Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions UK and US trade negotiators have had on the effect of a UK-US trade deal on the economies of Caribbean countries.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Scoping Assessment of the UK-US Free Trade Agreement, published on 2 March 2020, set out that the agreement could affect countries other than the UK and the US, including countries in the Caribbean region, although our modelling suggests that there would be a negligible impact on the long run GDP of these countries.
UK negotiators have presented the information on potential impacts to their US counterparts as part of discussions on trade and development and seek to ensure the UK-US trade agreement supports our broader objectives on trade and development, which include supporting developing countries to reduce poverty through trade.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
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 is already committed to multilateral institutions in the 2021-22 financial year.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction: climate and biodiversity; COVID-19 and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. We are working through our internal business planning process which will allocate the ODA budget across these priorities and geographies.
No final decisions have yet been made on budget allocations for 2021/22.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 158010, how much Official Development Assistance has been allocated to fulfil existing commitments to (a) the World Bank , (b) the EU, (c) the Global Fund for Aids, Malaria & TB, (d) GAVI, (e) CDC Group, (f) UN institutions and (g) climate change in the 2021-22 financial year.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction: climate and biodiversity; COVID-19 and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. We are working through our internal business planning process which will allocate the ODA budget across these priorities and geographies.
No final decisions have yet been made on budget allocations for 2021/22.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in developing the Strategic Framework for ODA, whether the Government plans to develop a needs-based approach to aid allocation that considers a range of (a) financial indicators and (b) social and political measures.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. This will also take into account considerations of need, including levels of poverty, ability of countries to self-finance poverty reduction and the UK's comparative advantage, to ensure that every penny we spend on ODA goes as far as possible and has the greatest impact the UK could help achieve.
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria his Department will use when deciding which elements of the aid budget to change.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. Aid will be allocated against these priorities while taking into account considerations of need, including levels of poverty, ability of countries to self-finance poverty reduction and the UK's comparative advantage, to ensure that every penny we spend on ODA goes as far as possible and has the greatest impact and delivers value for money.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the reduction in Official Development Assistance spending will affect funding for (1) climate change, (2) poverty eradication, (3) tackling disease, and (4) conflict; and whether these issues will be raised when the UK hosts (a) COP26, and (b) the G7 summit.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. We are working through our internal business planning process which will allocate the ODA budget across these priorities and geographies. While final decisions on ODA allocations for 2021/22 have not yet been made, we will honour our commitment to spend £11.6 billion on climate change over the next 5 years.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the 2021 Official Development Assistance budget had been allocated as part of long-term spending commitments before the start of 2021.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. We are working through our internal business planning process which will allocate the ODA budget across these priorities and geographies. No decisions have yet been made on budget allocations for 2021/22.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect in the reduction in Official Development Assistance to developing countries on (a) family planning, (b) sexual and reproductive, (c) climate change, (d) poverty eradication, (e) tackling disease and (f) conflict in those countries.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We remain firmly committed to helping the world's poorest people. The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget this year in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. This new strategic approach will allow us to drive greater impact from our aid budget, notwithstanding the difficult financial position we face.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
Trading under Phase I of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which began on 1st January 2021, marks a key turning point in African economic integration. It will reduce barriers to intra-African trade and diminish the complexity and costs of operating across African countries for British businesses. It should lift millions out of poverty too, and drive industrialisation on the continent.
To fully realise its benefits, the ongoing Phase II negotiations must be successfully concluded, and the agreement fully implemented. The United Kingdom has supported AfCFTA negotiations with targeted technical assistance and my Hon. Friend, the Minister for Africa (James Duddridge), recently expressed our support for AfCFTA to its Secretary-General.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance will be spent in total in (a) Africa, (b) Asia, (c) Europe and (d) the Pacific in 2021-22.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction: climate and biodiversity; COVID-19 and global health security; girls' education; science and research; defending open societies and resolving conflict; humanitarian assistance; and promoting trade and economic growth. We are working through our internal business planning process which will allocate the ODA budget across these priorities and geographies. No decisions have yet been made on individual country or sectoral budget allocations for 2020/21.