Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the January 2021 Surfers Against Sewage, Ocean & Climate Report; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The work carried out by Surfers Against Sewage on their Ocean & Climate Report provides a timely reminder of the urgent need to reduce emissions and the importance of nature-based solutions in our response to climate change and biodiversity loss.
The most effective thing we can do to reduce the impacts of climate change on the ocean is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The UK government has therefore set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Internationally, 2021 is a critical year for the ocean, climate and nature. We are committed to working closely with our partners to drive a recognition of the linkages between the ocean, climate and biodiversity. We will use our COP26 Presidency to secure ambitious emission reductions and drive action on the Leaders' Pledge for Nature commitments, recognising the role of nature-based solutions in building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change, as well as supporting mitigation.
At the recent One Planet Summit, the UK accepted the position as Ocean Co-Chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and between this and the UK-led Global Ocean Alliance we now have over 60 countries supporting a target to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 as part of our aim for an ambitious and transformational post-2020 global biodiversity framework for adoption at the 15th Conference of Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15).
Together with Vanuatu, the UK Government is driving forward ambitious action to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean through the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance (CCOA), a growing group of 34 Commonwealth member states. To support the ambitions of CCOA, the UK Government has committed up to £70 million to boost global research and support developing countries to stop plastic waste from entering the ocean in the first place. Through one of our UK Aid programmes, the Global Plastic Action Partnership, the UK is working in partnership with Indonesia, Ghana, Vietnam and Nigeria to stem the tide of plastics entering in the ocean.
The UK has also committed to launch a £500m Blue Planet Fund, financed from official development assistance (ODA), to protect the ocean and reduce poverty in developing countries.
In November 2020 the UK announced its support to start negotiations on a new global agreement at the United Nations Environment Assembly that will create the system change required to tackle increasing levels of marine plastic litter and microplastics.
The UK is also taking action domestically to avoid further irreversible impacts to the ocean from climate change and biodiversity loss.
The protection, restoration and management of the marine environment are central to objectives in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the UK Marine Strategy on clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse seas that are managed sustainably. We already have 38% of UK waters in Marine Protected Areas and our focus is ensuring these are effectively protected.
We have stated our intention to pilot Highly Protected Marine Areas in Secretary of State waters and we look forward to publishing the Government's response to Richard Benyon's review in due course.
The Fisheries Act 2020 protects our marine environment and develops plans to restore our fish stocks back to more sustainable levels.
As part of our commitment to ocean recovery we are supporting coastal and estuarine restoration projects, including blue carbon habitats. The £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund will help environmental organisations start work now on restoration projects across England, including the inshore marine environment.
Our new Storm Overflows Taskforce is bringing together government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs to work urgently on options to tackle sewage pollution issues.
As announced on 22 January, and welcomed by Surfers Against Sewage, this Taskforce has agreed a long-term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows.
Water companies have also agreed to make real-time data on sewage discharges available at bathing sites all year round. This data will be made available to help surfers, swimmers and other recreational water users to check the latest information and make informed choices on where to swim.
We recognise there is more that needs to be done beyond providing more and better information, and so we will continue to work with the industry to reduce frequency and harm of discharges from storm overflows.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support the Government has given to help provide (a) water, (b) hygiene supplies and (c) sanitation to the poorest countries in the world since the start of the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Hand hygiene is critically important to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This is why the UK Government has partnered with Unilever to establish the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition, with an investment of £50 million. Unilever has provided a matching contribution, which includes the supply of over 20 million hygiene products. The programme is on track to reach 1 billion people in 37 developing countries, with messaging that promotes hand and surface hygiene. Interventions target vulnerable people, for example, those living in urban slums or refugee centres, as well as many schools and health care facilities. Where needed, activities have also included the provision of hand washing stations, ensuring people have access to the water they need to wash their hands.
More broadly, in August 2020 we reported that we had helped 62.6 million people gain access to safe water and sanitation since 2016, exceeding our target of 60 million people.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure the equitable distribution of covid-19 vaccines in Syria.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is committed to equitable access to vaccines, across Syria and globally, as demonstrated by our £548 million contribution to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment. UK support will help distribute one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 92 developing countries, including Syria, in 2021. We recognise that the political situation in Syria is complex, and we are lobbying the UN and working with health partners to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed to those in greatest need across the whole of Syria.
