Written question asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 7 December 2011.

Water Management: Overseas

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will inform Parliament about the current United Nations initiatives to improve the effectiveness of, and public information about, international water programmes, especially in relation to flooding, water resources, and water treatment.

Answer: Departments across government are working to promote an efficient and effective United Nations system in which UN agencies and programmes work to their areas of comparative advantage. There is close co-ordination between departments and UK missions to ensure the UN delivers on a range of common government areas of interest from transparency through to results. Her Majesty's Government have no current plans to make specific announcements on UN initiatives on water resources management, supply and sanitation, but government departments will work through parliamentary committees and other parliamentary mechanisms to ensure that Parliament is kept informed. The Government recognise the key contribution that water security makes to regional and national development and will continue to support UN agencies working on these complex issues. The Department for International Development (DfID) funds UN Water to strengthen its capacity to co-ordinate and promote sustainable water service delivery across UN agencies.

Secondary information