A GOVERNMENT minister has branded pupils at a Preston school 'the brightest he has ever met'.

George Foulkes, International Development Minister and MP for Ayrshire, made his comments about pupils at Frenchwood County Primary School when he visited Preston to talk about the his department's work.

Mr Foulkes said: "What has impressed me more than anything on this trip is the awareness of the children at Frenchwood County Primary to the issues surrounding the work of the Department for International Development.

"They all knew about the wrongs of cutting down rainforests and of child labour around the world.

"They recognised that it is the adults who should be working while the children go to school.

"I have been overwhelmed by the warmth of the reception I have received from all of the people I have met today."

Frenchwood headmistress Susan Heyworth said: "We are absolutely delighted with Mr Foulkes' comments.

"We are very proud to have been chosen for such an important visit and he was a delightful man - he was very nice and polite with the children.

"Our geography topic work looks at different areas in the world and many of the children are keen readers.

"We serve a multi-cultural community so many of the children have relatives in poorer areas of the world and are more aware of the situations there."

Mr Foulkes works closely with secretary of State Claire Short and their department has set itself the huge task of reducing world poverty by 50 per cent by the year 2015.

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