HC Deb 05 July 2000 vol 353 cc221-2W
10. Mr. Stevenson

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement regarding her Department's policy on the Qinghai component of the China Western Poverty Reduction Project, to be considered by the World bank on 6 July. [127747]

Clare Short

Britain supported this project in the bank board meeting in June 1999 because it would bring significant benefits to 1.7 million of the poorest people in China. They represent four different ethnic minorities, they live in very remote and inaccessible villages and many of them are barely scratching a living. It will give poor people from a range of ethnic groups the opportunity to meet their basic needs. It will deliver a wide range of benefits such as increasing food production, providing safe water and improving access to basic social services. We also supported the Board conclusion that no funds would be disbursed on the Qinghai component of the project until an independent inspection panel had conducted an investigation, and pending further environmental and social assessments.

20. Mr. Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the Qinghai component of the China Western poverty reduction project. [127757]

Clare Short

The report by the independent inspection panel, and bank management's response to it, will be discussed at a World bank board meeting in early July 2000. We will be looking very carefully at the conclusions of the inspection panel report, and the bank management's response to it, in advance of the bank board meeting.

Mr. Stevenson

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the independent Inspection Panel's findings about the World Bank's practice in identifying and comparing alternatives to the Qinghai project. [128731]

Clare Short

In response to the claim in the inspection panel report that they have not considered alternatives to the Qinghai project, the World bank state that they have explored a range of developmental options in some detail, covering both whether resettlement is the most appropriate response, and whether the area chosen for that resettlement is appropriate.

We have asked, and will ask again at the board meeting on 6 July, that this analysis be documented more thoroughly prior to project appraisal.

Mr. Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the independent inspection panel's findings that the World bank's relating to(a) its indigenous peoples policy and (b) its operational directive on involuntary resettlement in respect of the Qinghai project. [129028]

Clare Short

We have looked very carefully at the conclusions of the independent inspection panel, which raises a number of important issues regarding social safeguards and resettlement policy. The Report and the response to it from bank management will be discussed at a board meeting on 6 July 2000. At that meeting we will be seeking to satisfy ourselves that the World bank has in place the necessary social safeguards before this project begins.

Britain supported this project in June 1999 because it would bring significant benefits to 1.7 million of the poorest people in China. We also supported the board conclusion that no funds would be disbursed on the Qinghai component of the project until an independent inspection panel had conducted an investigation.