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Written Question
Fundão Tailing Dam
Wednesday 19th July 2023

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, whether he has met his Brazilian counterpart to discuss the ongoing impact of the Mariana Dam incident.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government regularly engages with the Brazilian Government on a wide range of issues, including the continuing impact of the Mariana Dam incident. Minister Docherty, the Minister of State for Europe, spoke at a Westminster Hall Debate on 22 June and mentioned ongoing work between the UK and Brazil to improve safety measures around tailings dam management. In 2019, following the collapse of the Brumadinho dam in Brazil, the Department for International Trade supported an initiative to publish the world's first Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, to help improve safety worldwide. A partnership between the British Embassy in Brasilia and the Prosecutor's Office in the State of Minas Gerais led to the launch, in May 2022, of the world's first independent tailings dam monitoring centre in Brazil, which aims to improve safety and transparency in tailing dam management.


Written Question
Dom Phillips
Monday 20th June 2022

Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Brazilian counterpart on the disappearance of Dom Phillips.

Answered by Vicky Ford

I was sorry to hear that Dom Phillips's body has now been identified. My thoughts are with his family. I [Minister Ford] discussed the search and rescue effort with Brazil's Justice and Public Security Minister on 9 June. I [Minister Ford] am grateful to everyone who was involved in the searches. Consular officials in Sao Paulo and London continue to provide support to Mr Phillips' family in Brazil and the UK. My officials at the British Embassy in Brazil remain in regular and close contact with the Brazilian authorities as the investigation into this case proceeds.


Written Question
Bruno Araújo Pereira and Dom Phillips
Wednesday 15th June 2022

Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the disappearance of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous rights expert Bruno Pereira, if she will call on her Brazilian counterpart to urgently scale up the emergency search operation in cooperation with local indigenous organisations.

Answered by Vicky Ford

My thoughts are with the families of Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira during this difficult time. On the 9th June I raised Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira's disappearance with the Brazilian Minister of Justice and Public Security at the Summit of the Americas, who assured us that the Brazilian authorities are doing all that can be done in air, boats and land. Officials at the British Embassy in Brazil continue to be in regular and close contact with the Brazilian authorities at the most senior levels for updates on the Brazilian search operation. We understand the remote location presents considerable logistical challenges and have requested the Brazilian Government do all that they can to support the investigation. I am extremely thankful and appreciative of their search and rescue effort to date.

Consular officials in Sao Paulo and London are providing support to Mr Phillips' family in Brazil and the UK.


Written Question
Bruno Araújo Pereira and Dom Phillips
Wednesday 15th June 2022

Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) she or (b) her officials have made representations to her Brazilian counterpart on scaling up the emergency search operation for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, following their disappearance in the Javari Valley on 5 June 2022, in cooperation with local indigenous organisations.

Answered by Vicky Ford

My thoughts are with the families of Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira during this difficult time. On the 9th June I raised Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira's disappearance with the Brazilian Minister of Justice and Public Security at the Summit of the Americas, who assured us that the Brazilian authorities are doing all that can be done in air, boats and land. Officials at the British Embassy in Brazil continue to be in regular and close contact with the Brazilian authorities at the most senior levels for updates on the Brazilian search operation. We understand the remote location presents considerable logistical challenges and have requested the Brazilian Government do all that they can to support the investigation. I am extremely thankful and appreciative of their search and rescue effort to date.

Consular officials in Sao Paulo and London are providing support to Mr Phillips' family in Brazil and the UK.


Written Question
Bruno Araújo Pereira and Dom Phillips
Monday 13th June 2022

Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Brazilian counterpart on the disappearance of Dom Phillips and Bruno Araújo Pereira in the Amazon.

Answered by Vicky Ford

My thoughts are with the families of Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira during this difficult time. I am engaged and closely following this case. I discussed the search and rescue effort with Brazil's Justice and Public Security Minister on 9 June, who provided reassurances that that the Brazilian authorities are doing all they can via land, air and river support to find Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira. We have confirmed to the Brazilian authorities that the UK stands ready to provide support if it is requested. My officials at the British Embassy in Brazil remain in regular and close contact with the Brazilian authorities at the most senior levels for updates on the Brazilian search operation to locate Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira. I am extremely thankful and appreciative of their search and rescue effort.

