Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 implications for her policy of the findings of the World Health Organisation's World Malaria Report 2021 in respect of progress towards eliminating malaria cases; what research has been undertaken into improving access to new malaria treatments; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Despite the fact that malaria is preventable, the World Health Organisation's 2021 World Malaria Report notes a significant increase in malaria cases and deaths for the first time in over two decades. This is primarily due to the impact of COVID-19 on health systems.
The UK is committed to tackling malaria, which is closely linked to our ambition to end the preventable deaths of mothers, babies and newborns. The majority of our malaria investments are through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. We also invest in research to develop new tools to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria and support countries to strengthen their health systems. For instance, our support to Medicines for Malaria Venture has helped to develop eleven new medicines, including the world's first child friendly formulation. Taken together these antimalarials are estimated to have saved over an estimated 2.7 million lives.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps his Department has taken to help preserve rainforests.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The British Government is committed to the preservation of rainforests, and engages with governments around the world on the environment. For example, our posts in Brazil frequently engage with the Brazilian Government on a number of environmental issues including deforestation. We have had positive discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture and work closely with them on our International Climate Finance programmes.
Furthermore, we are working with Brazil to help ensure it continues to protect the Amazon and have invested nearly £120 million through the International Climate Finance programme on projects to limit deforestation, prevent forest fires and implement the Forest Code in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Indian government on the continued imprisonment of six UK ex-servicemen who had been working on an anti-piracy ship; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
During my visit to India in October, I raised the case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, and the Indian Foreign Secretary, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and requested a time-bound appeals process. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), also raised the case with Indian Prime Minister Modi during her visit to India earlier this month, making clear the importance of seeing progress. We continue to follow this case closely.
However, this is a legal process and we cannot interfere in the Indian legal system, just as we would not allow another country to interfere in an ongoing court case in the United Kingdom. Our focus is the men's welfare and the support we can provide to their families.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's most recent advice is for British citizens seeking to holiday abroad on the risk of illness from the Zika virus; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Swire
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice advises British nationals who are planning to travel to areas with confirmed cases of locally transmitted Zika virus to follow the advice of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). They should also discuss their travel plans with their healthcare provider, particularly if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. The current advice issued by NaTHNaC is that pregnant women should postpone non-essential travel to areas with current active Zika virus transmission until after pregnancy.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which countries his Department advises people not to visit on account of the threat to health there posed by the Zika virus.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not advise against travel to any country on account of the presence of Zika virus. The FCO travel advice advises British nationals who are planning travel to areas with confirmed cases of locally transmitted Zika virus to follow the advice of the National Travel Health Network and Centre and to discuss their travel plans with their healthcare provider, particularly if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the threat to the safety of British seafarers and others from piracy (a) in the Gulf of Guinea and (b) elsewhere; and what his strategy is for reducing that threat.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We take the threat to British seafarers seriously and keep the situation under review. The National Strategy for Maritime Security provides the strategic context for the UK’s work on maritime security. Piracy is one symptom of wider maritime insecurity and governance challenges that the UK is working to address.
Our assessment for the Gulf of Guinea is that the overall number of reported incidents of maritime crime has remained stable over the last ten years. However, 2013 saw an increase in the number of maritime kidnappings reported. Through the industry–led and UK-supported, Maritime Trade and Information Sharing Centre - Gulf of Guinea, based in Ghana, we are hoping to better understand the scale of the threat. The UK also works with international partners to support the regionally-owned 2013 Yaoundé Code of Conduct.
There are also piracy threats in the major maritime trade areas of the Horn of Africa and South East Asia. The piracy threat from Somalia has been suppressed although pirates retain the capacity to launch attacks. There remains a risk of resurgence if international efforts are stopped prematurely. We are committed to playing a leading role in the international naval operations still on-going in the region including through leading roles in EU and NATO naval forces. The UK also provides staff to EUCAP NESTOR, the EU-led regional maritime capacity building mission, and co-chairs the working group on capacity building of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. In South East Asia, the UK is a member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP). This group seeks to share information and enhance cooperation to combat the threat.
In addition to Government activity, the shipping industry routinely conducts threat assessments of areas in which they are operating. Shipping companies are able to undertake assessments based on information such as insurance company threat ratings and the Department for Transport counter-piracy advice.
The details of the challenges each region faces may be different, but the overriding requirement is to assist with the development of indigenous capability to provide a lasting solution.