Fair Trade

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — International Development – in the House of Commons at 11:30 am on 25 May 2005.

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Photo of Hilary Benn Hilary Benn The Secretary of State for International Development 11:30, 25 May 2005

Through our G8 and EU presidencies, the Government are pushing for real progress in the World Trade Organisation round. Richer countries need to open their markets further, cut unfair subsidies and remove non-tariff barriers to trade, but market access is not enough: poorer countries also need additional aid, including help to build their capacity to trade. Yesterday's agreement by the EU to a new official development assistance target of 0.56 per cent. of gross national income by 2010, and 0.7 per cent. by 2015, with at least half the additional aid for Africa, was therefore very significant.