Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will list the organisations that received (a) Darwin and (b) Darwin Extra funding and are also represented on the Darwin expert panel in each of the last three years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Darwin Initiative website details successful grants applications and names its Expert Committee members, alongside their associated organisations.
Darwin Expert Committee members have declared an interest in 13 of the 107 organisations awarded Darwin Initiative grants in the past 3 years. Committee members must recuse themselves from the assessment of any application in which they have declared an interest.
The 13 organisations are: Bangor University, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, C3 Philippines, Fauna and Flora International, International Institute for Environment and Development, Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh, Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, The Nature Conservancy, United Nations Environment Programme, University of Oxford, Wildlife Conservation Society, World Wide Fund for Nature UK and the Zoological Society of London.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will list the applicants for the current round of Darwin Extra funding which are also represented on the Darwin expert panel.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra publishes the names of Darwin Expert Committee members and organisations they are associated on the Darwin Initiative website. Successful Darwin Initiative grant applications are also detailed on the same website. Defra does not reveal the identities of unsuccessful applicants as it considers this information to be sensitive. The current round of bidding for Darwin Extra grants is ongoing. Defra will publish details of successful applications when the process is complete.
The Darwin Initiative prevents Conflicts of Interest from influencing funding decisions by requiring its Expert Committee members to declare interests and recuse themselves from the assessment and discussion of any application in which they have an interest. This is monitored by Defra and in line with the Nolan Committee’s Seven Principles of Public Life.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5523 on Democratic Republic of Congo: Conservation, what the formal mechanism for applications to receive funding from the Forest Governance, Markets and Climate programme is; and whether further funding will be made available for that programme.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We remain committed to delivering on the $1.5 billion multi-donor Congo Basin Pledge made at COP26. Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) programme has supported projects on forest governance, legality, transparency and rights in the Congo Basin through a number of grants to leading non-governmental organisations. FGMC intends to launch a new competitive grants programme that will support actions of civil society organisations across the congo basin, subject to Ministerial approval of the programme's new business case in 2024. Details of the application process for these grants will be made public at the time of the launch.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will list conservation projects in the Congo Basin that have received government grants in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In the last three year's His Majesty's Government has supported projects which have contributed towards conservation in the Congo Basin region, as follows:
Darwin Initiative. Further information about supported projects can be found at https://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/project-search/
Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. Further information about supported projects can be found at https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/project-search/
Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use (IFSLU) programme has supported:
a. Africa Palm Oil Initiative (now renamed Africa Sustainable Commodities Initiative), managed through ProForest. Covering Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon and the Republic of Congo (RoC).
b. Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Djoum-Mintom landscape, Cameroon. This project is implemented by two partners: APIFED, an NGO promoting women's and indigenous people's rights and Ecotrading, an enterprise specialising in sustainable NTFP sourcing and trade.
Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) programme has supported projects on forest governance, legality, transparency and rights in the Congo Basin through a number of grants to leading non-governmental organisations
a. Client Earth (CE) - Using the law to address illegal use of forest resources and promote better forest and land governance. Covered Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
b. Chatham House (CH) - Strengthening Forest Governance - preparing for the next 10 years. Covered DRC. Ended December 2022.
c. University of Wolverhampton (CIDT) - Strengthening Forest and Wildlife Monitoring & Law Enforcement in the Congo Basin. Covered Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), DRC, Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
d. Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) - Strengthening forest governance through civil society monitoring and tracking illicit timber flows. Covered Gabon. Ended December 2022.
e. Fern - Consolidating good governance, tackling illegalities. Covered Cameroon and RoC. Ended December 2023.
f. The Proforest Initiative (PF) - Using deforestation-free commodity supply chains to support national initiatives to combat forest loss. Covered Cameroon. Ended December 2022.
g. The Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) - Embedding community real time monitoring to sustain livelihoods and forests in Central and West Africa. Covered Cameroon, DRC and RoC. Covered June 2022.
h. Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) - Local to global: Leveraging lessons and opportunities from rightsholders to drive sustainable, equitable and inclusive climate action. Covered DRC and Gabon. Ended December 2022.
i. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Improving international and national governance frameworks and business standards for intact forests, climate and biodiversity. Covered Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
j. World Resource Institute (WRI) - Consolidating Forest Governance through Transparency and Accountability. Covered Cameroon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
k. WWF - Strengthened multilateral engagement and collaboration with China's timber and palm oil supply chains to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. Covered Gabon. Ended December 2022.
l. Zoological Society of London (ZSL) - Driving transparent, legal and sustainable forestry practices through financial, market and governance incentives. Covered Cameroon, Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
m. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Improving international and national governance frameworks and business standards for intact forests, climate and biodiversity. Covered Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
Further information can be found in the FGMC's Annual Review at https://iati.fcdo.gov.uk/iati_documents/D0001101.odt
The UK has also made contributions to the Central African Forests Initiative (CAFI), a UN multi-donor trust fund, annually since FY2021/22.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding the Government has provided to the (a) Blue Belt programme and (b) Marine Protected Area rollout in each of the last three years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
From 2020-21 to 2022-23, Blue Belt spend has been £6.9 million, £7.7 million and £7.7 million respectively. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) does not keep the detail of funding specifically devoted to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Defra's MPA team is funded through general administrative budgets to deliver management, monitoring and enforcement working alongside Defra's Arms Length Bodies.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of industrial fisheries on the (a) penguin and (b) whale populations around the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) manages a highly regulated fishery, in accordance with its Marine Protected Area legislation. Only vessels which fully meet requirements of both the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and strict GSGSSI licensing requirements are able to conduct fishing activities. Scientific observers are deployed on every fishing vessel, and there are seasonal and spatial controls to ensure the fishery does not impact on the conservation of all animals living around these islands.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help mitigate the impact of industrial krill fishing on the baleen whale population in the Scotia Sea.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is actively engaging through the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to develop a krill risk assessment framework to enhance protection for all krill-eating species, including baleen whales across the Scotia Sea region. Through its Marine Protected Area, the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands imposes additional restrictions on the krill fishery within its waters, including restricting fishing to the winter around South Georgia to prohibit fishing during the most important seasons for krill-eating species, prohibiting fishing within 30km of land, and keeping the South Sandwich Islands closed to krill fishing.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the proceeds of the sale of Chelsea Football Club were not paid to Roman Abramovich; and what has happened with those funds.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Roman Abramovich remains subject to an asset freeze, meaning he will not benefit from the sale of Chelsea Football Club. The proceeds of the sale remain frozen in a UK bank account, awaiting the establishment of a Foundation to spend the proceeds on humanitarian purposes in Ukraine.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to extend the ban on bottom trawling in more highly protected marine areas.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Highly Protected Marine Areas are areas of the sea which will prohibit all destructive, extractive, and depositional activities, including bottom trawling. The Government announced it will explore additional Highly Protected Marine Areas this year.
We will also continue to ban bottom trawling in our Marine Protected Areas wherever that is needed to protect the designated species and habitats. The Marine Management Organisation recently consulted on a byelaw to manage fishing using bottom towed gear in a further 13 sites and is now analysing the responses received.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on developing a system of food labelling to indicate the sustainability of the supply chain of food products.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government Food Strategy set out our commitment to deliver a sustainable and nature positive food system. Improving sustainability information is one of the ways we can support consumers who want to buy more sustainable food, tackle greenwashing and the proliferation of different labels on products to help to meet our climate and environmental goals. We have launched a Food Data Transparency Partnership which will develop a mandatory methodology that must be followed by those who want to use eco-labels or make sustainability claims about their products. We are working closely with industry and other technical experts, and will build on existing initiatives and schemes to develop our proposal, and will consult publicly on our plans in due course.