§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the value of work undertaken for the Overseas Development Administration on rain forest conservation by the Hydrological Institute at Wallingford.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe Institute of Hydrology is at present working on one rain forest project for the ODA. This is a study of the impact of deforestation on climate, which began in September 1990 in northern Brazil. It is supported by a £2.46 million grant under our technical cooperation programme with Brazil. The study is of considerable importance to the better understanding of the effects of deforestation on the climate. It has made an excellent start and I have every confidence in the institute's ability to carry it out successfully.