Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on the recognition by the UN of the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK recognises the serious and unequivocal threat that climate change poses to our planet, and that it can undermine the enjoyment of human rights. However, any recognition of a new legal right must give due regard to the structure of international human rights law so as not to undermine the notion and value of human rights as a whole.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much of the Government's £5.8 billion pledge for International Climate Finance committed to the period 2016-17 to 2020-21 was spent in each of those financial years; and how much of the £11.6 billion the Government has committed to International Climate Finance between 2021-22 and 2025-26 is planned to be spent in each of those financial years.
Answered by James Duddridge
Details of UK International Climate Finance (ICF) by calendar year can be found here. Headline figures are below:
Year | Amount (million) |
2016 | £1,025 |
2017 | £903 |
2018 | £1,169 |
2019 | £1,183 |
The UK Government remains committed to doubling our ICF to £11.6 billion over the next five years. Annual allocations have not been set for the five year period.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many green energy and climate-related projects that were under consideration for Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding are no longer under consideration as a result of the decision to reduce the ODA budget; what type of project they were and in which countries they were located.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Foreign Secretary has completed the cross-government review of how Official Development Assistance (ODA) will be allocated against the government's priorities for 2021, including on climate and biodiversity. This review has ensured that UK ODA is focused on our strategic priorities, spent where it will have the maximum impact, has greater coherence and delivers most value for money.
However our international climate finance is protected, and we remain committed to doubling our International Climate Finance to £11.6 billion over the next five years.
No decisions on individual budgets have been taken yet by Ministers.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich of 19 November 2020 on the presidential election in Uganda.
Answered by James Duddridge
A response was sent on 22 December 2020, and an additional copy has been sent to the Member's office.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement signed by the President of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of the Russian Federation on 10 November 2020, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that the exchange of prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees, and the remains of the fatalities, is carried out.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I spoke to the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister on 13 November and the Armenian Foreign Minister on 30 November where I welcomed the cessation of hostilities. I urged both Foreign Ministers to ensure the International Committee of the Red Cross were able to access the conflict zone to allow for the facilitation of the return of prisoners of war and the remains of the deceased. Our Embassies in Yerevan and Baku continue to engage their hosts in support of these efforts.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on Israeli Defence Force actions in the West Bank village of Sebastia, dated 21 October 2020.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
A response has been sent on 4 December.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff of his Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements his Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
No Foreign & Commonwealth Office staff working within Inner or Greater London receive less than the London Living Wage.
We do not require companies contracted to the Department to pay Living Wage Foundation's living wage to the staff that they employ. Specific rates of pay are a matter for each individual contractor, as the employer, but assurances are provided to ensure full compliance with the requirements of the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich of 28 March 2019 in relation to Mr Yousef Al-Shehhi.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The FCO did not receive the letter until 19 June 2019, however a response was sent on 21 June. A copy of the response has been emailed to the hon. Member.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on the effect of Iranian water policies on the Ahwazi Arab population in that country.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
No representations have been made on the topic of Iranian water policies towards the Ahwazi Arab population. However, we are concerned by the substantial violations of the rights of ethnic minorities and their defenders in Iran and therefore, we continue to support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Iran in monitoring and reporting on the rights of ethnic minorities in the country.