§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what statistics he has for electricity generated by the Victoria dam in Sri Lanka since 1985.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydStatistics for electricity generated by the Victoria dam are as follows:
Year Unit generation (GWH) 1985 586 1986 838 1987 454 1988 523 1989 610 1990 611 1991 483 1992 588 11993 116 1January and February
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much British aid has been given to the Victoria dam in Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydA total of £113 million was provided in support of the Victoria dam project.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the Minister for Overseas Development has made to the National Audit Office report on the shortfall of output by the Victoria dam in Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe Overseas Development Administration's evaluation study of the project concluded that the maximum total of firm and secondary energy would be 800 GWH per year, almost 92 per cent. of that anticipated in the project feasibility study. It also concluded that the shortfall in production against prediction had a number of causes which could not have been anticipated. These included changes in the hydrological database; the diversions of irrigation water out of the Mahaweli and the amounts of water stored at Kotmale; and changes in the scope and nature of systems models and in operating policies.
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§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Minister for Overseas Development has made of the use of British aid in the resettlement of evacuees from the site of the Victoria dam in Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have made a detailed evaluation of the Victoria dam project, which includes a substantial section on resettlement. This evaluation was critical of the way in which resettlement issues were handled. No British aid was used for resettlement. This was because, at the outset of the project, the two Governments agreed that resettlement would be handled by the Government of Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Minister for Overseas Development has made of the commercial return to the United Kingdom of the Victoria and Samanalawewa dams in Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydBoth dams were constructed under British aid primarily for the economic benefit of Sri Lanka. There were also some commercial returns to the United Kingdom, as British companies were awarded contracts financed in part or whole by British aid.
Some additional work has been awarded to a British contractor including construction of roads and a new town. More generally, Britain has enhanced its reputation in the power construction sector in Sri Lanka and British companies continue to pursue business opportunities in Sri Lanka in this sector.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Overseas Development Administration has on leaks of the Victoria and Samanalawewa dams in Sri Lanka into limestone bedrocks.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAt the Victoria dam, there were problems shortly after impounding with limestone on the right bank of the reservoir. This was overcome in 1982–83 by grouting under pressure down to 100 ft.
At Samanalawewa dam there is a leak on the right bank of the reservoir. Grouting has not been entirely satisfactory, so the ODA funded geophysical studies and an international panel of independent experts to review the situation. The panel concluded that the dam was safe, and that its stability could not be affected even by many times the maximum credible leakage, but recommended remedial works for economic reasons. A programme for these works is currently under preparation.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total of British aid towards the Samanalawewa dam in Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydA total of £19 million was provided in support of the Samanalawewa dam.