Annette Brooke MP meets with WaterAid

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 4th Jul 2006

Annette Brooke MP today helped launch a display by charity WaterAid at the House of Commons.

Ms Brooke, Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and Poole North, met with WaterAid campaigners at the House of Commons to talk about the campaigning work of the charity.

The charity has a display in the House of Commons' Upper Waiting Hall this week, to highlight the plight of the 1.1 billion people without access to safe water, and the 2.6 billion people without sanitation. WaterAid works in 17 countries throughout Asia, Africa and the Pacific region, helping some of the world's poorest people gain access to safe clean water, sanitation and hygiene education.

Ms Brooke was invited to the WaterAid display at the House of Commons as she has signed EDM 1840 calling for a radical reform of the EU Water Initiative (EUWI).

WaterAid's Empty glass campaign calls for reform of the EUWI as, since it was launched in 2002 with the aim of improving the efficiency of European aid to water and sanitation, there has been no evidence to suggest that a single extra person has gained access to water or sanitation.

Ms Brooke said "It's outrageous that 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to clean, safe water. I will do everything I can to support WaterAid and their call to the European Union to improve its aid efficiency"

WaterAid campaigners will be travelling to Brussels next week to hand in over 15,000 Empty glass campaign postcards to Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development in support of the campaign.

ENDS

Pictures are available please contact Kate Watson on 020 7793 4793 or katewatson@wateraid.org