Ilisu Dam (Hansard, 18 January 2001)

§ Mr. Caborn

In 1998 the Export Credits Guarantee Department received an application from Balfour Beatty for export credit support in respect of their proposed participation in the Ilisu dam project.

In December 1999, when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry published two reports which we commissioned on environmental and social aspects of the project, he made it clear that before 315W a decision is made on the availability of ECGD support, we will need to be satisfied on a number of conditions, in particular: proper consultation and arrangements for the resettlement of the affected population and assurance that their needs are being properly taken into account; provision for upstream water treatment plants capable of ensuring that water quality is maintained; assurance that water flow to downstream states will be maintained at all times; the project does not involve diversion for irrigation, but we need to be satisfied that an appropriate downstream flow will be maintained, particularly during impoundment; a detailed plan to preserve as much of the archaeological heritage of Hasankeyf as possible.

We need to see and assess the final version of the environmental impact assessment report and the resettlement action plan in order to determine whether our conditions have been met. We expect the environmental impact assessment report to be made available to the export credit agencies shortly. The resettlement action plan may be made available at the same time. The environmental impact assessment report will be made publicly available before any decision is taken regarding export credit support from the UK. As we are not the owners of the reports we cannot be more specific about timing.

The Export Credits Guarantee Department is in regular contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and trade partners regarding the project and all these Departments will be consulted prior to a decision being taken.