Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in G7 countries on (a) strengthening and (b) extending the eligibility criteria for the Common Framework to assist debt restructuring for (i) Tonga, (ii) small island developing states and (iii) other climate vulnerable countries.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Progress in implementing the Common Framework has been a regular feature in the Chancellor’s discussions in the G7 and G20. Recognising the need to advance existing requests for the Common Framework, in its October 2021 communique the G20 committed to step up its efforts to implement it in a timely, orderly and coordinated manner.
73 of the world’s poorest countries, including Tonga and a number of other small island states and climate vulnerable countries, are currently eligible for the G20 and Paris Club’s Common Framework. The UK is open to options to strengthen and extend the Common Framework noting that any decisions would require agreement of the full G20.
Countries that are ineligible for the Common Framework may still apply for a debt treatment from the Paris Club. The UK is a longstanding member of the Paris Club and has a strong record of working with international partners to assist countries on their road to longer-term debt sustainability.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to (1) Tuvalu, (2) Vanuatu, and (3) the Bahamas, to combat the effects of climate change.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK is committed to building global consensus to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the Bahamas, to address their unique vulnerabilities to climate change and build resilient green economies of the future. The UK led a High-Level Roundtable on SIDS Access to Finance and a call to action for global reform which brought together SIDS, development partners (donors) and international organisations. The Minister for Europe and the Americas set out the UK’s belief that the current development finance system is not working for SIDS.
At COP26 the UK amplified the voice of small islands and highlighted the need for drastic action to keep global temperature rises below 1.5oC. The UK Presidency prioritised pushing developed countries to address SIDS’ concerns about climate finance: scale of finance, finance for adaptation, access to finance and action to avert, minimise and address loss and damage as a result of climate change. The UK also announced a new £40m ‘Small Island Developing State Capacity and Resilience’ (SIDAR) programme, which will support capacity-building for small island states to better access funding and to build state resilience. This is in addition to a further £7m to support resilient infrastructure for SIDS.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what projects their diplomatic missions have funded for the Universal Rights Group non-governmental organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland; and how much funding has been approved.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
HM Government have provided funding to the Universal Rights Group for a number of projects:
No funding has been provided to Universal Rights Group in the last 2 years.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question
What steps he is taking to raise international ambition to address the climate vulnerability of small island developing states ahead of COP26.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are committed to working in partnership with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to keep 1.5 alive and deliver the Paris Agreement goals.
To better support those already experiencing climate impacts, the UK has committed to doubling our climate finance. We are calling on others to follow our lead.
We are amplifying the voices of SIDS and continue to drive action on their priorities - including through our hosting of the Climate & Development Ministerial, co-chairing of the NDC Partnership, and leadership of the Adaptation Action Coalition.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question
To ask the President of COP26, what formal (a) consultation he has had with and (b) representation he has established for the UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies in relation to the COP26 processes.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The UK Government represents the interests of UK Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including in negotiations at the annual Conference of the Parties (COP).
Whilst the Overseas Territories (OTs) are not part of the formal COP negotiating framework, as small island developing states (SIDS), they are also impacted by climate change. COP26 also provides an opportunity for the OTs to showcase their unique biodiversity, environments and marine protected areas and to highlight the importance of adaptation. The UK Government is working with all OTs to ensure that their unique perspectives are accurately represented and is designing a specific package to support Territory Governments in the run up to COP26 and beyond. I have asked my Regional Ambassador for Latin America and the Caribbean, for COP26, to also act as a liaison point for the OTs.
My officials are also engaging with the Crown Dependencies on preparations for COP26.
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 he has had with his Haitian counterpart on the potential effect of climate change on Haiti.
