Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the outcomes of his Department's Magna Carta Fund project on the UN guiding principles on business and human rights in Colombia.
Answered by Mark Field
Over the 2016-2018 financial years, we financed a project, implemented by Centro Regional de Empresas y Emprendimientos Responsables CREER in Colombia, to help implement the measures in Colombia's National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights which provide for non-judicial remedy of potential disputes related to extractive industry projects. The guide for firms, produced following extensive consultations, workshops and three pilot projects, can be found here (in Spanish).
For more information on the global objectives of this (and other) programmes, please see our ODA collection pages on GOV.UK . The Foreign and Commonwealth Office remains committed to meeting transparency requirements, published on gov.uk
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential consequences for Colombian mining companies of non-compliance with the OECD due diligence guidance.
Answered by Mark Field
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (OECD DDG) sets out recommendations to help companies respect human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral purchasing decisions and practices. While not legally binding, the recommendations reflect the common position and political commitments of OECD members and non-member adherents. Grievances against companies registered in OECD member and adherent non-member countries that have allegedly failed to meet the guidelines' standards can be taken to the OECD's National Contact Point in the relevant country. When the European Union Conflict Minerals Regulation comes into full force on 1 January 2021, the OECD Guidance will become mandatory for the largest importers of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold (3TG) into the European Union.
The 2018 Annual Human Rights report included details of the Government's work to support responsible mining practices in Colombia. On 6 February 2018 the OECD published a report on due diligence in Colombia's gold supply chain. For Due Diligence to be effective it needs to be implemented across the supply chain. To achieve this it is essential to work with all actors in the supply chain including NGOs and the private sector. We do this through the OECD's multi-stakeholder group linked for their Implementation Programme for the DDG. In addition, the UK helped to found the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals, a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to increase the supply and demand of responsibly sourced minerals. You can find a current list of European Partnership for Responsible Minerals members at the following link: https://europeanpartnership-responsibleminerals.eu/member.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish a report on the Government’s work to support responsible mining practices in Colombia.
Answered by Mark Field
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (OECD DDG) sets out recommendations to help companies respect human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral purchasing decisions and practices. While not legally binding, the recommendations reflect the common position and political commitments of OECD members and non-member adherents. Grievances against companies registered in OECD member and adherent non-member countries that have allegedly failed to meet the guidelines' standards can be taken to the OECD's National Contact Point in the relevant country. When the European Union Conflict Minerals Regulation comes into full force on 1 January 2021, the OECD Guidance will become mandatory for the largest importers of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold (3TG) into the European Union.
The 2018 Annual Human Rights report included details of the Government's work to support responsible mining practices in Colombia. On 6 February 2018 the OECD published a report on due diligence in Colombia's gold supply chain. For Due Diligence to be effective it needs to be implemented across the supply chain. To achieve this it is essential to work with all actors in the supply chain including NGOs and the private sector. We do this through the OECD's multi-stakeholder group linked for their Implementation Programme for the DDG. In addition, the UK helped to found the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals, a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to increase the supply and demand of responsibly sourced minerals. You can find a current list of European Partnership for Responsible Minerals members at the following link: https://europeanpartnership-responsibleminerals.eu/member.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which private sector organisations the Government has been working with to encourage compliance with OECD due diligence guidance in Colombia.
Answered by Mark Field
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (OECD DDG) sets out recommendations to help companies respect human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral purchasing decisions and practices. While not legally binding, the recommendations reflect the common position and political commitments of OECD members and non-member adherents. Grievances against companies registered in OECD member and adherent non-member countries that have allegedly failed to meet the guidelines' standards can be taken to the OECD's National Contact Point in the relevant country. When the European Union Conflict Minerals Regulation comes into full force on 1 January 2021, the OECD Guidance will become mandatory for the largest importers of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold (3TG) into the European Union.
