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World Food Summit
2.45 p.m.
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the outcome of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation meeting held recently in Rome.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos): My Lords, the declaration of the World Food Summit, which was held in Rome on 10th to 13th June, sets out a number of areas which are important to the achievement of the millennium development goal of halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. The declaration highlights the need for poverty reduction as the key to reducing hunger. A copy of the declaration is available in the Library.
Lord Howell of Guildford: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that helpful reply indicating the detailed information on this matter. However, in the light of the rather unwelcome presence at the FAO conference of Mr Robert Mugabe, does she agree that since he is responsible for the catastrophic fall in agricultural production in his own country—which will affect the whole of southern and central Africa and add to the horrific problems of the growing drought—there is a case for tougher restrictions on his movements and those of his unpleasant colleagues, who seem to be travelling freely around Europe and the world at present? Does she support the making of laws to that end in the European Parliament this week?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, we have discussed this topic previously. The travel ban contains within it the possibility of individuals from Zimbabwe travelling to attend, for example, UN conferences. Noble Lords may know that Fidel Castro, for example, who is not permitted to enter the United States, has attended 41 UN meetings.
Baroness Scott of Needham Market: My Lords, does the Minister agree with the sentiments expressed by her colleague in another place, Clare Short, that the organisation is old-fashioned and in need of improvement? Does she agree also with the comments made by representatives of the poorer countries that the whole event had been a waste of time?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, we are concerned that this meeting took place only five years after the previous meeting. We should have preferred it to be a plus-10 rather than plus-five meeting. We are engaged in trying to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the FAO. To that end, we have provided nearly £13 million to the organisation, including nearly £3 million in extra budgetary resources in 2000. We have also committed resources to the World Food Programme in relation to immediate humanitarian emergencies across the world.
Lord Carter: My Lords, is my noble friend aware of the FAO estimate only last autumn that the number of malnourished people in the world will fall from 800 million—including 160 million children—to 600 million by 2015, a reduction of 25 per cent? Is she now saying that the original target is to be restored; namely, halving the number of starving people by 2015? If so, that is a change since last year.
Baroness Amos: My Lords, we remain committed to the original target. That has always been the provision. The figures are a cause for concern. Noble Lords will know, for example, that in terms of reaching the poverty target in Africa, the indicators are going backwards, not forwards. We also question the basis of some of the figures published by the FAO. It examines food availability, not who is hungry, and why. That said, we accept that we need to do more and will continue to do so. We have recently published a strategy document, Eliminating Hunger.
Baroness Sharples: My Lords, what does Fidel Castro have to do with the Question on the Order Paper?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I could ask the noble Baroness what Zimbabwe has to do with the Question on the Order Paper. The noble Lord, Lord Howell, asked a specific question about the travel ban on Mr Mugabe. In answering that question I made it clear that in agreeing the travel ban, the EU recognises that it is bound by international obligations that allow individuals to attend international UN meetings. That applies in this instance, as it applies in the instance of
Fidel Castro. He is under a travel ban to the United States, but he has attended UN meetings there 41 times.
Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, is my noble friend aware of the DfID document Eliminating Hunger? I imagine that she may be. If so, would she agree with it that poverty reduction initiatives which focus on food security and trade reform are really the best way to eliminate hunger?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I agree with my noble friend that it is critical that we look at issues to do with hunger and food security in the round. That means looking at trade policy, education, health, issues to do with the economy, governance, peace and security, democracy and social protection.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, has the Minister had a chance to look at the report in today's newspapers about the perilous situation in Botswana, where more than one in three of the population has now been diagnosed HIV-positive? Was the AIDS pandemic that is sweeping Africa discussed at Rome? If so, what was the outcome?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I am not aware of whether that subject was discussed at Rome. However, our paper on Eliminating Hunger looks specifically at the impact of HIV/AIDS. As I said before, the issue cannot be looked at in isolation.
Central Office of Information
2.51 p.m.
Lord McNally asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What qualities they will be seeking in the next chief executive of the Central Office of Information and what will be the method of appointment.
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston): My Lords, the chief executive will require excellent business and management skills, expert knowledge of the communications sector and credibility across that sector and across government. The competition will be open, supervised by the Civil Service Commissioners and conducted under their rules for the appointment of senior civil servants. Search consultants will help identify suitable candidates for this specialist post.
Lord McNally: My Lords, does the Minister recall that when we raised the question of the probity of the relationship between the head of the COI and the Government's communications director in 10 Downing Street, Mr Alastair Campbell, he told the House that that relationship
- "will strengthen the co-ordination and planning of departmental publicity strategies across Whitehall".—[Official Report, 29/5/02; col. 1352.]?
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: My Lords, I emphasise again that the chief executive of the COI is answerable to Ministers at the Cabinet Office. She is not answerable to the Prime Minister's director of communications and strategies. I made that clear last time I spoke on the subject. I think that the noble Lord is referring obliquely to the resignation of Carol Fisher, the chief executive of the Central Office of Information, five months after her contract had expired. She made it clear that she chose not to renew that contract, saying:
- "Alastair Campbell and I have enjoyed a good working relationship based on mutual respect. He has only ever been completely helpful to me".
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: My Lords, the example referred to emphasises the need for the strict conventions of propriety, which are always observed by the COI, based on objectivity and explanatory tone. My noble friend can be assured that the COI would not be involved in any such advertising.
Baroness Blatch: My Lords, given the Civil Service status of Mr Alastair Campbell and whether he has a role in marketing strategy across Whitehall, and the status of his colleague Mr Charles Powell, does the Minister agree that they should both be accountable to parliamentary committees—
Baroness Blatch: My Lords, I apologise to Mr Powell's brother, who may be sitting in the House.
Does the Minister agree that both those gentlemen should be accountable through parliamentary committees, particularly the Committee on Standards in Public Life?
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