§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the plans for privatisation of water in towns in Uganda; and if she will make a statement. [87876]
§ Clare ShortThe central theme of the urban reform process in Uganda is private sector management of existing utilities, as opposed to privatisation. A recent review by the World bank revealed that this shift has realised efficiency gains, with the National Water and Sanitation Corporation now showing an operating profit. DFID has a £5 million programme of support to the water and sanitation sector in Uganda, focused on financing the rural sector, but through which we also engage in policy dialogue on urban reform. In addition, we provide technical assistance to the Utility Reform Unit, which is leading the urban water reform programme. We have recently commissioned a review of lessons learned from private sector participation in the water sector, with the view to considering further support for assessing the social impact of new policies.