From: Nick Hildyard, The Corner House
PO Box 3137, Station Road, Sturminster Newton, Dorset DT10 1YJ, UK
Email: nick@fifehead.demon.co.uk

To:Mr. Patrick Crawford, Chief Executive ECGD
PO Box 2200, 2 Exchange Tower, Harbour Exchange Square, London, E14 9GS

23 November 2008

Dear Mr Crawford,

It is now more than 8 months since WWF and Corner House wrote to you outlining proposals for improving the monitoring of the implementation of the OECD's Common Approaches through peer review. To date, I have yet to receive a reply, despite a verbal assurance on 16 July 2008 that a reply would be forthcoming shortly.

The ECGD's failure to engage on this issue is disappointing and stands in marked contrast to the constructive approach adopted at the national level by a number of other OECD member Governments.

As you will be aware, Ms Nicole Bollen, Chair of the OECD's Working Party on Export Credits and Credit Guarantees (ECG), recently identified "bilateral contacts" between national ECAs and civil society organisations as providing "the best forums for discussing both individual projects and ECA environmental processes". It goes without saying that such "bilateral contacts" are only of value if ECAs respond to CSOs when they raise issues of concern. It is therefore particularly to be regreted that ECGD has not seen fit to reply to our letter of 5 March 2008.

In the light of Ms Bollen's comments, I am copying this letter to the Secretariat of the ECG with the request that the letter be circulated to member ECAs in order to assist any future assessment of the ECG's recommendation that bilateral contacts should constitute the preferred avenue for improving project implementation and environmental assessment.

I would also remind you that Standard 1 of the Government's Service First Charter commits all government departments to answering letters "quickly and clearly". Where this is not possible - for example, if there is a need for detailed legal advice or for information to be gathered from a number of sources - the standards require that correspondents are sent a holding reply and kept informed of the progress of their correspondence. In our case, over 160 working days have passed since our letter was sent to you but we have received no written response. The target set by BERR for responding to letters is "within 15 working days".

I would request that you respond to my letter as soon as possible, and certainly within 15 days.

Yours Sincerely

Nicholas Hildyard
The Corner House

cc.
Environmental Audit Committee
Ms Nicole Bollen, Chair, OECD Working Party on Export Credits and Credit Guarantees
Janet West, Secretariat, OECD Working Party on Export Credits and Credit Guarantees