HC Deb 06 November 1989 vol 159 c436W
58. Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific developments have now resulted from the visit by the right hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Patten) to the Amazonian rain forest.

Mrs. Chalker

In August and September British experts visited Brazil and identified a number of well-defined possibilities for collaborative projects. One of these, a joint five year project by Brazilian scientific institutions and the Institute of Hydrology to improve our knowledge of the critical effect of rainforests on climate, has been worked out in detail and has been put forward to the Brazilian authorities for agreement. If it is acceptable, I hope work will start by January, 1990.

In addition, Dr. Synnott of the Oxford Forestry Institute will visit Brazil again later this month to try to finalise the details of certain projects in sustainable forestry management and the genetic resources of forests so that work on these can also start early next year.

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