more detail the Government's position on the issues raised in the Brandt memorandum.

Although the Government have been a little more forthcoming on the second Brandt report than they were on the first, does the Minister not realise that this country should play a greater part in solving the problems facing the 800 million living in great poverty and on the border of starvation? Should we therefore not devote more of our resources to helping the people in these areas by increasing our overseas aid?

The Government have been extremely forthcoming about the second Brandt report "Common Crisis". We had a whole day's debate, which went on until midnight last week, and the response of my right hon. Friend and myself to it was positive.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that one of the things that both the first and second Brandt reports have emphasised is the importance to developing countries of private sector investment and trade flows? Will he ensure that, in the consultations within the Government about the second Brandt report, consideration is given to ensuring that these countries have as reasonable access as possible to private capital flows to allow such trade to continue?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right.