Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s World News Story entitled Cameroon: UK supports new generation of Central Africa researchers, published on 29 January 2026, what steps she is taking to help ensure that research produced through the Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training for Sustainable Development programme will support (a) forest governance, (b) biodiversity protection and (c) climate resilience.

The Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training (CRAFT) for Sustainable Development programme is a major milestone in advancing world‑class, locally led scientific research across the Congo Basin. Further details of all FCDO-funded programmes can be found at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK. Each proposed programme is assessed in advance for the impact it will have on the UK's partnership objectives in the country in question, and for its cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Each approved programme is subsequently evaluated on an ongoing basis for its performance against agreed objectives, and for its delivery on time and on budget.