To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 228W, on Morocco: mining, what steps the Government are taking to seek to ensure that Morocco fulfils its obligations under international law to ensure that the extraction and exportation of phosphates do not adversely affect the interests of people in Western Sahara. (264941)

[holding answer 20 March 2009]: The UK maintains its position that Morocco, as the de facto administering power of Western Sahara, is obliged under international law to ensure that economic activities under administration—including the extraction and exportation of phosphates—do not adversely affect the interests of the people in Western Sahara. The UK has not recently raised this issue with the Moroccan authorities.

However, the Government firmly support the principles of transparency and good governance with regards to the extractive industries generally. In November 2008, the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) held a roundtable meeting in Tunis, which included Morocco. Participants discussed the opportunities and challenges which implementing the EITI can bring for the north African region and for further enhancing resource management and economic growth.