Letter: Short shrift

YOUR LEADER writer is badly misinformed about the Government's work (Leading article, 7 November). The Government has called for precisely the sort of measures identified in the editorial - liberalisation of agricultural trade including the reduction of export subsidies, tackling tariff peaks and escalation on products of greatest interest to developing countries, and tightening of anti-dumping rules. I called for action in these areas in my speech last week.

If we are to take this agenda forward we need a new round of multilateral trade negotiations. This is why we have called on all countries to make the next Trade Round a "development round". Only if we are successful will the poor benefit.

CLARE SHORT MP

Secretary of State for International Development

House of Commons, London SW1