Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the Kenyan Government with the global grain shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Countries across East Africa including Kenya are experiencing sharp food price inflation linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A region-wide drought is compounding the impacts of Russia's illegal war. Since January the UK has provided £1 million in humanitarian support to Kenya in response to the drought. We are urgently working with the UN, the G7 and the international community to unlock the export of Ukrainian grain and find practical ways to open up commercial shipping routes.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the UN's World Food Programme eligibility criteria.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK works to ensure that all humanitarian assistance reaches the most in need. The humanitarian principle of impartiality guides humanitarian actors to provide aid to those most in need without distinction of nationality, age, race, gender, religious belief, class or political opinions. We continually engage with the World Food Programme (WFP) and other partners through our overseas missions to ensure that those in greatest need are prioritised for UK Aid-funded food assistance.
The FCDO assessment is that WFP has a clear and transparent process for beneficiary targeting and prioritisation. We work closely with our operational partners to ensure they rigorously assess vulnerability and needs at country level. Targeting and prioritisation assessments are made on the basis of the most urgent needs. Eligibility criteria are validated and improved through regular and rigorous consultations with affected communities. Only then is the list of eligibility criteria finalised and applied to activities.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that CDC Group’s partnership with DP World leads to the creation and protection of good quality jobs in Africa following the recent dismissal of 800 workers at DP World-owned P&O Ferries.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
CDC Group partnered with DP World to modernise and expand ports and logistics across Africa starting with three ports in Dakar, Sokhna and Berbera. Trade enabled through the three initial ports will improve access to vital goods for 35 million people and support 5 million jobs (138,000 created). By 2035, an estimated $51 billion in additional trade is forecast to pass through the ports, equivalent to 3 per cent of Senegal's GDP, 3 per cent of Egypt's GDP and 6 per cent of Somaliland's GDP.
CDC invests in accordance with its Policy on Responsible Investing which is aligned to international best practice and sets out the approach to environment, social and governance (ESG) matters. The Policy on Responsible Investing includes a focus on job quality, including the rights of workers and employees. All investments - including CDC's investment partnership with DP World in Africa - are subject to these standards.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether CDC Group has plans to divest from New Globe Schools, formerly Bridge International Academies.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
CDC does not disclose investment plans for individual investments as this is commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the preservation of the Tibetan language across Tibet.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We have serious concerns about the situation in Tibet, including reports of the erosion of Tibetan language and culture. We urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the People's Republic of China, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. Most recently, on 1 March the Foreign Secretary expressed her concern about the human rights violations occurring in Tibet in an address to the UN Human Rights Council. The UK also joined 43 other countries in supporting a statement at the UN Human Rights Council in June 2021 that expressed deep concern about the human rights situation in Tibet, and called on the Chinese authorities to abide by their human rights obligations.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the British International Investment's spending commitments to (a) the private sector and (b) the third sector and not for profit organisations.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
British International Investment (BII) - formerly the CDC Group - is the UK's Development Finance Institution. Its mandate is to enhance the role of the private sector to promote inclusive and sustainable economic development. Its mission is to help solve the biggest global development challenges by investing patient, flexible capital to support private sector growth and innovation.
In 2020, BII made £1.22 billion of new commitments to businesses in Africa and South Asia, where the vast majority of the world's poorest people live. BII's portfolio supports 1,200 businesses which directly employ almost 952,000 people and support many more.
Third sector and non-profit organisations are supported through the other parts of the UK Aid programme.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to the Chinese Government on Chinese boarding schools in Tibet.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We have serious concerns about the situation in Tibet, including reports that Tibetan parents are being coerced into sending their children to residential schools. We continue to urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the People's Republic of China, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. In June 2021, the UK and 43 other countries joined a statement at the UN Human Rights Council expressing deep concern about the human rights situation in Tibet, and calling on the Chinese authorities to abide by their human rights obligations.