Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Brazilian Government on legislation that concerns the rights of indigenous communities in the Amazon region of that country.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to promoting and defending the human rights of all individuals, and we regularly discuss issues affecting indigenous people with Brazilian authorities. The UK continues to support work with indigenous communities across Brazil, including in the Amazon region. UK programmes on building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic include a focus on vulnerable groups, including in the Amazon region, and work on issues such as solar energy, primary healthcare, and skills development. The UK has also supported local and indigenous people in the Amazon through our International Climate Finance Programmes, with nearly £120 million invested since 2012.
The Foreign Secretary, and the Secretary of State for International Trade have regular discussions with their Brazilian counterparts on a range of issues. They have raised the crucial importance of combatting illegal deforestation at the UK-Brazil Strategic Dialogue in October 2020, and at the Joint Economic and Trade Committee in November 2020. More recently, the Foreign Secretary discussed climate and environment matters with the Brazilian Foreign Minister in June 2021. The UK stands ready to support Brazil's efforts to counter increasing deforestation rates, and we welcome the recent reduction of approximately 25% in areas under deforestation alerts.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK will continue to be the largest bilateral donor to the Global Partnership for Education of the G7 countries.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister and President Kenyatta of Kenya will co-host the Global Education Summit: Financing the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in London in July 2021. As co-hosts, it is our policy to use all the means at our disposal to host a successful Summit. A well-funded GPE will be central to delivering the two ambitious global objectives endorsed by G7 Foreign and Development Ministers in London on 5 May of getting 40 million more girls in school, and 20 million more girls reading by age 10 in the next 5 years.
As the Foreign Secretary has previously confirmed, we plan to increase our next contribution to GPE, details of which will be announced in due course. The majority of donor pledges will be known immediately after the Summit in July, with others coming in during the replenishment period.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support the UK is providing to St Vincent since the recent volcanic eruption on that island.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are monitoring the situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines closely and our thoughts are with those affected by the eruptions. An estimated 16-20,000 people are directly affected, with just over 4,000 currently in shelters. Infrastructure and agriculture have also been badly hit and ash fall is significant and causing problems with the movement of people, as well as impacting electricity and water supplies.
To address immediate needs, on 12 April we pledged an initial £200,000 to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to help address the humanitarian impact of the eruptions. This will be used for emergency supplies and other requirements. Urgently needed technical experts will support relief efforts on the ground, support emergency telecommunications, and restore critical lifeline facilities. We have provided technical advice from the UK Government Office of Science (GO Science) and the British Geological Survey on how to deal with the significant ash fall (including on its impact on livestock). Finally the UK is also a contributor to the International Federation of the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) which has allocated funding of some £209,000 to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross response.
We will continue to work with CDEMA and other appropriate agencies to provide further support.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
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 the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of (a) writing off and (b) postponing debt repayments from St Vincent to the UK due to the effect of the recent volcanic eruptions on that island.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK will suspend the debt repayment due in June from St Vincent and the Grenadines under the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), which allows the poorest and most vulnerable countries to suspend debt repayments to their official bilateral creditors. The Chancellor and G20 Finance Ministers recently agreed a further, final, extension to the DSSI which will allow the suspension of all other debt repayments due from St Vincent and the Grenadines to the UK this year.
To address immediate needs, on 12 April we pledged an initial £200,000 to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to help address the humanitarian impact of the eruptions. This will be used for emergency supplies and other requirements. Urgently needed technical experts will support relief efforts on the ground, support emergency telecommunications, and restore critical lifeline facilities
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what role the Minister for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development has in respect of the implementation into UK domestic policy of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK played an instrumental role in establishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to implementing them at home and around the world. The FCDO has oversight of the SDGs with the Cabinet Office providing cross-government support on their domestic implementation. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, is the FCDO Minister responsible for the SDGs. All government departments have responsibility for aspects of the SDGs that relate to their policy remits. Everyone in the UK has a role to play in achieving the SDGs including communities, local government, the private sector, and civil society.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions the Minister for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development has had with local government leaders on the implementation into UK policy of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK played an instrumental role in establishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to advancing them both internationally and at home. The FCDO has oversight of the SDGs with the Cabinet Office providing cross-government support on their domestic implementation. All government departments have responsibility for aspects of the SDGs that relate to their policy remits.
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, is the FCDO Minister responsible for the SDGs. He has not had the opportunity to meet with local government leaders since taking on this responsibility in November 2020 but hopes to do so in the near future. Everyone has a role to play in achieving the SDGs including communities, local government, the private sector, and civil society. We therefore welcome local government engagement with the SDGs.