HC Deb 01 March 2000 vol 345 c298W
29. Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the work her Department is doing to promote poor people's access to water in developing countries. [111201]

Clare Short

Access to clear, safe water is a major focus for our programme as it is crucial to health, agriculture and industry and freeing women and girls' time for education and production. We are giving increased priority to water and sanitation in our work. One billion people still lack access to clean water and three billion to sanitation. It is estimated that by 2025 one in three people will be living in countries subject to chronic water scarcity unless water resources are used more efficiently.