Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department took to undertake due diligence on (a) the Legacy Landscapes Fund and (b) the potential impact of that Fund on the rights of indigenous peoples.

Defra undertakes due diligence assessments on Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes in order to understand and mitigate programmatic risks and gain assurance on capacity and capability of delivery partners. Following best practice, Defra commissioned comprehensive due diligence on the Legacy Landscapes Fund (LLF) prior to funding. This objectively assessed LLF against a wide range of indicators, including programme delivery, safeguarding and risk management. Particularly related to Indigenous Peoples, the due diligence considered LLF’s detailed Environmental & Social Management System, which informs risk analysis and mitigation in its landscapes, and LLF’s requirements around Indigenous Peoples’ Plans, which aim to ensure programme funding fosters full respect for the identity, dignity, human rights, economies, and cultures of Indigenous peoples. Overall, the due diligence scored the fund positively against the indicators assessed.