Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility on drivers of migration linked to (a) deforestation and (b) environmental collapse.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Tropical forests play a crucial role in mitigating against climate change, preserving biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of over one billion people worldwide. Deforestation, forest degradation and wildfires in forest biomes such as the Amazon risk pushing these ecosystems towards potentially catastrophic 'tipping points' from which they would be unable to recover. This in turn would trigger wider environmental impacts, food insecurity and geopolitical shocks which are key drivers of migration.
Forests remain chronically undervalued for the essential climate and environmental services they provide. The Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) is an exciting and ambitious initiative, designed to provide an innovative source of finance to reward countries for the protection of their standing forests. The UK has been proud to work with Brazil and other partners on the design of the TFFF ahead of COP30 in Brazil in November.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on levels of (a) child malnutrition and (b) access to baby formula in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, and the suffering of so many children there is heartbreaking. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported on 15 July that one in ten children screened in UNRWA medical facilities is malnourished. We highlighted the critical situation for Gaza's children at a session of the UN Security Council which we co-called on 16 July, and at the International Development Committee on 16 July. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar about the humanitarian situation in Gaza on 21 July. The UK continues to demand that a full and unhindered resumption of aid into Gaza takes place immediately. Israel must immediately allow the UN and aid partners to safely deliver aid at scale and in line with humanitarian principles.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on UK military involvement in the event of an escalation in conflict between Iran and Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We will not comment on discussions in relation to matters of national security. But as we have made clear, we were not involved in US strikes on Iran, just as we were not involved in Israel's operations.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 the inclusion of women and girls in the development of global climate resilience (a) policies and (b) programmes.
Answered by Catherine West
To ensure gender equality and inclusion characteristics are a key part of UK International Climate Finance (ICF) funded programmes including on resilience, in May 2025 we published Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Guidance for ICF delivery partners. The guidance provides a common framework to integrate gender equality, disability and social inclusion into ICF programme design and delivery and outlines minimum standards and ambitions on GEDSI. The guidance supports our ambition to ensure all new ICF programmes are designed to be 'GEDSI empowering', delivering positive and equitable outcomes for all people.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 Malaysian counterpart on (a) protecting tropical forests and (b)(i) safeguarding and (ii) recognising the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
Answered by Catherine West
The Foreign Secretary met Malaysian PM Anwar on 11 July and discussed Malaysia's climate commitments.
Tackling deforestation and safeguarding the role of local smallholder communities was the focal point of the Minister for Climate's visit in April 2025 when she and Malaysian Minister for Plantations launched the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue Forum promoting deforestation-free crop production.
In March 2025, I launched the UK International Climate Fund (ICF) programme 'Seed to Tree'. I engaged with the indigenous community on establishing seed banks, plant nurseries and translocating saplings for wider forest restoration efforts in Malaysia to combat climate change.
The UK is working with Malaysia and the Netherlands under a UK ICF programme where smallholders (comprising indigenous and local community groups) from across Malaysia are trained to be market-ready producers of sustainable palm oil and deforestation free crops.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what financial support his Department provides for the protection of (a) rainforests and (b) Indigenous People and Local Communities in a context of aid cuts.
Answered by Catherine West
It remains the Government's ambition to deliver £11.6 billion of International Climate Finance between April 2021 and March 2026, of which £1.5 billion should be for forests. In the context of aid cuts, we will sharpen the focus of our Official Development Assistance investments onto three priorities where we can drive real change: humanitarian, health, and climate and nature.
At COP26 in Glasgow, the UK mobilised the $1.7 billion Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) Forest Tenure Pledge and committed £163 million to advance IPLC tenure rights. We continue to prioritise supporting IPLCs, recognising their vital role in tackling the climate and nature crises. We do this through flagship Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office programmes, including on forest governance and land tenure in the Amazon, and as co-chair of the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership ahead of COP30 in Brazil later this year.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 (a) his Brazilian counterpart and (b) Indigenous Brazilian representatives on (i) protecting and (ii) recognising the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ ahead of COP30 in Belem; and what steps he is taking to collaborate with (A) his European counterparts and (B) other donors on this issue.