The 2018 Annual Human Rights report included details of the Government's work to support responsible mining practices in Colombia. On 6 February 2018 the OECD published a report on due diligence in Colombia's gold supply chain. For Due Diligence to be effective it needs to be implemented across the supply chain. To achieve this it is essential to work with all actors in the supply chain including NGOs and the private sector. We do this through the OECD's multi-stakeholder group linked for their Implementation Programme for the DDG. In addition, the UK helped to found the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals, a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to increase the supply and demand of responsibly sourced minerals. You can find a current list of European Partnership for Responsible Minerals members at the following link: https://europeanpartnership-responsibleminerals.eu/member.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish a report on the Government-funded project to support the engagement of the private sector with the truth commission in Colombia.
Answered by Mark Field
Over the 2016-2018 financial years, we financed a project, implemented by Centro Regional de Empresas y Emprendimientos Responsables CREER in Colombia, to help implement the measures in Colombia's National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights which provide for non-judicial remedy of potential disputes related to extractive industry projects. The guide for firms, produced following extensive consultations, workshops and three pilot projects, can be found here (in Spanish).
For more information on the global objectives of this (and other) programmes, please see our ODA collection pages on GOV.UK . The Foreign and Commonwealth Office remains committed to meeting transparency requirements, published on gov.uk
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much the UK embassy in Colombia spent on each of its projects and programmes in that country in 2018.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Colombia project and programme spend during 2018 is set out in the following table. The International Climate Fund and Newton Fund are owned by BEIS, who have contributed to this response.
| Programme/Fund | 2018 spend | Notes |
| Conflict Security and Stability Fund | £11.5M | Two CSSF programmes active in Colombia in 2018. |
| Prosperity Fund | £8.75M | Two Prosperity Fund programmes active in Colombia in 2018. |
| Newton Fund | £4.0M | This is the 2018 country envelope budget figure, as full year spend figures are not yet available. For reference, 2017 spend was £4.6M. Newton Fund works in partnership with Colombia on science and innovation projects. |
| International Climate Fund | £0.258M | Includes only spend directly attributable to Colombia. excludes ICF spent through multilateral funds an other global programmes. This is not directly attributable to individual countries, as money is pooled with other donor finance. |
| FCO Departmental Policy Programme (International Programme) | £0.82M | |
| | |
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women born in the 1950s and affected by the change of the state pension age received less than five years notice of that change.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Pensions Acts of 1995, 2007 and 2011 were fully debated in Parliament. The government undertook wide public consultation before the passage of the Acts. This included publishing Green and White Papers. The passage of the Acts and the changes they brought in were widely reported in the media throughout this period.
The changes to State Pension age that the Pensions Act 1995 brought in started to come into effect from April 2010 giving a notice period of at least 15 years for those changes.
In addition, the DWP and others took extensive steps in the years following the 1995 Act to further communicate the changes to women born in the 1950s, as well as all others affected, by means such as leaflets, State Pension forecasts, media articles and personal letters.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will review the mineworkers’ pension scheme surplus-sharing arrangements between Government and scheme beneficiaries.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government does not intend to review the surplus sharing arrangements which have worked well for all parties. However, the Government is considering proposals from the Trustees for changes including greater protection of bonuses that have already accrued.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to reform the mineworkers’ pension scheme in line with the 1993 actuarial review.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to review the existing arrangements, agreed between the Government and the Trustees in 1994, on the basis of the 1993 review. The scheme has been working well for all parties. The Government is considering proposals from the Trustees for changes including greater protection of bonuses that have already accrued.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the political and conflict situation in West Papua as part of its role as the UN Security Council penholder on peacekeeping and protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Answered by Mark Field
The British Government follows the situation in Papua closely. We respect the territorial integrity of Indonesia. Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, visit Papua and West Papua provinces regularly. I met the Indonesian Ambassador in January and raised Papua with him, and I addressed a parliamentary debate on the issue on 8 May.
We fully support efforts by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and her officials to arrange a visit to Papua at the invitation of the Indonesian government. Officials in our Embassy in Jakarta have discussed the proposed visit with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and encouraged Indonesia to agree dates as soon as possible.