§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what policy conclusions he has drawn from his discussions during his recent visit to the Indian Sub-Continent on policies relating to dams on rivers and the allocation of water between countries. [79036]
§ Mr. MealeMy right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister did not have discussions on these specific subjects. The United Kingdom supports the policies in the 1998 decision of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development on the sustainable management of freshwater. The United Kingdom also supports the 1997 UN Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. We also await with interest the report of the international commission under Dr. Kader Asmal, Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of South Africa, on large dams.