Answered by Catherine West
On 24 June 2025, the Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and the Caribbean met Brazil's Minister for Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara. They agreed on the importance of ensuring meaningful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in COP processes. Sonia Guajajara has spoken publicly about the importance of COP30 as a "COP of implementation" and securing concrete benefits for IPLCs. The UK collaborates with European and international partners on this issue through multilateral funds and initiatives such as the Amazon Fund and the REDD+ Early Movers programme, which support IPLC-led forest protection and sustainable livelihoods. Through the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP), which the UK co-chairs with Guyana, we are working to promote greater recognition of IPLCs as vital stewards of critical forest ecosystems.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 effectiveness of his policies to (a) protect global forests, (b) protect and (c) recognise the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
Answered by Catherine West
Globally, rates of forest loss are declining but climate change is making forests more vulnerable to threats from wildfire and pests. The UK is committed to the goals of halting and reversing deforestation and supporting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC). Through diplomacy, partnerships and development programming, we are working to improve forest governance, sustainable trade and investment, and to mobilise finance to protect and restore the world's major tropical forest basins.
At the Glasgow Climate Conference (COP26) in 2021, the UK mobilised the $1.7 billion IPLC Forest Tenure Pledge and committed £163 million to advance IPLC tenure rights. UK programmes such as the Amazon Catalyst for Forest Communities (AMCAT) and the Global Land Governance Programme, work with partner governments and IPLCs to strengthen forest governance and national land governance systems. These initiatives have contributed to policy reforms, capacity building, and land registration efforts in multiple countries.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 international counterparts on the (a) protection and (b) recognition of the rights of (i) indigenous peoples and (ii) local communities’ rights in relation to COP30 in Belem.
Answered by Catherine West
We recognise the global contribution Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) make to climate change mitigation, biodiversity preservation, and inclusive and sustainable development, and support global efforts to recognise and advance their contribution.
At COP26, the UK led international efforts to strengthen IPLC forest tenure, launching the IPLC Land and Forest Tenure Pledge to mobilise $1.7 billion in support of IPLC efforts by the end of 2025. This funding has supported legal reforms or land titling processes within several countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Through its own commitments, the UK has increased direct support to IPLC organisations, including backing the Tenure Facility's work in the Amazon. We are working with international partners and IPLC groups through the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership to shape a new pledge for COP30.
Complementing these joint initiatives, the UK is directly supporting IPLC efforts through bilateral programmes including the Amazon Catalyst for Forest Communities, the Global Land Governance Programme and Forest Governance, Markets and Climate Programme. All of these include a focus on strengthening IPLC rights. The UK is advocating for IPLC to have a greater voice in climate finance notably with IPLC-led mechanisms in the Climate Investment Funds and Global Environment Fund.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 protect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities in rainforest countries.
Answered by Catherine West
We recognise the global contribution Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) make to climate change mitigation, biodiversity preservation, and inclusive and sustainable development, and support global efforts to recognise and advance their contribution.
At COP26, the UK led international efforts to strengthen IPLC forest tenure, launching the IPLC Land and Forest Tenure Pledge to mobilise $1.7 billion in support of IPLC efforts by the end of 2025. This funding has supported legal reforms or land titling processes within several countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Through its own commitments, the UK has increased direct support to IPLC organisations, including backing the Tenure Facility's work in the Amazon. We are working with international partners and IPLC groups through the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership to shape a new pledge for COP30.
Complementing these joint initiatives, the UK is directly supporting IPLC efforts through bilateral programmes including the Amazon Catalyst for Forest Communities, the Global Land Governance Programme and Forest Governance, Markets and Climate Programme. All of these include a focus on strengthening IPLC rights. The UK is advocating for IPLC to have a greater voice in climate finance notably with IPLC-led mechanisms in the Climate Investment Funds and Global Environment Fund.