Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Sri Lanka on water quality in the north of that country.

The UK Government is aware of the challenges Sri Lanka faces around water management and quality, and the unique challenges faced by communities in the Northern Province. Officials from the British High Commission Colombo regularly visit the Northern Province to meet a range of stakeholders to hear their experiences and issues. A number of public bodies in Sri Lanka, including the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, have conducted tests into the water quality. The UK Government supports the International Water Management Institute, an international water management research organisation, to provide solutions to increasing water scarcity in Puttalam and Kilinochchi.