TONGE CALLS FOR FAIRER TRADE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 18th Jul 2003

Following up on last week's Trade and Justice event on Richmond Riverside, Dr Jenny Tonge, Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, spoke in a debate on Finance for Development in the House of Commons on Thursday, July 17th.

She called for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, USA farm subsidies and faster progress to be made towards fair trade for developing countries.

Dr Tonge said: "Every cow in Europe receives a subsidy of $2, and that is the income of two-thirds of the world's population per day."

"Aid is needed for the poorest people in the world, so is education, health care and debt relief, but fair trade and opportunities to export their goods will do far more to help them."