Answered by Wendy Morton
In August, the COP26 President Designate, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy hosted a virtual round table discussion on climate change with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), at which the Haitian Minister of the Environment participated. The meeting discussed the climate change agenda, with a particular focus on helping Caribbean countries on accessing finance, climate change mitigation and adaptation and resilience. This was the first Ministerial discussion on climate change with CARICOM in 2020 and paved the way for strong partnership with all Caribbean Small Island Developing States. We have since partnered with the region on building stronger pipelines of foreign direct investment in renewables, promoting youth engagement on building a more climate resilient future, and provided technical and financial support in the development of National Determined Contributors. We are acutely aware of the vulnerability of Haiti and all Small Island Developing States and remain committed to developing their resilience and promoting their moral voice within multilateral fora.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they carried out any analysis of the potential cost of moving and accommodating asylum seekers to Ascension Island; and if so, what those costs were.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The UK has a long and proud history of providing protection to those who need it, in accordance with our international obligations. Tens of thousands of people have rebuilt their lives in the UK and we will continue to provide safe and legal routes for the vulnerable to do so in the future.
Meanwhile, we have seen unprecedented numbers of journeys to the UK by small boat in 2020, which are both dangerous and facilitated by criminals, and so we are determined to render these journeys unviable.
The Department has been developing plans to reform our illegal migration and asylum policies to ensure we are able to provide protection to those who need it whilst preventing abuse of the system and the criminality associated with it. As part of this, we have explored likeminded states’ responses to similar situations in order to consider the various options that exist for deterring people from undertaking these dangerous journeys, exploring a range of options, including those that have been employed by other countries in similar situations. No decisions have been made by Ministers and we continue to work to find the right approach for the UK.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have abandoned any proposals to move applicants for asylum in the UK to Ascension Island; what other proposals for the movement of such applicants to other countries are still under consideration; and whether they will place a copy of any documentation relating to such proposals in the Library of the House.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The UK has a long and proud history of providing protection to those who need it, in accordance with our international obligations. Tens of thousands of people have rebuilt their lives in the UK and we will continue to provide safe and legal routes for the vulnerable to do so in the future.
Meanwhile, we have seen unprecedented numbers of journeys to the UK by small boat in 2020, which are both dangerous and facilitated by criminals, and so we are determined to render these journeys unviable.
The Department has been developing plans to reform our illegal migration and asylum policies to ensure we are able to provide protection to those who need it whilst preventing abuse of the system and the criminality associated with it.
As part of this, we have explored likeminded states’ responses to similar situations in order to consider the various options that exist for deterring people from undertaking these dangerous journeys, exploring a range of options, including those that have been employed by other countries in similar situations. No decisions have been made by Ministers and we continue to work to find the right approach for the UK.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to allocate aid to the Maldives to support policy in relation to (a) rising sea levels and (b) human displacement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK does not have a bilateral aid programme related to climate change in the Maldives. Most of our support to the Maldives is provided through multilateral institutions and key climate change funds.
The UK is acutely aware of the unique vulnerabilities that climate change poses to small island developing states, such as the Maldives, and we are actively using our influence in the UN and multilateral development banks to raise their concerns on issues such as natural disasters and climate change.
We are the largest contributor to the Green Climate Fund and the World Bank’s International Development Association, the largest European donor to the Asian Development Fund, and a significant contributor to the Green Environment Facility, which are all helping the most vulnerable countries like the Maldives adapt to climate change, including human displacement and risks related to rising sea levels.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress have they made in promoting sustainable fishing in developing countries.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department for International Development’s (DFID) portfolio of commercial agriculture programmes includes support which helps promote the development of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in developing countries. For example, the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) programme in Myanmar promotes community management of wild fisheries. Poor households have better maintained their fish stocks, and adopted new marketing practices, which has helped improve their income and food and nutrition security. The new DFID Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness programme will provide technical assistance to small local businesses working in the aquaculture sector in Malawi and will work with investors to promote responsible investment in this sector. DFID is also supporting sustainable small-scale aquaculture, and our support has contributed to improving the fish-based livelihoods of 51,235 households and 72,264 people.
As part of our cross-Government commitment to protecting the global environment, DFID has provided £150 million and DEFRA £100 million funding to the Global Environment Facility 7th replenishment (2018-2022), which includes support for small island developing states in managing their marine territories. We also provide a core contribution to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which supports countries in sustainable fisheries management. Progress is reported in the FAO’s flagship State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture.