§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 8 July 2002,Official Report, column 702W, on Nepal, if she will make a statement on the failure of the Nepalese Government to allow journalists and aid agencies access to the western districts of Nepal. [69513]
§ Clare ShortUK funded development assistance, and that of other donor agencies too, continues throughout Nepal, including in many of the Mid-and Far-Western districts of the country where the conflict situation is worse. However, development staff based in Kathmandu do not, for security reasons, visit areas of active conflict. There are no Government restrictions per se.
There has been some press coverage recently of visits made by journalists to districts in the west of the country. However, the current State of Emergency is deterring many journalists from visiting parts of the country.