Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on their commitments to support the protection of tropical forests and oceans.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answers given to HL1340, HL1341 and HL1342 on 7 July 2026.
The UK remains committed to halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030. Through programmes and partnerships across the Amazon, Congo and Indonesia forest basins, we support stronger governance, Indigenous Peoples' and local community rights, sustainable trade and finance mobilisation for forest protection.
On oceans, the UK continues to support global marine conservation through initiatives including the Blue Planet Fund, action to advance the 30by30 target, and ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement on 10 July 2026.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they will provide in funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency in the 2026-27 financial year.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK fully supports United Nations Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) indispensable mission. On 30 June the UK announced £23 million to support UNRWA this financial year. The funding will help UNRWA continue delivering essential services for up to 5.9 million Palestine refugees across the region. The funding will also support civilians in Gaza, where humanitarian needs remain acute and families face displacement, food insecurity and limited access to basic services.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains Government policy to transfer ownership of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Noble Lord to my previous answer on 30 July to question HL2205.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories on 6 May 2025 (48828), how much of the £200 million towards forest-related climate finance for the Congo Basin was paid over the five-year period from April 2021.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
At COP26, the UK committed £1.5 billion International Climate Finance (ICF) for forests from April 2021 to March 2026, including £200 million for the Congo Basin (to be delivered between 2021-2029).
Over the first four years of the Congo Basin Pledge (2021-2024) the UK reported total spend of £39,833,393. Total spend for 2025 is not yet finalised. The UK Government publishes detail of ICF programmes through our online resource DevTracker and pledge reports can also be found online for consultation.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the public finance pledge made in 2021 of £350 million towards forest-related climate finance in Indonesia over a five-year period has been fulfilled in full.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK has met and exceeded the International Climate Finance 3 (ICF 3) nature (£3 billion) sub-target. We will confirm final figures for ICF 3 and sub-targets once our accounts are finalised and audited in line with usual practice for official Government spending data. Individual programme-level spend data will be available on DevTracker in due course.
The UK remains committed to protecting, restoring and sustainably managing tropical forests, and recognises the crucial role they place in mitigating against climate change, preserving biodiversity and supporting livelihoods. Across the Amazon, Congo and Indonesia forest basins, UK ICF programme support is helping countries strengthen forest governance, protecting Indigenous and community land rights, improving forest monitoring, tackling illegal activities driving deforestation, and developing more sustainable land-use and livelihood opportunities.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the public finance pledge made in 2021 of up to £300 million intended towards forest-related climate finance in the Amazon basin over a five-year period has been fulfilled in full.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK has met and exceeded the International Climate Finance 3 (ICF 3) nature (£3 billion) sub-target. We will confirm final figures for ICF 3 and sub-targets once our accounts are finalised and audited in line with usual practice for official Government spending data. Individual programme-level spend data will be available on DevTracker in due course.
The UK remains committed to protecting, restoring and sustainably managing tropical forests, and recognises the crucial role they place in mitigating against climate change, preserving biodiversity and supporting livelihoods. Across the Amazon, Congo and Indonesia forest basins, UK ICF programme support is helping countries strengthen forest governance, protecting Indigenous and community land rights, improving forest monitoring, tackling illegal activities driving deforestation, and developing more sustainable land-use and livelihood opportunities.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the public finance pledge made in 2021 of £1.5 billion towards the forests pledge over a five-year period has been fulfilled in full.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK has met and exceeded the International Climate Finance 3 (ICF 3) nature (£3 billion) sub-target. We will confirm final figures for ICF 3 and sub-targets once our accounts are finalised and audited in line with usual practice for official Government spending data. Individual programme-level spend data will be available on DevTracker in due course.
The UK remains committed to protecting, restoring and sustainably managing tropical forests, and recognises the crucial role they place in mitigating against climate change, preserving biodiversity and supporting livelihoods. Across the Amazon, Congo and Indonesia forest basins, UK ICF programme support is helping countries strengthen forest governance, protecting Indigenous and community land rights, improving forest monitoring, tackling illegal activities driving deforestation, and developing more sustainable land-use and livelihood opportunities.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Civil Commission report Silenced No More, published in May, on sexual violence by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
We are aware of the Civil Commission report, and we continue to condemn unequivocally the barbaric acts of murder, terrorism and sexual violence carried out by Hamas on 7 October, and the appalling cruelty and abuse endured by their hostages. Alongside our international partners, we are clear that Hamas must no longer pose a threat to Israel's security.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support the prosecution under international law of (1) the leaders, and (2) significant funders, of Hamas, in light of reports of organised sexual violence during the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
We are aware of the Civil Commission report, and we continue to condemn unequivocally the barbaric acts of murder, terrorism and sexual violence carried out by Hamas on 7 October, and the appalling cruelty and abuse endured by their hostages. Alongside our international partners, we are clear that Hamas must no longer pose a threat to Israel's security.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that sexual and gender-based violence were used as systematic and premeditated instruments of terror during the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
We are aware of the Civil Commission report, and we continue to condemn unequivocally the barbaric acts of murder, terrorism and sexual violence carried out by Hamas on 7 October, and the appalling cruelty and abuse endured by their hostages. Alongside our international partners, we are clear that Hamas must no longer pose a threat to Israel's security.