HC Deb 14 November 1988 vol 140 cc366-7W
74. Mr. Hayward

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work the Overseas Development Administration is doing to assess the impact of soil degradation on the economies of developing countries.

Mr. Chris Patten

Appreciating the costs of soil degradation is important, not least because it is preferable to devote resources to preventing degradation than to deal with the consequences. We are undertaking research studies in Zimbabwe and, with the World Bank, in Nepal and we are funding work on integrating environmental costs and benefits in project appraisal.

77. Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Britain's overseas aid projects are assessed for their impact on the environment of recipient countries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chris Patten

It is the policy of the Overseas Development Adminstration that its aid managers should ensure the environmental soundness of projects from the earliest stage to completion and evaluation. A new ODA manual to help project managers decide how much environmental assessment is required in each case is currently being field tested.

Mr. Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the ecological safeguard criteria used in assessing and approving aid projects.

Mr. Chris Pa:tten

It is the policy of the Overseas Development Administration that the environmental impact of all projects should be addressed before approval. Safeguard criteria are chosen on a case by case basis depending on such factors as the sensitivity of affected ecosystems and the type of project.