Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s world news story entitled Cameroon: UK supports new generation of Central Africa researchers, published on 29 January 2026, what steps she has taken to ensure that the £9.1 million of International Development funding achieves value for money; and what criteria she uses to assess the effectiveness of that funding in achieving the UK's development objectives.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training (CRAFT) for Sustainable Development programme is a major milestone in advancing world‑class, locally led scientific research across the Congo Basin. Further details of all FCDO-funded programmes can be found at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK. Each proposed programme is assessed in advance for the impact it will have on the UK's partnership objectives in the country in question, and for its cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Each approved programme is subsequently evaluated on an ongoing basis for its performance against agreed objectives, and for its delivery on time and on budget.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s world news story entitled Cameroon: UK supports new generation of Central Africa researchers, published on 29 January 2026, what measures are in place to evaluate the long-term outcomes of UK investment in the Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training programme.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training (CRAFT) for Sustainable Development programme is a major milestone in advancing world‑class, locally led scientific research across the Congo Basin. Further details of all FCDO-funded programmes can be found at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK. Each proposed programme is assessed in advance for the impact it will have on the UK's partnership objectives in the country in question, and for its cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Each approved programme is subsequently evaluated on an ongoing basis for its performance against agreed objectives, and for its delivery on time and on budget.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s World News Story entitled Cameroon: UK supports new generation of Central Africa researchers, published on 29 January 2026, what assessment she made of the potential impact of allocating the funding provided to Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training for Sustainable Development to forest protection and community-based conservation on development and research for climate resilience.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training (CRAFT) for Sustainable Development programme is a major milestone in advancing world‑class, locally led scientific research across the Congo Basin. Further details of all FCDO-funded programmes can be found at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK. Each proposed programme is assessed in advance for the impact it will have on the UK's partnership objectives in the country in question, and for its cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Each approved programme is subsequently evaluated on an ongoing basis for its performance against agreed objectives, and for its delivery on time and on budget.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s World News Story entitled Cameroon: UK supports new generation of Central Africa researchers, published on 29 January 2026, what steps she is taking to help ensure that research produced through the Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training for Sustainable Development programme will support (a) forest governance, (b) biodiversity protection and (c) climate resilience.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training (CRAFT) for Sustainable Development programme is a major milestone in advancing world‑class, locally led scientific research across the Congo Basin. Further details of all FCDO-funded programmes can be found at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK. Each proposed programme is assessed in advance for the impact it will have on the UK's partnership objectives in the country in question, and for its cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Each approved programme is subsequently evaluated on an ongoing basis for its performance against agreed objectives, and for its delivery on time and on budget.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's world news story entitled Cameroon: UK supports new generation of Central Africa researchers, published on 29 January 2026, what proportion of that funding is provided directly to Central African institutions.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Congo Rainforest Alliance for Forest Training (CRAFT) for Sustainable Development programme is a major milestone in advancing world‑class, locally led scientific research across the Congo Basin. Further details of all FCDO-funded programmes can be found at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK. Each proposed programme is assessed in advance for the impact it will have on the UK's partnership objectives in the country in question, and for its cost-effectiveness in achieving that impact. Each approved programme is subsequently evaluated on an ongoing basis for its performance against agreed objectives, and for its delivery on time and on budget.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the UK Minister Councillor Jennifer McNaughtan Statement at the Security Council on 19 December 2025, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's work to encourage stability in Libya since 2020.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement mentioned in his questions, which sets out the UK's current position on these issues.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the UK Minister Councillor Jennifer McNaughtan Statement at the Security Council on 19 December 2025, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen Libya's internal stability and progress towards democratic elections.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement mentioned in his questions, which sets out the UK's current position on these issues.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 ability of third-party contractors to appropriately distribute UK financial aid.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer he received on 12 January in response to Question 102520.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January to Question 102465, on North Africa: Refugees, when her Department last assessed the effectiveness of her Department's existing migration prevention work in North Africa.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All aspects of the Department's work are kept under continuous review, in all regions of the world, particularly on priority issues such as the fight against illegal migration.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the British Embassy in Brussels' press release entitled Diplomat for a Day 2026 in Brussels: enter our competition' published on 9 January 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to UK taxpayers of this initiative.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The work experience competition referred to by the Hon Member is in its fourth year in Belgium, run by the UK embassy alongside their counterparts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands, and not only provides an outstanding opportunity for the young women selected to take part, but an important means for the embassies involved to engage with high schools across their host country, and cement our strong relationships in that country for the future. The competition is delivered at minimal cost, shared across the four embassies, and while the Hon Member may take a different view, we believe in increasing the opportunities available to young women all over the world to play their full part in public life.