Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan Government on groundwater contamination in northern Sri Lanka.

​We have received a number of reports about this pressing environmental issue. Our High Commissioner has raised concerns about water contamination with the Chief Minister of the Northern Province, and with the Mayor of Jaffna. He received reassurances that, although oil contamination had been a problem in the past, testing of water samples abroad had shown that the oil content was now below the danger level. Other staff at our High Commission visit Jaffna on a regular basis and there have not been any recent reports that cause concern, but staff will respond appropriately if new reports emerge.