Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to secure the release of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Catherine West
Jimmy Lai's case is a priority for this government. The Prime Minister raised Mr Lai's case with President Xi on 18 November 2024 at the G20 Summit in Brazil. The Foreign Secretary raised it with China's Foreign Minister in April. During my visit to Hong Kong last month, I called for Mr Lai's release during my meeting with Hong Kong's Chief Secretary.
The UK continues to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Mr Lai. Diplomats from our Consulate-General in Hong Kong have attended his court proceedings throughout, and we continue to press for consular access.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with his Brazilian counterpart on UK-Brazil efforts to halt global deforestation.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
As the world’s largest rainforest country, Brazil is an important partner to the UK on driving action to tackle deforestation. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero engages regularly with Brazilian counterparts. He was fortunate enough to visit the Brazilian Amazon last summer, to see how the UK has worked in partnership with Brazil to support local communities in combating climate change and securing sustainable livelihoods. Securing a sustainable future for rainforests will help to protect British citizens from climate change and to maintain secure supply chains for food and other essentials.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the sale of (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark to Brazil.
Answered by Maria Eagle
On a recent visit to Brazil, at the Latin American Aerospace and Defence Expo, I witnessed the signing of a Statement of Intent (SOI) between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the UK Ministry of Defence. This concerned cooperation and assistance in relation to the acquisition of HMS ALBION and HMS BULWARK. This is a significant step in strengthening bilateral defence cooperation with Brazil and enables discussions regarding the possible sale of the vessels to the Brazilian Navy.
I am unable to provide further information due to commercial sensitivities.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how was the sale price of (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark calculated.
Answered by Maria Eagle
On a recent visit to Brazil, at the Latin American Aerospace and Defence Expo, I witnessed the signing of a Statement of Intent (SOI) between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the UK Ministry of Defence. This concerned cooperation and assistance in relation to the acquisition of HMS ALBION and HMS BULWARK. This is a significant step in strengthening bilateral defence cooperation with Brazil and enables discussions regarding the possible sale of the vessels to the Brazilian Navy.
I am unable to provide further information due to commercial sensitivities.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress he has made on (a) ending and (b) reversing deforestation.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
Tackling deforestation is vital to meeting UK goals on climate, nature and growth. If tropical forests are lost, food prices will rise, including for UK consumers. While rates of deforestation are falling in some countries such as Brazil, drivers of forest loss are complex and will require collective global effort.
The UK is driving progress through political leadership and diplomatic engagement, and through our international climate finance, working with partner governments to improve forest governance, sustainable trade and unlocking private finance.
We recognise we must also do our bit domestically. We are working towards our Environment Act targets, including to halt nature’s decline by 2030 and to reach 16.5% tree canopy cover in England by 2050. We have pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration over the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26. Total tree planting and woodland creation reached over 5,500 hectares in England last year [2023/2024].
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition's press release entitled United Kingdom Elected as co-chair of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, highlighting ambitious agenda to tackle super pollutants, published 21 February, 2025, what recent discussions he has had with his Brazilian counterpart on country-level methane action plans.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
The UK and Brazil recently co-chaired the first Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Board meeting of 2025. Taking ambitious action on methane remains a key focus for the CCAC and the UK and Brazil are working closely together on this shared objective, including ahead of COP30.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 41000 on Energy Supplies: Radio Frequencies, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of evidence gathered from (a) Germany, (b) Ireland, (c) Spain and (d) Brazil, who have already adopted radio spectrum access for the energy system.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofcom is responsible for allocating and authorising radio spectrum in the United Kingdom. As part of its ongoing work, Ofcom has undertaken preparatory steps to explore the potential need for spectrum to support private communications networks in the energy sector. This included publishing a Call for Input (CFI) to help identify suitable spectrum bands, should such a solution be required in the UK.
In assessing the options, Ofcom considered international spectrum harmonisation efforts as well as approaches taken by other national administrations. A brief evaluation of each identified spectrum band was also provided within the CFI.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to support the scale up of the provision of long-acting HIV prevention medicines now entering the market.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to sustainable development goal 3.3 in ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030. Long-acting technologies have the potential to be game-changers in the global response to HIV, but only if they reach the countries and communities that need them most. The UK supports key partners to improve access to long-acting technologies, including Unitaid who recently committed £17 million in market-shaping grants with the Wits Institute in South Africa and Fiotec in Brazil to accelerate affordable access to Lenacapavir.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, at what price he plans to sell (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark to the Brazilian Government.
Answered by Maria Eagle
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 32948 on 3 March 2025 to the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mark Francois).
Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help protect the natural world.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government remains strongly committed to tackling the international climate and nature crises. The UK played a key role at the Biodiversity COP16 Conference in February, which agreed a strategy to mobilise more finance for nature. We are working closely with a wide range of partners to build global ambition on nature ahead of London Climate Action Week in June and COP30 in Brazil.