Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department has made the US Administration on greater transparency for UK nationals on the reasons for Electronic System for Travel Authorization refusals.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have no records of recent discussions with the US regarding greater transparency for UK nationals on the reasons for Electronic System for Travel Authorisation refusals.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of Iran's ballistic missile capabilities.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's ballistic missile programme destabilises the region and threatens European security. UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (UNSCR 2231) calls on Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such technology. Alongside France and Germany, we have written regularly to the UN Secretary-General to draw attention to Iranian missile activity inconsistent with UNSCR 2231, most recently on 12 June. We urge Iran to fully abide by UNSCR 2231 and all other relevant resolutions.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of Iran's influence on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government regularly assesses the impact of Iran's activity throughout the Middle East, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups. We work closely with our partners to deter destabilising Iranian activity in the region, including through a range of sanctions designations. We are aware of the activities of Iranian-backed militant organisations and we are working hard to de-escalate tensions in order to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution for Israel and the Palestinians.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has made on delivering an agreement with the EU on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications as committed to in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides a framework to facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. In May 2021, the Government published technical guidance for regulators and professional bodies proposing professional qualifications for recognition through the TCA framework on GOV.UK. In August 2022 the Government launched a Recognition Arrangements Grant Programme to support regulators' financial costs to agree recognition arrangements. On 3 October 2022, the UK and EU regulators for architecture submitted the first joint recommendation to the Partnership Council. The UK and EU discussed the recommendation at the Services, Investment and Digital Trade Specialised Committee on 20 October 2022 and the Government will publish further updates on the development of this arrangement in due course.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the involvement of British International Investment and Globeleq in Central Térmica de Temane, whether his Department took steps to support the Mozambique government in negotiating additional access to the renewable power from the Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa hydroelectric dam for the domestic market.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Government of Mozambique has strong ambition to provide universal access to energy by 2030. The Temane project is central to Mozambique's energy transition. There is a recognition from the Government that for Mozambique to reach that universal target by 2030, the country would need to consider other sources of energy that are affordable, and not solely rely on the Cahora Bassa dam generated energy, which also has high costs associated with grid densification infrastructure. That is why the Government has made some progress in the last year with other energy projects, including the Temane Project, and expanding the off-grid solar renewables projects.
The Temane project is in line with the country's decarbonisation pathway to net zero by 2050. The Temane project's flexible technological operating configuration and the interconnecting transmission line allows for greater penetration of intermittent renewables across Mozambique's grids over time. Temane is technologically capable - from day one - to blend green hydrogen fuel into its fuel mix when that becomes available.
There has been no specific engagement with the Government of Mozambique to support additional access to renewable power from the Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa hydroelectric dam.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to British International Investment's funding for Globeleq Limited, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Globeleq Limited's projects on the transition to renewable energy in Mozambique.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Globeleq has supported the financing of a number of African power projects, including the ground-breaking Cuamba solar (plus battery) storage project and the Temane gas fired power project, both in Mozambique.
The Temane project is central to Mozambique's energy transition. When operational, the Temane project is expected to meet the electricity needs of 1.5 million Mozambicans and support the creation of 14,000 jobs. It will provide reliable, dispatchable power for baseload, with the ability to transition to a 'peaking role' as more renewables become available.
The project's flexible technological operating configuration and the interconnecting transmission line allows for greater penetration of intermittent renewables across Mozambique's grids over time. This includes the pioneering Cuamba project (cited above), under construction by Globeleq, which is one of the first utility scale solar projects in Africa capable of storing energy, paving the way for wider uptake of renewable power. In addition, Temane is technologically capable - from day one - to blend green hydrogen fuel into its fuel mix when that becomes available.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the involvement of British International Investment and Globeleq in Central Térmica de Temane (CTT), what assessment he has made of the price the Mozambique state utility company EDM will pay for power from CTT.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Temane gas project is a project developed and invested in by Globeleq, an experienced developer of power projects across Africa, of which British International Investment is the majority shareholder.
Prior to investing in Temane, Globeleq undertook due diligence and an evaluation of the commercial terms negotiated and agreed with the state-owned company 'Source Energia and Electricidade de Moçambique' (EDM). The power purchase agreement signed between the project company and EDM is commercially confidential.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the IPCC's report entitled Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability; and whether she plans to take steps to work to reduce the debt owed by countries in the Global South to enable those countries to free up resources to better adapt to climate change.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK agrees with the IPCC that global action to adapt to the changing climate has been insufficient. We recognise how urgent and important it is to ensure countries most vulnerable to climate change are able to respond to the risks they face.
We are providing £11 billion of international climate finance over five years, with an extra £1 billion in 2024-2025 if the economy grows as forecast. Recent UK commitments on adaptation include significant support to developing countries, with £274 million to help countries across Asia and the Pacific to build resilience, £143.5 million to support African countries to adapt and almost £50 million to help Small Island Developing States.
The UK has put action on climate change and debt at the top of its international agenda with our COP26 Presidency in 2021/22. We have increased the level of quality climate financing, which means offering financing to countries on terms that are suitable to their economic situation and consistent with their path to a more sustainable debt situation. This includes the provision of grants for countries at highest risk of debt distress.
We are working to ensure that countries get effective and timely debt treatments that put them on a more fiscally sustainable path and allow them to channel future funds to productive investments that are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, including climate change adaptation. In November 2020, the UK, along with the G20 and Paris Club, agreed the Common Framework to help deliver a long-term sustainable approach for supporting lower income countries to tackle their debt vulnerabilities.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for his policies of the IPCC's report entitled Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability; and whether she plans to provide additional funding to secure the operationalisation of the Santiago Network at COP27 in the context of that report's findings.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UN IPCC's Working Group II report on the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change provides a stark assessment on the impacts of climate change. Findings show that impacts are worse than previously predicted and current efforts to adapt are insufficient.
The UK is committed to supporting countries' efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change, including through our International Climate Finance (ICF), which will total at least £11.6 billion between 2021-2026. As COP26 President, the UK will work with the incoming Egyptian Presidency for COP27 and others to progress the actions set out in the COP26 Decision text. This includes the Glasgow Dialogue which will discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimise and address loss and damage. We are also supporting the process to operationalise the Santiago Network. Decisions on UK funding for the Santiago Network will be taken as this work progresses. Between 2016 and 2019, the UK spent £2 billion of ICF on adaptation and investments in areas needed to address loss and damage.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding the UK (a) has provided and (b) plans to provide to support more resilient crops through the Santiago Network.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK is committed to supporting efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change, including through our International Climate Finance (ICF), which will total at least £11.6 billion between 2021-2026. As COP26 President, the UK will work with the incoming Egyptian Presidency for COP27 and others to progress the actions set out in the COP26 Decision text. This includes the Glasgow Dialogue which will discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimise and address loss and damage. We are also supporting the process to operationalise the Santiago Network. Decisions on UK funding for the Santiago Network will be taken as this work progresses.
Negotiations continue on the Santiago Network's organizational structure. The focus of the Santiago Network's support will be developed and agreed once the Network is operational. Current FCDO Agriculture Research programmes continue to support climate resilient crops and food systems. These includes our major joint research initiatives with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supporting work at the Crop Science Centre in Cambridge to sustainably increase yields for small-holder farmers in Africa, and Edinburgh-based research on livestock health.