The programme was sponsored by Emergency Networks.His mother has never been able to accept criticism of his activities and has chided the media for prying into private lives of her family.Mr Thatcher's businesses appear to have encountered difficulties and some say that his trip to Baku may reflect his concern at the prospects for Ameristar. In June, it filed for bankruptcy in a US court to protect itself against creditors. It owes pounds 12m to suppliers, including Shell and Mobil.David Wallace, a Texan entrepreneur, is the man who runs Ameristar for Mr Thatcher. Mr Wallace was until recently also treasurer of Lady Thatcher's foundation in the US.Mr Thatcher has played a key role in fundraising for the foundation.

Businessmen in Hong Kong were said to have been horrified when he told them it was 'time to pay up for Mumsie'.Mr Thatcher very rarely responds publicly to his critics. The last recorded comment was in 1993 when, in response to continuing parliamentary accusations, he said: 'They have nothing on me. This is the thanks I get for being a good British businessman.'(Photographs omitted). BRITAIN is devoting increasing amounts of money, energy and road space to moving its food around, causing widespread social and environmental damage, according to a study published today.

Over the past 16 years, the distance travelled by food between farm, warehouse and shop has increased by half - but the amount carried is no greater than in 1978. The study, by the Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Environment (Safe) alliance, a coalition of voluntary groups, is the first to survey comprehensively the growth in national and global supply lines that mean British supermarkets routinely airfreight fruit and vegetables from across the world, even when the same products are produced at home.On supermarket shelves last month, for instance, were apples from the United States, which had travelled 4,700 miles, onions from Australia and New Zealand (12,000 miles), carrots from South Africa (5,100 miles) and green beans from Kenya (3,600 miles).Food imports by air more than doubled during the Eighties and are still rising rapidly - by 15 per cent in the first half of this year, for example. Hugh Raven, coordinator of Safe, said it was 'madness to fly food halfway round the world when UK growers are going out of business'.The report argues that the growth in long-distance transport of food benefits the supermarket chains but increases pollution. It is also bad for consumers: food quickly loses its nutrient value but many of the techniques and chemicals used to preserve it over long distances carry serious health risks, the report says.The Food Miles Report: The dangers of long-distance food transport. The Safe Alliance, 38 Ebury Street, London SW1 W0LU; pounds 25..