Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they have provided to climate change initiatives in the region of Chocó in Colombia; and which projects they are supporting in that region.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Her Majesty's Government provides official development assistance (ODA) to climate change initiatives in the region of Chocó in Colombia through two programmes delivered through the UK’s International Climate Finance (ICF), UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) and Partnerships for Forests (P4F). These projects aim to tackle deforestation in Colombia by fostering sustainable alternative livelihoods and the development of the bioeconomy in order to reduce CO2 emissions.
UK PACT is providing over £700,000 grant funding to a ‘Community-Based Sustainable Tourism Enhancing Project’ which supports activity in 38 municipalities in Colombia including the Choco region. The project aims to build the capacity for commercialising sustainable tourism opportunities, in collaboration with the local communities, by using enhanced technological approach and designing a novel scientific-based tourism business model.
P4F is providing over £1.5 million in grant funding to two projects which have activities in the Choco region: ‘Colombia Pacific Acai’ and ‘Sustainable Heart of Palm’. P4F supports these innovative projects to grow and secure new private investment by improving the business models and building the capabilities of local actors across the value chain.
In addition, the Newton-Caldas Fund, through UKRI and the British Council, has funded activity related to biodiversity in the Chocó region as part of the Colombia Bio programme. Colombia Bio aims to protect the unique biodiversity of Colombia through improving our understanding of ecosystems, their response to environmental- including climate change, and support sustainable and socially inclusive development. Activities include UK funding of over £300,000 to a project improving data on the Atrato River.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they plan to provide, or have provided, to the implementation of the Environmental Action Plan for Choco developed in response to the Colombian Court’s ruling judgment T-622.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Her Majesty's Government has not directly provided nor currently plans to provide support to the implementation of the Environmental Action Plan for Chocó developed in response to the Colombian Court’s ruling judgement T-622.
Officials from BEIS’ International Climate Finance (ICF) team met with some of the appointed ‘Guardians of the Atratos’ in late 2019, to understand the context of the Colombian court’s ruling judgement T-6222 and determine the broader impact on programme implementation in Colombia.
Through the FCO’s Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), HMG supports the implementation of the peace accords between the Government of Colombia and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), including in Chocó Department. Included in this support is assistance to help deliver Chocó’s rural development plan (PDET), which was designed in accord with the local population and specifically mentions the T-6222 ruling judgement.
Additionally, UK Research and Innovation, via the HMG ODA Newton-Caldas Fund, has funded a project in which an international consortium of researchers is working to support the communities along the Atrato River through improving scientific data on the state of the river. This has included building capacity amongst riverine communities enabling them to carry out environmental monitoring activity, and making data accessible to communities, advocacy groups, and policy makers.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the UK will continue to participate in the Erasmus Plus programme following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, and if not, what assessment they have made of the impact on (1) graduate employment, and (2) the provision of modern foreign language degree courses at UK universities.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Until our departure from the EU, we remain a fully paid up Member State, with all the rights and obligations that entails. Post-exit access to Erasmus+ will be a matter for the negotiations, which follow the triggering of Article 50. We will work through the implications for future years as part of the wider negotiations.
The Treasury guarantee to underwrite competitively bid for funding commitments up to the point at which the UK departs the EU includes those parts of Erasmus+ that are bid for competitively.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take steps to encourage the Higher Education Funding Council for England to continue supporting language study, in particular by maintaining the Year Abroad subsidy.
Answered by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
The Government will be writing to the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) shortly setting out its funding for the coming year. The HEFCE Board will make decisions on funding for universities and colleges in light of the Government’s letter. The Government continues to recognise the importance of language study and the value of studying abroad. Approximately 220,000 students have benefitted from the Erasmus Programme.