§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What applications they have received from British firms for Export Credits Guarantee Department cover by any British firms in connection with the Yusefeli project; and what standards they will apply in judging those applications in terms of the environmental impact, consultation with affected residents, resettlement plans and effects on local archaeology.[HL2314]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanECGD received an application for support for the Yusefeli project from AMEC International Construction Ltd in December 1998.
In accordance with ECGD's business principles, international standards, such as the report by the World Commission on Dams and those contained in the guidelines of the World Bank Group, will be used as benchmarks for the assessment of the project.
An environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been conducted and we expect that a resettlement action plan (RAP) will also be produced. Best practice for both of these requires appropriate consultation with the affected communities.