This complements the UK's existing support to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in Syria, providing water, healthcare, hygiene kits and sanitation support for vulnerable Syrians across the country.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What assessment he has made of the effect of covid-19 on forcibly displaced people in fragile and developing countries.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Crowded conditions where social distancing, regular handwashing and self-isolation are difficult, and mean refugees and displaced people are among the most vulnerable. UK funding is helping to install handwashing stations, isolation and treatment centres, providing protection and education services and improved access to clean water for displaced people
We will continue to ensure displaced people are factored into the global COVID response, including access to national testing, health-care and prioritisation of vaccines.
Asked by: Mhairi Black (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure people in developing countries have access to clean water.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which includes Article 11(1) on the right to a standard of living. The UK recognises that Article 11 implies rights to water and sanitation. The UK has gone further to work with other countries on water and sanitation related human rights. At the 2020 session of the UN Human Rights Council, held from 14 September to 7 October, the UK joined with other UN Member countries in adopting the latest resolution on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation. This resolution was successfully adopted.
The FCDO is taking steps to ensure that people in developing countries have access to water, sanitation and hygiene. Since 2015, UK Aid funded programmes have reached over 60 million people with access to clean water or sanitation, and we continue to work in this area, not least in the context of the COVID-19 response and recovery.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of the aid budget has been allocated to ensure the provision of (a) water, (b) sanitation and (c) hygiene in developing countries in the 2020-2021 financial year.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The proportion of the UK aid budget allocated to water, sanitation and hygiene in the current calendar year will be known with the release of the Statistics for International Development publication in late 2021. Current figures show that in 2019 the UK Government spent £176 million?of bilateral official development assistance on water, sanitation and hygiene. This was 1.7% of total bilateral ODA last year. The 2021 annual report will confirm whether the share of ODA that was spent on water, sanitation and hygiene continued in the current year.
The UK Government can also confirm that the overall target of reaching at least 60 million people with improved water or sanitation by December 2020 has been met.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the provision of (a) water, (b) sanitation and (c) hygiene to developing countries are prioritised within its policies.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Government is taking steps to ensure that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) plays a full role in contributing to the manifesto commitment to end preventable deaths. We will do this by supporting global leadership in the sector, strengthening sector systems, and ongoing COVID-19 response activities. Our work on WASH builds on existing progress - the UK is on track to help over 60 million people gain access to a water supply or basic sanitation by the end of 2020.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prioritise water, sanitation and hygiene in the overseas development budget.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Government is taking steps to prioritise water, sanitation and hygiene in the overseas aid budget. The UK is on track to help over 60 million people gain access to a water supply or basic sanitation by the end of 2020. This builds on the achievement of our earlier targets which involved reaching 64.7 million people with water or sanitation by 2015. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has funded new programmes across a wide range of countries, including partnership with the private sector, on improving hand hygiene to help tackle COVID-19. We will look to build on this experience in the COVID-19 recovery phase.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that children in developing countries return to school safely during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK is committed to supporting children in developing countries to return to school when it is safe to do so. Through the FCDO's wider education programme response to the pandemic, we have worked with partner countries to ensure they have the knowledge and resources to facilitate a safe return. For example, we have adapted our bilateral education programmes in 18 countries to provide child protection, continuity of learning (e.g. through radio and home learning kits) and to help schools prepare to re-open safely.
The UK is partnering with Kenya to co-host the 2021 Global Partnership for Education (GPE) financing summit, and as the largest donor, supported establishment of a $500 million accelerated funding window to support countries maintain basic education and put in place key safety measures. As the largest donor to the global fund for education in emergencies Education Cannot Wait, we have supported establishment of a COVID-19 emergency response funding window supporting grants for 33 countries and territories, funding activity including key context-specific safety measures such as hygiene information campaigns and upgraded water and sanitation facilities. We have also provided £5.3 million of new UK funding to UNHCR to enable more than 5500 teachers provide vital education for children in 10 refugee-hosting countries during this critical period.
Asked by: Robin Millar (Conservative - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the importance of clean water and good sanitation as part of tackling covid-19 in developing countries.
Answered by Wendy Morton
With the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the UK Government rapidly increased support to hygiene programmes in developing countries. Through the Hygiene, Handwashing and Behaviour Change Coalition on COVID-19 programme, we are working in partnership with Unilever and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 37 countries to provide advice, promote hand and surface hygiene, and deliver supplies including soap and sanitiser to people in urgent need.
The UK is also helping schools worldwide to re-open safely while managing COVID-19 transmission risks. The UK Government-supported Hygiene Hub for COVID-19 has produced specific guidance on reopening schools after lockdown. The hub provides national governments, NGOs and other stakeholders with evidence-based advice and examples of best practice on hygiene and behaviour change.