§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the European Union development project in east Tibet in respect of its impact on(a) Tibetan culture, (b) groundwater pollution and (c) birth deformities; if he will object to the continuation of aid for this project; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had a number of representations about the Pa Nam integrated rural development project in Tibet. Before these representations were received, officials had asked the European Commission to strengthen the conditions for EU funding, to ensure it benefited local Tibetans and incorporated an environmental impact assessment.
The project includes an irrigation scheme, funded by the Chinese Government, on which work has already begun. Suspending EU support would not stop the scheme, but would delay implementation of social components designed to ameliorate its impact on local Tibetans.