§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to investigate the schemes on clearing natural forest to develop timber plantations funded by the Commonwealth Development Corporation in Cote d'Ivoire and Thailand; and if he will ensure that future moneys granted by the Overseas Development Administration in overseas aid do not fund the destruction of natural forests.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydBefore proposed investments are submitted to the Commonwealth Development Corporation's board for approval they are subject to appraisal, which includes explicit assessments of their environmental and social impact. We have no plans to investigate CDC forestry projects in Thailand. As part of our regular evaluation programme we expect to release shortly an evaluation report on the SODEFOR forestry project in Cote d'Ivoire in which CDC is a co-financier with the World bank and the Government of Cote d'Ivoire. We also expect to release shortly an evaluation synthesis report on six forestry projects including SODEFOR. Our policy is to help and encourage developing countries to manage their forests sustainably.