Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many deals were agreed at the UK Africa Investment Summit 2020; and in which sectors those deals were agreed.
Answered by James Duddridge
Twenty-seven commercial deals with a total value of over £6.5 billion were announced at the UK-Africa Investment Summit. These deals covered a range of sectors including healthcare, infrastructure, and energy. A full summary of all the deals announced on the day of the Summit can be found on the UK-Africa Investment Summit website and will soon be available in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by non-renewable energy projects financed by the Private Infrastructure Development Group.
Answered by James Duddridge
Historically Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) has not measured the Green House Gases emissions associated with its investments.
However, it has now developed a methodology to measure the Green House Gases emissions associated with its investment portfolio and conducted an assessment of its portfolio beginning with the highest emitting sector, which is energy.
It will disclose the Green House Gases footprint associated with its investment portfolio going forwards as part of its commitment to Taskforce for Climate Related Financial Disclosures reporting from this year onwards (with the first disclosure in 2021).
Data on all PIDG investment commitments are available online via its Results Monitoring Database and its annual reports (https://www.pidg.org/). DFID also publishes data relating to its funding to PIDG via DevTracker.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the October 2019 report of The Independent Commission for Aid Impact on mutual prosperity, what steps he is taking to ensure that Official Development Assistance spending across all Departments (a) remains focused on (i) poverty alleviation, (ii) developing and least developed countries and (iii) and leaving no one behind and (b) is fully transparent and accountable.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK is a global champion for aid spending and humanitarian relief. As the Independent Commission for Aid Impact report highlights, this Government is building mutually beneficial partnerships that go wider than aid, towards the trade and business relationships that can deliver quality investment, drive growth and create the jobs that developing countries need to lift millions out of poverty. The aim is to build self-sustaining economies that can generate their own financing through increased tax revenue and private investment.
This approach to international development is a key example of how the government is bringing together all our capabilities to end extreme poverty. To support this, DFID is working with other government departments to ensure all Official Development Assistance meets the requirements of the International Development Act and the Government’s transparency commitment.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2020 to Question 5384 on Developing Countries: Fossil Fuels, how much the UK has allocated from the public purse in Official Development Assistance to projects for mining, transporting or generating electricity from oil and gas combined in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
UK direct bilateral ODA classified as being for oil and gas extraction amounts to £102,000 in the last five years for which data is available (2014-2018). This includes £96,000 in 2016 and £6,000 in 2018. There is no UK direct bilateral ODA classified as being for transport or generating electricity from oil and gas during this time.
CDC, the UK’s development financial institution, has made investments in oil and gas in the past five years. CDC publishes details on its investments but does not report these by fuel type. When CDC does invest in fossil fuels, it does so with an aim of increasing plant efficiencies, reducing emissions and as part of a transition plan. DFID does provide support to developing countries on energy, but specifically to think about how to use their resources and transition to cleaner, greener fuels.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the UK has allocated from the public purse in Official Development Assistance to projects for mining, transporting or generating electricity from (a) coal, (b) oil and (c) gas in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Many developing countries need to increase their energy supplies to accelerate economic growth, deliver critical services, and improve the lives of poor people. When we invest in energy, including in oil and gas, we do that to support development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
DFID does not provide ODA bilateral assistance for coal and has not done so since 2012. It is not possible to provide separate figures for assistance for oil and for gas.
In the Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) we do not support coal projects expect in rare circumstances and only for the poorest countries where there is no economical alternative. The Prime Minister’s announcement means DFID Ministers will now review all coal and other fossil fuel projects that are presented to the Boards of the MDBs and make a decision on each case.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Green Finance Strategy: Transforming Finance for a Greener Future, published in July 2019, under what circumstances and using what criteria the Government will determine that Official Development Assistance spent on investment support for fossil fuels is in line with the Paris Agreement temperature goals and transition plans.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Government is committed to achieving the Paris Agreement climate goals and is increasingly putting environment and climate at the heart of UK Aid. The majority of UK Official Development Assistance for energy either supports renewable energy, helps governments to improve sector policy and governance, or supports energy research. UK Aid has helped over 17 million people with improved access to clean energy.
We do not provide direct assistance for coal-fired generation.
For other fossil fuels our approach is to support their development where there is a clear developmental need and as part of a transition to low-carbon economies. In assessing new support, we will ensure that assistance does not undermine the ambition in a country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and that an appropriate carbon price is used in the appraisal of the programme.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of her Department paying the £65 application fee for settled or pre-settled status for EU nationals (a) employed by and (b) working as an outsourced worker in her Department; what estimate she has made of the total cost to her Department of paying those fees; and what assessment she has made of the risks that the EU Settlement Scheme poses to the retention of EU nationals (i) employed by or (ii) working as an outsourced worker in her Department.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK Government currently does not plan to pay application fees to Home Civil Servants (HCS) for Settled Status. Outsourced workers are not DFID employees, and this will be the decision of their employers.
As at 31 October 2018, 107 Home Civil Servants (HCS) have declared their nationality as non-UK EU nationals, although this information is provided on a voluntary basis. The estimated costs to DFID of paying settled status application fees would equate to £6,955, based on this voluntary declaration.
DFID values the significant contribution made by EU citizens working for the department and we want these colleagues to continue to play a full role in the work of the Civil Service. We are committed to supporting our EU citizen employees across the Civil Service and the important engagement with EU national networks across government will continue over the coming months.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to improve longer term nutrition and food security for (a) women, (b) children and (c) other vulnerable communities in conflict and fragile states in (i) Africa and (ii) Asia that are also prone to climate related disasters.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Government has committed to improve the nutrition of 50 million people in developing countries by 2020. We particularly focus on preventing and treating undernutrition among infants and young children and improving the nutrition of women and adolescents. As part of this, we are strengthening essential health, nutrition and social protection services in a number of countries so that these can better protect the food security and nutrition of people affected by climate shocks and other crises. DFID also monitors early warning data and works with governments and operational partners to put in place the best possible early response if food insecurity and malnutrition deteriorates.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK Government is taking to ensure that the response to early warnings of climate disasters addresses the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID’s humanitarian aid is targeted on the basis of need. We monitor areas at risk of climate disaster and work closely with local governments, civil society and communities to ensure we target the most vulnerable. We also support projects that provide early warning information directly to communities at risk. In areas that are particularly prone to disaster we are supporting social protection schemes, pre–identifying those most vulnerable and ensuring help is delivered swiftly and efficiently.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation of Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk camp in southern Damascus; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Yarmouk camp has been effectively besieged for several years. Despite the regime takeover in recent days, humanitarian access to Yarmouk continues to be denied. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, supported by DFID, has had no direct access to the camp since April 2015.
We continue to call on all parties to protect civilians, and to allow humanitarian agencies unfettered access to provide aid to those most in need, including at the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group. The Secretary of State for International Development and I focused on these messages at the ‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’ Conference in Brussels on 24 and 25 April.