Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she is making an assessment in addition to the UKEF environmental, social and health impact assessment of the implications for her policy on funding for the Category A Mozambique LNG project of (a) the correlation between gas industry activity and the level of covid-19 cases, (b) attacks on local villages and increasing violence and instability in the region and (c) other human rights issues.

The Mozambique LNG Project is still under consideration, and we cannot comment on potential transactions for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) carries out due diligence on all relevant aspects of a project before coming to a decision on whether to provide support.

As the question acknowledges, the Government has already published a Category A notice which includes a link to an Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHR) of the Mozambique LNG project and related information. The Category A Notice is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project/category-a-project-under-consideration-mozambique-lng-project

UKEF has a specialist ESHR team that reviews relevant projects for such risks and impacts prior to UKEF taking a decision on support.