Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March to Question 18399 on UK Export Finance: Environment Protection, how many applications for UK Export Finance support have been scrutinised by the Environmental, Social and Human Rights team in each of the past five years; and how many of those applications were rejected on environmental grounds.
All applications which fall within the scope of UK Export Finance’s (UKEF’s) environmental, social and human rights (ESHR) policy are reviewed for ESHR risks and impacts.
UKEF might be unable to provide support for a number of different reasons, including concern over environmental or related project matters.
For example, in 2016, following a decision by ministers, UKEF turned down an application to support a coal-fired power plant in Vietnam.
As a result of the presence of UKEF support, a project may meet higher ESHR standards than otherwise.