Winchester's MP, Mark Oaten, joined a panel speaking out on issues of Fair Trade with the developing world at a public meeting in the city's St Lawrence Church.

Present were representatives from the World Development Movement, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Save the Children and others.

Among the issues raised were Third World debt, taxing of imported goods, the role of consumer power in searching out fairly-traded goods and the need to make more people aware that child slave labour still goes on.

Mr Oaten, who visited Burkina Faso last year to investigate child slavery issues, said: "I have always been struck by the very active concern and compassion for these issues in this constituency.

"Awareness of problems with our unfair trade with the developing world is rising, which, hopefully, means that it is moving up the political agenda.

"To take this forward, I think it's vital that we don't underestimate the power of the consumer to effect change by seeking out ethically-traded products," he added.

There's another public meeting on the issue at the United Church in Jewry Street at 8pm on Thursday, October 24th.