Written question asked by Llew Smith (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 November 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 4 December 2001. It was answered by Clare Short (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 December 2001 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her Answer of 26th November 2001 375 c590, on world trade rules, if she will set out the areas of (a) agreement and (b) disagreement she has had with the collective proposals put forward by NGOs in respect of world trade rules.

Answer: Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 590W, on world trade rules, if she will set out the areas of (a) agreement and (b) disagreement she has had with the collective proposals put forward by NGOs in respect of world trade rules. [19876] Clare Short: We agree that trade rules must help to eliminate poverty, and that poor countries need a fair and effective rules-based international trading system. We agree on the need for capacity building, and for an approach that recognises more explicitly that WTO members are at different stages of development. However, we disagree with some NGOs on some WTO issues. For example, we believe that the recent campaigning against the GATS has been very misleading. Our position on all these issues is set out in a series of Background Briefing Notes on Trade and Development which I am placing in the Library.

Secondary information