§ Lord Beaumont of Whitleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the World Bank's plan to finance the resettlement of 50,000 farmers in Tibet and Inner Mongolia in view of civil rights and ecological implications of the plan. [HL115]
§ Baroness AmosThe World Bank's Poverty Reduction Project in Western China should bring benefits to almost 1.7 million of the poorest people in China. It aims to meet the needs of the poor households in remote and inaccessible villages through initiatives to raise incomes and enhance access to basic social services.
We judge that sufficient checks and balances have been put in place to ensure that any outstanding questions about the social and environmental appraisals will be adequately addressed. We supported the decision of the World Bank Executive Board to approve the project but to hold funding on the Qinghai 73WA component of the project until the results of an independent inspection panel are known.
The inspection panel has just returned from the project area having conducted an investigation into whether the Bank violated policies and procedures with regard to the design and appraisal of the project. The panel will prepare a report which will be submitted to the Executive Board of the World Bank in early 2000.