Consular officials in Sao Paulo and London are providing support to Mr Phillips' family in Brazil and the UK.


Written Question
Amazonia: Indigenous Peoples
Tuesday 24th May 2022

Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support and protect the endangered (a) Awa and (b) Surui tribes in the Amazon; and what assessment she has made of the effect of that support on the survival of those tribes.

Answered by Vicky Ford

The UK regularly engages with indigenous leaders and civil society organisations regarding the Amazon. Senior UK Government officials discussed the indigenous lands situation with Brazilian authorities most recently in December 2021. In April 2022 senior representatives from the British Embassy discussed human rights with indigenous leaders from across Brazil as part of the Brazilian National Articulation of Indigenous People.

Our Embassy in Brasilia has hosted conversations with indigenous leaders from Amazonas and Pará, and is in regular contact with the Brazilian National Foundation for Indigenous People (FUNAI), which is responsible for promoting indigenous people's rights and territorial protection in Brazil, including for uncontacted indigenous people to ensure that our own and others' engagement is coordinated. The UK is committed to defending and promoting the human rights of all, and we will continue to monitor developments around indigenous land rights in Brazil.


Written Question
Brazil and USA: Espionage
Monday 28th March 2022

Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Brazilian counterpart regarding reports that an American spy attempted to sell nuclear submarine secrets to Brazil in 2021.

Answered by Vicky Ford

It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments that we do not comment on intelligence matters.


Written Question
Fundão Tailing Dam: Disaster Relief
Wednesday 23rd March 2022

Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her Brazilian counterpart on support provided to Brazil to help with recovery from the Mariana dam disaster in 2015.

Answered by Vicky Ford

British diplomats have, in partnership with UN Environment Programme, been promoting the new Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) that brings together key stakeholders in the mining sector including Brazil's Federal and State Government, academia, UK specialists and civil society to address and discuss the safety of Brazilian dams. The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has not raised the 2015 Mariana dam disaster with her Brazilian counterpart.


Written Question
Russia: Ukraine
Monday 7th February 2022

Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Brazilian counterpart on the situation between Ukraine and Russia, following reports that President Bolsonaro will travel to Russia to meet with President Putin.

Answered by Vicky Ford

The Foreign Secretary last spoke to Foreign Minister França at the UN General Assembly in New York in September. On 3 February, I met the Ambassador of Brazil to the UK and thanked him for Brazil's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity at the UN Security Council. British diplomats in Brasilia, including Her Majesty's Ambassador, continue to discuss these issues with the Brazilian Government.


Written Question
Amazonia: Indigenous Peoples
Tuesday 18th January 2022

Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)

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 (a) protect the survival of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin and (b) address risks arising from (i) commercial exploitation of and (ii) violent incursions into their territories.

Answered by Vicky Ford

British diplomats regularly engage with indigenous leaders and civil society organisations in Brazil. We are funding a three-year initiative, the Regional Action to Reduce Environmental Crime in the Amazon which aims to prevent and reduce environmental crime across the Amazon region, including in Brazil. The British Embassy in Brazil is committed to engaging widely with the Brazilian Government, civil society organisations, and other representatives to discuss issues related to indigenous rights and will continue to monitor the situation.

During the C-19 pandemic, we also supported Indigenous Communities though our International Programme Fund. This included a £10,000 project focused on maximising fundraising efforts to provide emergency assistance to a range of indigenous communities based in the Amazon basin. The project raised over £500,000 for indigenous communities in the form of health assistance and community support including food, hygiene products and information campaigns.

UK programmes designed to help speed the recovery from the pandemic include a focus on vulnerable groups, including in the Amazon region and support improvements in areas such as solar energy, primary health and skills development. We have also supported local and indigenous people in the Amazon through our International Climate Finance programmes, with nearly £120 million invested across the Amazon since 2012.