HC Deb 18 July 2003 vol 409 cc870-1W
Mrs. Spelman

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development when the World Bank will release periodical external audit reports for the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project. [126408]

Hilary Benn

Project arrangements provide for regular financial audits on the Chad-Cameroon pipeline project's accounts. We understand from the World Bank Group that financial audit reports are not made public. However, reports from the International Advisory Group (IAG) and the External Compliance and Monitoring Group (ECMG) who carry out regular external supervisions of the technical and environmental aspects of the project, and from the Inspection Panel who respond to requests from private individuals are available publicly on the World Bank website (in the case of the Inspection Panel reports, after discussion by the World Bank Executive Board). The latest reports are those issued by the IAG on 18 June, the ECMG on 22 April 2003 and the Inspection Panel on 2 May 2003.

Mrs. Spelman

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what monitoring and supervision the project construction phase for the Chad/Cameroon pipeline project has had. [126409]

Hilary Benn

The Chad/Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline project is subject to various forms of monitoring and supervision. The World Bank Group are being advised by the External Compliance and Monitoring Group (ECMG) in monitoring implementation of the Environmental Management Plan, and by an International Advisory Group (IAG) to advise on broader implementation issues, including those that need to be addressed to achieve the project's developmental objectives. Both the ECMG and IAG make regular site visits. In addition, the Inspection Panel provides an independent forum for private citizens who believe that they have been negatively affected by the project. Reports from all these bodies are made public and can be found on the World Bank website. These third party reviews supplement the Bank's own monitoring and supervision of the project which includes site visits, internal reporting and continual discussions with the project sponsors.

The above measures are in addition to on-going monitoring by the Consortium and by the Governments of Chad and Cameroon. The Consortium produce quarterly reports which are also available publicly,

Mrs. Spelman

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development when the World Bank will publish cost figures for the Chad/Cameroon Pipeline Project. [126410]

Hilary Benn

The estimated cost of the project which was reported in the original World Bank/International Finance Cooperation Project Appraisal Document (April 2000) was US$3.7 billion, the majority of which is being provided by the private sector. We are informed by the World Bank that this figure has not been revised upwards by the project sponsors.

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