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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with non-governmental organisations working in the UK's Overseas Territories about the treatment of stony coral tissue loss disease.

The UK Government has been working closely with our Overseas Territories (OTs) in the Caribbean in response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD).

In 2020/2021, the UK Government provided £100,000 to pilot a collaborative working group with the Caribbean OTs. This group actively welcomes input from OT government representatives, non-governmental organisation (NGOs) and other key stakeholders such as dive operators and field study centres involved in coral conservation and SCTLD treatment. This group has met at least once a month since December 2020 to discuss all aspects of SCTLD, including treatment and management options.

The funding of this group is now secured through a three year £497,000 Darwin Plus grant that started in June 2021 and ends in March 2024. Direct funding through this grant is provided to OT government partners, including NGOs, who are directly supporting the treatment efforts in-country. Notably, for this Darwin Plus grant, the Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources in the Turks and Caicos Islands are funding the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund, and the Ministry of Natural Resources in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are partnering with the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands.

Over the last two years, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, the UK Government has also funded NGOs to deliver work on behalf of, or alongside governments, to implement SCTLD treatment. This has included discussions on treatment. Agreements have been put in place to formalise these arrangements following discussions with OT government departments in Bermuda, BVI and Montserrat.