Environment and Africa dominates PMQs
An unusually consensual Prime Minister’s Question Time was dominated by climate change and action on Africa.
MPs from all sides of the House lined up to congratulate the PM for focusing on climate change and Africa at the upcoming G8 summit.
Even arch-enemy from Labour’s left Alan Simpson found time to congratulate the PM – before demanding a global limit on aviation.
Conservative leader Michael Howard paid tribute to Mr Blair for his recent work on debt relief, but argued that the best way of helping the developing world would be to reduce trade barriers.
Mr Blair said he was determined to “put together a comprehensive plan” for Africa, including trade, aid, governance and conflict resolution, and said he hoped the G8 would make progress on those issues.
Mr Howard questioned whether the issue of US cotton subsidies or the US Farm Act been specifically raised with the President, before turning to European agricultural subsidies, which he dismissed as wasteful.
Mr Blair said that while detailed trade negotiations were a matter for the WTO, he hoped that the G8 summit would establish “certain principles..that give a clear sense of direction” to those involved in negotiations.
He added that there was “every indication from the European side” that movement on trade was possible. But that removing all trade barriers would only be beneficial to the developing world if the infrastructure was in place to handle it.
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy brought up Wednesday’s statement from the scientific bodies of all G8 members and India, Brazil and China calling for prompt action to combat emissions and climate change.
Without a US commitment to cutting emissions, Mr Kennedy said it would be impossible to achieve an international consensus and demanded to know what Mr Blair would be doing to “salvage” his ambitions.
Mr Blair reiterated his belief that climate change was the “single biggest issue we face” and urged MPs to await the outcome of the summit – joking that he was not in salvage mode yet.
He said the US was “not suddenly going to change their approach and sign up to Kyoto” but there would be no progress without dialogue with America. He added that developing countries like China and India also needed to be locked into the process.
